You may remember the tiny Darth Vader using “The Force” last year in a Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial, and now its follow-up ad has been released. It’s called The Dog Strikes Back and features the dog from the 2011 commercial getting into shape to chase down a VW Beetle. Be sure to watch the whole thing for the Star Wars cantina scene. Volkswagen also combined dogs and Star Wars in the previously released Super Bowl ad called The Bark Side. In addition, they have created an Intergalatic Invite, which will create a custom “Big Game Party” Star Wars-themed title crawl.

Here’s the 2011 The Force spot:

via AdWeek

The DIY Star Wars AT-AT Cable Organizer/Card Case is a construct-your-own computer-cable-organizing and business-card-holding kit from Jimi Olaghere at GeekCook. It is available to purchase from his Etsy shop, GeekCook.

The DIY AT-AT is constructed after the Star Wars AT-AT, It’s a geeks solution to keeping cable and wire organized in the office or work area. There is also a compartment to store business cards. It’s made from high grade wood and it comes flat-packed. Nuts and screws are all included. It can also be painted to the color of your choice!

via Etsy Dudes

images via GeekCook

Star Wars Uncut, the collaborative fan remake of Star Wars, has been assembled into the definitive director’s cut by project creator Casey Pugh. The project began in 2009, when Pugh divided Star Wars into 472 15 second segments and asked the Internet to remake the film segment by segment.

Here’s Bones Mello, the AT-AT dog eating a birthday treat.

via Neatorama

In order, here are the debate videos:

We recieved this wonderful “Jabba the Snowman” Lucasfilm holiday card from our friend Bonnie Burton, editor of The Official Star Wars Blog and @StarWars Twitter account.

photo by Scott Beale

Singer and songwriter Darren Hayes of Savage Garden tells a sweet autobiographical childhood story of a past Christmas for his supporters in the video, Happy Christmas from Darren Hayes. His story goes back to 1980 when he and his family were living in a trailer park and his mother saved every week for Star Wars figurines to gift him.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM ME TO YOU

I’ve made a little Christmas video message for all of you. It took me weeks to film all the little parts and come up with exactly what I wanted to say. It means a lot to me so I hope you like it. It comes from the heart.

Normally I make a card or post some kind of artwork but this year I wanted to make a video piece. So I did. It’s the thought that counts right?

Regardless of religion – this time of year always makes me so grateful for what I have and for those I love. You are a huge part of my gratitude. Making ‘Secret Codes and Battleships’ would have been a hundred times more difficult if it wasn’t for all of you. Your support, faith and belief in me got me through my darkest days and is a constant source of inspiration. Knowing that you encourage me and want me to succeed has given me so much strength and purpose and I can never repay you for that. Instead all I can do is keep doing what I love to do and say, at every chance I get, thank you. Thank you for inspiring me and for allowing me to do every day the thing that makes my heart sing. I hope you have a wonderful holiday time whatever your beliefs – and that 2012 is the year of love.

In fact, I hope you’re smothered in love!

Always,
Darren

Thanks to JahFurry for the tip!

These Star Wars-themed nutcrackers are made by Kurt Adler, a holiday decoration importer. The series includes Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper, Yoda and more.

The Emperor’s Cabinet is a giant handcrafted wet bar in the shape of an AT-AT Walker from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Woodworker Colin Johnson has been busy creating this unique liquor cabinet and still has to add finishing touches to it like “brass trim and guns, shelves in the bar and a mirrored interior”.

images via Colin Johnson

Cello Wars is a fun video from The Piano Guys where cellist Steven Sharp Nelson plays music from Star Wars in two dueling roles, both complete with lightsaber bows. There’s even short cameos from (an accordion-playing) Darth Vader and Chewbacca.

A result of 6 months of production…our most ambitious undertaking by far! Why Star Wars Cello? Because of our unending admiration of George Lucas, John Williams, and the most EPIC movies and film score ever created. The idea originated when Tel Stewart was editing THE CELLO SONG…As a joke he decided to add light sabers to Steven Sharp Nelson’s bow during the outtakes. Fans cried out for more. Al van der Beek and Steven Sharp Nelson storyboarded the song..But it was Steven Sharp Nelson’s son Eli (6) that was the true inspiration for the project — his enthusiasm for Star Wars, light sabers, and watching his daddy wield one while playing cello fueled the project continually.

via Neatorama

This cartoon had a bad day at work by See Mike Draw

via Tastefully Offensive & The High Definite

Stand Up For Cancer has collaborated with Lucasfilm to bring celebrity Star Wars enthusiasts together in the cancer awareness campaign, Stand Up And Use The Force For Good. The Star Wars tribute video associated with the campaign features many comedic stars who recreate scenes from the original film. The campaign was chosen by Lucasfilm to celebrate the release of Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray discs. Be sure to also check out the behind-the-scenes video.

