There's No Place Like The Death Star

Posted to Flickr on 23 July 2014. Part of the Laugh! series. Funny is fun.™

Two bands of adventurers happen upon one another in a dark, scary place, but they soon discover they have much in common.

Photo seen in Flickr Explore.

Origin

The original inspiration for this photo has to be the Mel Brooks film Spaceballs, where a correlation is clearly drawn between the characters of Star Wars and the characters of The Wizard of Oz. I watched Spaceballs a million times as a kid, and the idea stuck with me. However, it wasn’t until recently that I acquired a full set of Oz figures.

Setup

The overall setup was straightforward. The figures stand on a sheet of clear acryllic which rests on an elevated black shelf that I often use as a base for my photo scenes. The backdrop is a broken computer monitor.

Setup

The hard part was positioning the figures. At first I had the counterparts interacting with each other, and even though I liked the more friendly tone, it was a little too chaotic. So then I arranged them in a “V” formation with counterparts positioned opposite each other.

Above the scene is a large circular diffuser that softens the ambient light in the room.

Alternate

This early attempt was a little too chaotic for my taste.

Alternate

Elsewhere

These teams have also run into each other in these places:

Have you seen this photo somewhere else? Or are you using it yourself? I would love to hear from you! It's always fun to learn where my photos turn up.

Flickr Facts

This photo was posted to Flickr on 23 July 2014. It was one of 500 images featured on Flickr Explore for that day. The last time I checked, it had 41,201 views on Flickr.

The media type of this image is "photo." The original file type was "jpg." The photo's dimensions are 1024 x 681, giving it landscape orientation.

Unless otherwise noted, the image was created by me, JD Hancock.

Selected imagery background information.

Han Solo

Han Solo is a smuggler-turned-freedom fighter in the Star Wars universe. Along with his Wookiee companion Chewbacca he trades and smuggles cargo in his spaceship the Millennium Falcon. He was first portrayed by actor Harrison Ford in the original Star Wars film trilogy Star Wars (1977), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), also known as Episodes IV, V, and VI. Over the course the original trilogy Solo befriends Luke Skywalker, falls in love with Princess Leia, and becomes a leader of the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire.

Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is a farm boy-turned-Jedi Knight in the Star Wars universe. Created by George Lucas and portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke is a central figure in the original trilogy Star Wars (1977), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983). His story largely involves the redemption of his father, the villainous Darth Vader, by learning the ways of the Jedi and taking the virtuous path his father had abandoned long ago. Armed with an optimist viewpoint, a strong sense of responsibility, and his lightsaber, Luke helps lead the Rebel Alliance against the evil Galactic Empire.

R2-D2

R2-D2 is an astromech droid and a major character in the Star Wars universe. He was often paired with the protocol droid C-3PO and many adventures with Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was portrayed by Kenny Baker and is only one of four characters to appear in all six Star Wars films. During the course of the prequel trilogy he saves everyone aboard Queen Amidala’s ship, witnesses the secret wedding of Akakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, and helps rescue Chanellor Palpatine. In the original trilogy, R2-D2 carries the plans to the Death Star, aids the rebels in their escape from the Cloud City, and helps Luke Skywalker in rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt.

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