May the 4th Be With You: A look back at the creation of The Dogs of Star Wars

The Dogs of Star Wars: It begins

A long time ago, in a galaxy  far, far away…

Actually it was a year and a half ago in a car in Atlanta.

That’s when the executive editor at Dogster.com asked me if I would take on their Dogs of Star Wars series.  Of course, me being me, I said yes before she finished speaking. They had already done a whole series of “Dogs of” posts, photoshopping canines into the main characters of popular TV shows like Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and Mad Men, and a few more.

That was quite a humorous history to uphold.

I was told I could just write the Dogs of Star Wars story, and someone else would do the photoshopping. But I was as likely to do that as Chewbacca was to plant a big furry kiss on Lando Calrissian’s mustachioed face.

Seeking guidance from the masters

So I took on the whole project. And then I realized this was Star Wars. Star Wars. Legions of fans would judge my choices — from the characters I chose to include to the breeds I picked to represent them.

I sought guidance from my future son-in-law Luke (and yes, that’s his name, and yes, he could pass for a Skywalker, and yes, he’s a humongous fan like the rest of the family, fully familiar with canon). Which characters should I show? Just from the original movies? Any ideas on dog breeds? That quickly devolved into an hours-long, in-depth analysis of each film and cast.

In the end, the decisions were mine to make, and I focused on the first film, what would eventually be known as Episode IV: A New Hope.

What I didn’t tell the folks at Dogster.com: I was a padawan in the intricacies of Photoshop. I could cut, paste and use the clone stamp, but that’s about it. For The Dogs of Star Wars, I would be teaching myself photo manipulation — without the help of a Photoshop Jedi.

Try Not

Then I remembered some wise advice I once heard: ““Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

So over the course of several days, with the help of YouTube instead of Yoda, I taught myself how to turn Obi-Wan Kenobi into a Scottish Deerhound and Emperor Palpatine into a Mastiff. C-3PO and R2-D2 were special challenges (Golden Retriever and Weimaraner respectively). Along the way I also turned a Great Pyrenees into a tauntaun and a Maltese into a wampa. (Even my son thought a Maltese wampa was impressive: “I’ll give you that,” he said. “That’s pretty funny.” High praise indeed.)

Below are a few of my favorites from the story. To see the full collection and the descriptions of The Dogs of Star Wars, head on over to Dogster.com.

And enjoy. Feel free to laugh, argue and share.

Just. Please. Don’t judge me on my photoshop skills. Much to learn I still have.

A few of the Dogs of Star Wars

Luke Skywalker was my first attempt, using a Rough Coated Jack Russell Terrier. Photos courtesy of Lucasfilm, Shutterstock and Dogster.com.

I got better as I practiced. I thought Obi-Wan Kenobi turned out pretty well as a Scottish Deerhound. Seemed only right, too. Photos courtesy of  Lucasfilm, Shutterstock and Dogster.com.

Just don’t ask me how a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as Princess Leia could shoot without thumbs. Or why a “King” Charles Spaniel. These are questions best not pondered.

Maltese as Wampa. Taking a risk and casting against type. Photos courtesy of Lucasfilm, Shutterstock and Dogster.com.

My favorite: Mastiff as Emperor Palpatine. Photos courtesy of Lucasfilm, Shutterstock and Dogster.com.

May the Force be with you!

Related posts:

A Peek Behind the Scenes of The Dogs of Star Wars The Force Awakens and it’s Not What You Think: Sci Fi Dogs and Cats Pet Photography Humor: All I Wanted Was a Cute Picture of My Dogs Photos: New Year’s Resolutions