Splinter of the Mind’s Eye – Part 35
New to Blue Milk Special? Start reading from the beginning!
Irvin Kershner had all he could take of Mark Hamil’s incessant whining during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back. He would physically abuse his actors like a drill sergeant from hell (the Norse icy Hell that is). Hoth was never meant to be an ice planet, it was only when Kershner walked onto the set that it suddenly froze over. But seriously… by all accounts Irvin Kershner was a gentle and good humored man with a knack for getting the best out of his Star Wars cast and crew. This is one of my favorite photos of Kershner on the set of TESB. May he rest in peace and be venerated by our enduring memories.
The Blue Milk Special page header is now a teaser for the upcoming parody of The Empire Strikes Back. We have postponed the intended debut until January to give ourselves a rest. We will also be dropping to an update schedule that will see either 2 or 3 strips per week. It’s the only way we’re going to be able to continue to produce this webcomic on the back of our actual paying work as it saps valuable time, particularly from Leanne’s cram-packed schedule. Hopefully many of you will stick with us for our 2011 journey to Hoth, Asteroids, Dagobah and Bespin, and the introduction of Yoda and Lando Calrissian. ;=
Don’t forget to keep up with the spin-off adventures of the Cantina Band, exclusively available via voting incentive at TopWebComics.com
And now view the latest episode here.
That was awesome
Dude, you’re awesome! :=)
That’s a good entrance for Darth Vader: Hey! And I still totally dig the bug-eyed look.
And take your time with the update schedule. As long as you don’t pull a VG Cats, you’ve got a fan in me for life. Even if your updates do follow that site’s update schedule, I’ll still be eager for the next posting.
I also like the banner; making me eager to see TESB content.
I think the saying “the only way to make money is to spend money” applies here. Although not about money in this case. If you want to build a readership then you have to put in a ton of energy to do it. BMS is able to cheat because there is a ready made fan base thanks to this being fan webcomic. However, creator-owned webcomics have an even tougher job.
Glad you like the banner. It’s meant to be a teaser, and it seems to be working! :=)
Hehe, that pic of Kershner and Hamil is gold! Love it…. And Vader’s casual “hey!” was great. Now where is TK8008?
TK8008 is watching the car. Vader didn’t want him to get hurt in the fight.
Adjust your update schedule however you need to. I’m here for the duration, come what may (unless my health issues get worse, but that’s not looking too likely for now … )
We hope your health issues get better rather than worse, Tek. Thanks for sticking with us!
That last panel must have been really fun to draw. Recreating the best part of Splinter (the McQuarrie art).
The new header is getting me excited for the Empire parody.
Those Cantina Band strips are hillarious!
It was a lot of fun recreating the cover. The original pinup that we made had Luke pinned under a significant boulder, but by the time we got to this scene in the parody I just thought a tiny rock would work better. ;=)
So glad you like the Cantina Band strips. The next one to debut on Dec 15th is my favorite so far.
Heh. If only that part were filmed. “But I don’t WANT to fly the snowspeeder!” *Puts luke in a bucket of presumably cold water/ice*
I really did wonder why Leia was using a lightsaber. Doesn’t make sense, and it also brings up a certain question. Why doesn’t vader just make her cut her own head off?
My dad’s got an interesting theory on that. (Still live with him. :|) Jedi [i]must[/i] have a sixth-sense thing that keeps their weapon away from themselves. That being the reason no non-force user can take on a force-user. Any merc can hold a glow-bat, but with a flick of their wrist, any jedi/sith would make that merc lop off their own head.
Well, contrary to whatever the EU books might suggest, I think it would be insanity for Leia not to have a shit ton of Force power herself. Maybe we will explore that a little.
Oh, crap – I put my response to this comment below the comment underneath! *facepalm*
Naptime.
But it still works, Karen.
Must be the BMS influence 🙂
Didn’t she become a very capable Jedi herself ?
I have no idea. I stopped keeping up with the EU around the mid 90s.
Yea she did, I keep up with the EU 😀
Just another moment that contradicts in Star Wars EU,
I really look forward to seeing the part where Vader gets his ass kicked in Splinter Of The Mind’s Eye by Leia ;P
Uh… unfortunately, you’ll notice an ongoing trend in Alan Dean Foster’s story when it comes to Leia and physical violence.
I’ve read the New Jedi Trilogy and part of the first book of the Corillan Trilogy; Leia stopped her Jedi8 training because it got in the way of her running the New Republic with Mon Mothma who is turning that job over to Leia on her own.
I think those books said Leia’s got slightly less Force Sensitivity than Luke.
Even if Leia got slightly less “Force” than Luke, think about it… Luke was the son of Anakin Skywalker, one of the most powerful Jedi ever. Luke started his training at about 17 years old and within maybe 5 years he had killed Vader. My guess is that Luke surpassed his father’s “Force level”. So, if Leia has slightly less Force, then she should still be one of the biggest Force badasses in the galaxy if she bothered mastering it. I can’t believe I’m talking about this! It’s geekishly fun though.
