UPDATE: "LORD VADER IS COMING ABOARD" I've discovered that this line came from the Radio Adaptation of 1981! It was amazing to hear the Droid announce Vader, in my headphones the other night. "So THAT's where it came from!" 30 years later.
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Film Notes

Hilarious!

Ohhh... the indignity!

It's well known by serious Star Wars fans that Vader's scenes were shot with big strongman Dave Prowse delivering the lines. And that Dave's always sworn that he believed all along that his voice was intended to be in the final edit - intended for inclusion in the film! Have you ever heard his voice when he says those lines?

I mean, how could he possibly..? Never mind. Dave is by all accounts a lovely man and has a delightful creamy, rural sounding accent but it was just as well that James Earl Jones over-dubbed Vader. Still, at times - the voice does seem a little out of sync, detached if you like from Prowse's movements. Especially in this scene. Perhaps it was an approach that was destined to be less than successful. Well, we were young and it looked good enough to us!

Art Notes: "Vader's Coming Abord!"

"...information retrieval system has been wiped cleen"

So we meet Luke and Leia's old man. I've just noticed that I never depicted Vader making his big appearance - striding through the burnt-out hatch. The scene that Francis Ford Coppola laughed at "George - this is your villain. And you introduce him to the audience like this?" Or words to that effect. Thanks Francis, with friends like you... Lucas gave up directing after this film.

Note the use of a stuck-in chewing gum card. Probably would have been worth thousands of something on eBay if I hadn't defiled it.

Best Pals

Incidentally, Dave Prowse and Kenny Baker are best pals you know? I met Kenny earlier this year. Well, I say "met", it was more sort of... he graciously signed this comic at a convention in Dublin - when I passed it to a member of staff (another story). So, it's a bit like we're acquainted. So to Dave, I'm a friend of friend - if you know what I mean. And Dave's Darth Vader - kind of - even though Vader's not ACTUALLY a real character - but you get the gist - so technically - in a way, I'm a pal of Vader. And as I turn a blind eye to his doings - so I can continue being his friend - in Ireland so to speak. Does that make me evil too? Or just a supportive friend who cares?

On Friday: Escape Pod "F-TOOM!"

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