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Post by Darth Marmalade on Sept 23, 2006 21:33:36 GMT -5
Announcing: The Star Toys Museum "Name the Astromech Droid" Contest! My Star Wars car project has been a little delayed by mechanical failure, so I've been working on an astromech droid for the car. No, not to stave off mechanical failure in the future, it's just something I can do! Here's a picture of what it looks like so far:  But it needs a name! The mundanes are just going to call it R2-D2 anyway, but what about those of us who know better? I don't remember seeing an astromech with a clear colored head in the movies -- all the clear ones were colorless. It's also about a third smaller than a standard R-series droid, so maybe it's got some other designation entirely? Does it go by a nickname that's not just a string of letters and numbers? Is its name related to its personality? Quirks? Gender? Clever wordplay and puns are appreciated. Things like detailed back-stories and color schemes for the rest of its body (I've already begun a custom action figure) are welcome. Entries may be posted here, or emailed or private-messaged to me. The winning entry will be announced at the Guy Fawkes and World Art Car Day celebration at my neighbor Conrad Bladey's house on November 4th, 2006 -- and here soon after. The winner will receive mention every time someone asks about the car or the droid, my undying gratitude, and maybe some small prize to be decided later (suggestions and donations on that front are also welcome). I'll also be inviting entries from The DC Star Wars Collectors' Club, Dewback Wing, and maybe one or two other Star Wars fan groups. Thanks, and good luck! |
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Post by Drago Lordist on Sept 24, 2006 2:19:25 GMT -5
2LEET-4U
lmao
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Post by Don Solo on Sept 24, 2006 2:28:13 GMT -5
That looks great, what did you use for it? I like dragolordist's idea, I cant think of anything better.  |
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Post by Darth Marmalade on Sept 24, 2006 22:55:22 GMT -5
Leetspeak! That sort of thing is why I'm asking for ideas.
The astromech's head is a red lampshade that has been in the "droid parts" box for, honestly, more than 20 years. The panels are "nickel shimmer" Krylon Fusion paint. The eye in the photo is folded paper and a little computer-aided retouching, but I have a plastic eye piece put together. As soon as that's painted and attached (somehow), I'll update the photo. I'll also have to put together some internal parts, as most of the head is clear -- the "droid parts" box may continue to come in handy.
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Post by Drago Lordist on Sept 25, 2006 20:05:35 GMT -5
what is the dome made of? I may have to make one for the tx130...
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Post by Darth Marmalade on Sept 26, 2006 0:14:57 GMT -5
I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what the lampshade/ astromech head is made of. It's injection molded, but doesn't have any identifying marks. It was made before they started putting the little recycling symbols on everything. I'd guess that acrylic or polystyrene are the most likely materials. Maybe polycarbonate, but it has a few small cracks that make me doubt that. It's also got a melted spot on the inside where somebody put a too-hot bulb and then maybe knocked the lamp on its side, but that still doesn't really narrow it down.
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Post by Drago Lordist on Sept 26, 2006 18:53:23 GMT -5
ah lampshade - didn't catch that, I just wanted the origins not material
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Post by Obi-Shawn on Oct 3, 2006 16:45:08 GMT -5
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Post by Drago Lordist on Oct 3, 2006 19:41:02 GMT -5
oooh I like RU-12 - If you don't use it I call dibs!
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Post by Don Solo on Oct 4, 2006 1:00:17 GMT -5
Hey, I've got one of those Squirrel domes in my garage! (one more project I'll never finish  ) |
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Post by Darth Marmalade on Oct 4, 2006 22:16:36 GMT -5
Like I said, I've had this lampshade for more than 20 years, and all the while I've been saying, "going to make that into an astromech droid someday..."
Every now and then, that long-awaited project happens (of course, I do have another, similar lampshade in translucent white with a couple of half-melted spots, but that one's only been in the box for about 12 years...).
Thanks for the ideas, Shawn! A fellow I know had a licence plate that read "IM RU2" or something similar; I had completely forgotten about that. I also quite like "Slim" -- very clever. I've got one or two ideas of my own, now, inspired by suggestions folks have made, but I'm hoping for something that really grabs me before this is all over.
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Post by Darth Marmalade on Nov 2, 2006 23:43:50 GMT -5
Just a couple days to go!
Here are all of the entries so far, from folks here, on other bulletin boards, and elsewhere:
R2-M0 (Artoo-Emnought)
T2-A1 (a play on my initials, TGA)
RT-66
R3-T2
R6-T9
O-69
2LEET-4U
MN-D2
MN-R2
R2-JT (the first to include the model of car, a VW Jetta)
RD-D2
R3/Q2
R3/QS
R-Tour (playing with the Museum angle)
R4-dTour
R2-82 (it's a 1982 Jetta)
R3-VW
R5-Vbug
RJ-A6
R-TGA
R2-TA
V8-W2
VW-82
Jarhead
VINCENT
OU-812
ID-10-T
JE-TA
RU-12
RD-SQ (from Road Squadron)
R0-J0
Lux (the astromech's head was a lampshade)
Lumos
Lumiere
Slim (Shade-y, get it?)
R2-8E2
Anyone got any better ideas? The winner will be announced this Saturday, and may receive a handsome, if small, laser-cut trophy of some kind.
Thanks!
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Post by jetster on Nov 3, 2006 0:32:56 GMT -5
How about B4-R2 or how about MN-E1
I don't know its late, Im tired and I have a couple other projects to get 2,
Great job so far, keep us posted!
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Post by Darth Marmalade on Nov 5, 2006 14:09:12 GMT -5
Last night's World Art Car and Guy Fawkes Day celebration was very successful! There were torches, chanting, earth-oven turkey (and plenty else for vegetarians), a bonfire, flaming pudding, fireworks... and, of course, the naming of an astromech droid. Here he is on the car (and lit up, but that's hard to see):  The last few entries: B4-R2 MN-E1 Car2-drive2 Pride PV-1 4T-LF8 (very clever) RV-TS "Rivets" E2-Brute (Shakespeare!) R3-J82 The runners-up began with R2-M0 (Artoo-Emnought), which has to be my favorite astromech name ever -- but it's been used before. There was a fellow on the old Galoob Toys bulletin board who used that as his handle. I wanted something new. R4-dTour was at the top of the list for a while, although I probably would have tweaked it further to T4-dTour or even T4-dTau ("T" for the tour). Thanks to Tim Walsh of DCSWCC.com for that one. Late entry R3-J82 also very nearly edged out the top contender, and probably packs the most significance of all the entries - type of droid plus make and year of car. A very nice suggestion from Scott Strong, also of DCSWCC. But in the end, the winner came from Meerkat Meade's own Don Sakers, with a simple but elegant leetpeak-ish substitution of some numbers for letters: J3-T74Many, many thanks to everyone who sent in ideas! |
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Post by Obi-Shawn on Nov 11, 2006 4:43:40 GMT -5
So it's a german droid... "Vee-Dub in da haus...."
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