I’ve read quite a few books that reference Leia’s Force sensitivity. Leia has (in the books) put her Jedi training second to her duties to the New Republic. But I agree with Rod on the “Force Level”…. Luke and Leia both came from Anakin’s… um… loins…. so it would be sensible to conclude that they both inherited a good amount of Force ability. **SPOILER — for some…*** Just look at their respective kids. All four offspring from Luke and Leia showed GREAT levels of Force ability thru their careers. Later in the EU, Leia does realize to be better in her position in the government, she starts to develop her Jedi skills.
So, ultimately, IMO neither one may necessarily have more Force ability…. Luke trained specifically, and probably dreamed of being one as a little boy, to be a Jedi Knight. Leia was raised to be a diplomat. Their skill sets are in different fields…..
But then again, I’m geekin’ out…. :0)
You see, the fact that Leia is a force-sensitive [i]constantly[/i] escapes me.
I think it’s important you know this. The band playing in jabba’s palace weren’t the same as the cantina band (Figrinn da’n and the modal nbodes or something), because in the OT they refused playing for him, knowing the risk wasn’t worth the effort trying to entertain a crime-lord who feeds all his “failed” entertainers to his rancor… Just a note, Since many apparrently commented on your earlier hyper-space TIE-fighters. But hey, we (or at least I) can settle for the BMS-hybrid of the Bith race isn’t as sensitive 😀
Thanks Al. However, BMS, being a parody is not very faithful to characterizations and events from the films, particularly the EU. We frequently deviate from canon and have essentially built our own parody canon. Which means that, yes, this is the same Cantina Band from the OT.
::::mystical wave of the hand::::
Leia: You want to give me your last pack of cigarettes…
TK8008: I want to give you my last pack of cigarettes….
Leia: You will go and pants Vader.
TK8008: I will go and pants Vader.
That is awesome!
Yes, because in trying to stay true the the EU… that way, madness lies.
“But hey, we (or at least I) can settle for the BMS-hybrid of the Bith race isn’t as sensitive” = Yeah, I know 🙂
Phew – you had me worried there… after me saying what a nice man Kersh was!
http://starwarsage9.com/index.php/part-iv/smouldering-piles-20
I love the way you take the piss out of the character’s instant expertise in various activities. Leia hasn’t even done “A Montaaaage” a la ‘Team America World Police’!
There are some crazy moments coming up in Leia’s lightsaber duel with Vader. Some of this stuff you wouldn’t believe!
“Hopefully many of you will stick with us for our 2011 journey to Hoth, Asteroids, Dagobah and Bespin, and the introduction of Yoda and Lando Calrissian.”
Hopefully? What is this “hopefully” business? You’re going to have a really (to the power of 10) hard time getting rid of us, bub, and your talented little wife too. We know where you live.
Well, no, honestly, we don’t. But we’d find out.
Well, you know… we’re modest and such. Thanks for being a BMSer!
I was only here for your faithful adaptation of Alan Dean Foster’s classic novel, but if you insist on glorifying ESB, I guess I’ll keep reading to see if it’s any good.
TESB will be a much tighter parody than anything we’ve done previously. While I’ve indulged in exploring a lot of stuff which deviates wildly in the past couple of years (almost 2 years now), our TESB parody is almost deliberately made to stay on target.
Cool beans. That said, I do hope there will be SOME deviation 🙂 I think the whole C3PO + Wampas vs Empire angle hasn’t been explored enough – LOL. Can’t wait 🙂
There was originally going to be some massive deviation towards the very end of our TESB parody. Huge. But I think it goes too far.
Oh, and BTW- you know I was kidding, right?
Vader’s entrance in this strip rates as one of the best anti-climatic walk-ons ever!
It’s the complete opposite of Batman crashing through a plate Glass window to confront the Rogue’s Gallery.
I love it! 🙂 🙂
My only question is how are you going to top it?
This crap just tops itself. I mean, have you read this scene in the book, or the comic adaptation? It’s crazy!
Awesome, awesome comic again! And I am glad to hear ESB is still a go. Sticking with ya guys to infinity and beyond!!!! ….. Oh wait….wrong movie.
If Luke is serious, I think he’s just bein’ lazy. That ‘boulder’ couldnt stop a fly. Well, maybe a fly. But not a full-grown ‘jedi’.
Sometimes the simplest jokes are the funniest. I enjoyed today’s strip muchly. 🙂
Love the new banner, btw. I noticed it first thing when I got to the page and it definitely works as a teaser for ESB. I’m looking forward to that one. Do what you need to do for yourselves first, though; we’ll be here when you’re ready to start posting.
That last panel is epic. It would make a most excellent poster… And I dig the anthropomorphized probe droid!
+1 I was just gonna point out how epic that last panel is, then I saw your comment. Now I have to wait ’till monday to see what happens…
Why couldn’t luke just cut the bolder in half ?
And chop off his own leg? I think you overestimate his skill with a lightsaber! That’s how he got into this problem in the first place! ;=
It’s not that hard to cut it horizontally.
It is if you’re retarded. :-/
Ssssshh, don’t reveal Luke’s inner secrets in public please!
Yay, convenient plot holes! (Or “Boulders”)
Um. Hi. I found BMS yesterday, and I read everything. Help. LOL, I love you!
it IS addicting, isn’t it.
This strip is Epic!
What a perfectly hilarious capture of the iconic cover art!
“Hey!”