Droids Custom Nien Nunb: Mostly colored!

by Bill Cable
on 2026-03-04, 09:58:58

Things are progressing on schedule for my next Droids custom.

I'm most of the way finished with coloring my art. I began with the main character, which went smoothly.

Then I moved on to Chewie. I used a pretty effective "fur" brush which gave me results I was happy with.

And finally I worked on the chairs...

I played with some different texture brushes on those. I like how they turned out.

All that's left is the panels, which I have some ideas how I'm gonna do. With it being so dark and so black I'm thinking "lots of glare" to give it some depth. And I expect once I nail the technique it'll all come together quickly. So if all goes well I'll finish before Friday and be ready to put them together. Tune in Monday for an update on when they'll go on sale!

PSWCS.org tops 500 pledges - FUNDED!

by Bill Cable
on 2026-03-04, 09:52:15

PSWCS.org is thrilled to announce that, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm sponsors like you, we have officially reached our minimum goal of 500 preorders for our 2026 fundraiser! Your support ensures that this year's medallion will be produced to benefit Second Chance Fundraising. We are deeply grateful for everyone who has stepped forward to be part of this effort.

As we celebrate this achievement, we are now striving toward our next milestone: 600 pledges. Reaching this goal will allow us to reduce the base price of each medallion by over $2, making it more accessible to the collectors who look forward to this initiative each year. If we can reach 700 pledges the price will drop by over $4 per medallion from our current level. Please help us get to these levels to offer huge savings to all our sponsors!

The deadline to pledge is March 9th, so you only have ONE WEEK LEFT to preorder your medallions. You can make your pledge here:
https://www.pswcs.com/charity/pledge.cfm

Action Figures & Their Beers – Let’s Get Hammered!

by Beedo Sookcool
on 2026-02-25, 16:59:48

GREENE KING ABBOT RESERVE

Well, this is a nice little instance of serendipity! I’ve only managed two other Greene King ales in all these years of AF&TB, those being Greene King Very Special IPA back in 2012, which I liked quite a bit, and Rocking Rudolph, which I only ...

Click here to read the WHOLE story!

CreatureCantina.com breaks down Toy Fair NY 2026!

by Bill Cable
on 2026-02-25, 10:13:56

A week and a half ago I flew into NYC for the annual Toy Fair New York, a convention where toy manufacturers reveal their products for the calendar year. With The Mandalorian and Grogu releasing in just three months, I expected to see tons of products with those characters plastered ...

Click here to read the WHOLE story!

PSWCS.org 2026 charity fundraiser FUNDED!

by Bill Cable
on 2026-02-25, 08:58:48

The Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society (PSWCS.org) is thrilled to celebrate the strong early momentum of its 2026 medallion fundraiser in support of Second Chance Fundraising, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness for organ donation.

https://www.pswcs.com/charity/pledge.cfm

Reaching the halfway mark of the pledge window, the fundraiser has already secured over 500 preorders, exceeding our minimum to produce the medallions. This early surge demonstrates the community's dedication to both fandom and philanthropy. Having met our minimum goal we are thrilled to confirm this fundraiser WILL move forward!

This year's campaign introduces an exciting preorder‑only format, giving fans a unique opportunity to secure a limited-edition collectible while directly contributing to a lifesaving cause. With pledges open from February 9 through March 9, supporters are responding enthusiastically to this fresh, mission‑driven approach. If the fundraiser reaches the required 500 preorders, medallions will be priced at $19.59 + shipping, but supporters can drive the cost down even further by boosting total pledges. There are price reductions at every 100‑unit milestone above 500, and at the maximum preorder level of 1,000 units the price drops significantly to $12.02 + shipping!

With less than TWO WEEKS still remaining in the campaign, PSWCS.org encourages fans, collectors, and supporters of organ‑donation advocacy to get their pledges in before the March 9 deadline. Because this fundraiser is preorder‑only, the 2026 medallion will not be available once the pledge window closes. Don't miss your opportunity to secure a one‑of‑a‑kind collectible that directly supports a meaningful cause.

Make your pledge here: https://www.pswcs.com/charity/pledge.cfm

Droids Custom Nien Nunb: More colors!

by Bill Cable
on 2026-02-25, 08:54:19

So - quick update on Nien Nunb. My initial plan was to assemble them this weekend. That ain't happening. Basically, I got too much going on. My daughter Jasmine is moving into an apartment on Friday, so I'll be spending a lot of the weekend driving back and forth. And that actually is works as a good excuse to not rush the art, which still has a way to go...

The chair coloring was easy enough, but after that I was faced with the background. And the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon presents a unique challenge. It's all black panels. And I drew it as all black lines. And black lines on a black background don't really covey a whole lot of information when you print that out. After weighing my options, I decided to convert the lines to gray to simulate the piping of all the panels from the set...

I like how that's working, but there's gonna be some tweaking that I'll need to figure out. I'll get there. Just not before Friday. So the moving thing gives me a lot of breathing room to get this right. Check back next Wednesday for (hopefully) the final art!

Action Figures & Their Beers -- Nice Pear

by Beedo Sookcool
on 2026-02-19, 03:36:45

HENRY WESTON’S VINTAGE PEAR

Vintage. Lime-green wrapper. This one’s an easy match.

Henry Weston is a big name in the cider market here in the UK, and here is his . . . oh, no. Oh, dear. “Vintage Pear Cider.” Bugger it. As we have already established in the Samuel ...

Click here to read the WHOLE story!

PSWCS.org's 2026 charity drive is over 60% funded!

by Bill Cable
on 2026-02-18, 10:06:23

After the first week of our pledge drive to benefit Second Chance Fundraising, we have already exceeded half of our minimum for the fundraiser to move forward! Thanks so much for the outpouring of support we've received so far!

https://www.pswcs.com/charity/pledge.cfm

PSWCS.org is trying something new: dynamic pricing.

The more preorders received, the lower the final price.
500 preorders = $19.59 + shipping
1000 preorders = $12.02 + shipping
(Price drops every 100 orders!)

Want to help push your price down?

Pool your orders with friends, clubs, or collecting groups to save on shipping and boost the preorder count. If you have already ordered we can easily adjust your total so you can combine orders. Simply email charity@pswcs.com with your request.

Preorder here: https://www.pswcs.com/charity/pledge.cfm

Toy Fair 2026 - Report in progress

by Bill Cable
on 2026-02-18, 10:00:31

I'm working on a write-up of Toy Fair New York 2026, a best & worst rundown that I'll post as soon as it's done. To tide you over, here's a photo of my convention travel buddies from day 1 of the conference:

Droids Custom Nien Nunb: First colors!

by Bill Cable
on 2026-02-18, 09:55:21

I've begun coloring in Nien Nunb (interrupted by a weekend trip to Toy Fair New York...). So here's a few quick progress images:

First I began with the protagonist...

Next up was the Wookiee, going all the way back to 2004 for color reference!

And lastly I began the arduous task of coloring the cockpit, starting with the pilot chairs.

I'm hoping to assemble these over the weekend of Feb 28th. So if all goes well you'll see final colors next week!