Stand Up To Cancer Celebrity Ambassadors Aziz Ansari, Zach Galifianakis, Bill Hader, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Jaime King, Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg and Emma Stone – along with Star Wars alum Samuel L. Jackson – each Use the Force for Good as they recreate classic Star Wars scenes to raise awareness for cancer research.

via The Mary Sue

images via Entertainment Industry Foundation

Canada-based self-taught artist Bashir Sultani creates incredible art “drawings” out of ordinary salt (and films his entire process) in his Art with Salt series. He chooses familiar and sometimes topical images from popular culture to create with salt, such as Darth Vader, Nyan Cat, a pro-99% statement on the Occupy movement and many more.

From Bashir on his process:

• REAL TIME – MOSTLY 40~50 min.
• I REUSE THE SAME SALT ALL THE TIME
• Colored salt I recolor over again
• TOOLS:
1- 2 FULL SHAKER OF ANY FINE SALT
+PIECE OF SHARP PAPER
+ iPHONE4
+ iMOVIE

via Foodiggity

Leonard Carson and three coworkers banded together to make themselves custom carbon fiber Star Wars stormtrooper uniforms. They built the uniforms in their free time, taking advantage of the resources available at their workplace, San Diego Composites, a manufacturer of missile components and other aerospace technologies.

via idyll23

Rouge Squadron has turned the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine into the Star Wars Cheers.

via Geekleetist & Neatorama

Family Breakfast, a new Shirt.Woot t-shirt by ramyb.

Kristen Andrews aka Star Wars Chick turned her pug Chubbs into a fearsome Hoth Wampug.

via Rampaged Reality

French photographer Sacha Goldberger first turned his 91 year-old grandmother into a superhero to cheer her up, then he gave her a superhero boyfriend named Mister Papika in part two of the series.

Later in The Darks she was seen hanging out with Dark Papouka and now in the next part of the series, The Darks, Part II, we found that Dark Papouka has befriended Star Wars antagonist Darth Vader. The entire set of photos tells a story and be sure to look for the surprise ending.

Though Dark Papouka is a really naughty old man, it’s normal that he has a best friend…

Mr. Goldberger also photographed a series that shows before and after photos of joggers.

photos by Sacha Goldberger

via My Modern Metropolis

Redditor and proud geek parent Jon Swope posted photos on reddit of his daughter wearing a Princess Darth Vader Halloween costume. Jon posted more photos on his Google+ account.

via reddit

Laughing Squid reader Sara O was inspired by our post on Nathan Stodola, the New York City accordionist who dons a Boba Fett helmet, and submitted this footage of a street busker from Victoria, British Columbia who dresses as Darth Vader and plays The Imperial March on the violin.

Musician Randy McKenna costumes up as the violin-playing Darth Fiddler and is so popular that he has inspired his own “Busk Stop” sponsored by the Downtown Victoria Business Association. He was also featured in a humorous Skit For Brains comedy sketch titled Darth Vader vs. Mike.

Thanks to Sara O for the tip!

Star Wars: The Complete Vader, authored by Pete Vilmur and Ryder Windham, gives a comprehensive look at Darth Vader, the dark antagonist of Star Wars.

Star Wars: The Complete Vader is the definitive book on the history, myth, and cultural impact of Darth Vader. From his early development in the first Star Wars film by George Lucas, to the new legends created in comics, videogames, and novels, to his ongoing appearances on everything from television commercials to bedspreads, Vader presents a complete view in all his incarnations as the Dark Lord of the Sith. Going beyond the films to cover his further adventures in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the book combines new insight with exclusive interviews and photographs from the Lucasfilm Archives. Interactive reproductions of rare memorabilia fire the imagination, while pages packed with never-seen-before images explore the world’s endless fascination with the notorious Darth Vader.

via Wired Underwire

PBS television channel, THIRTEEN, featured “renegade accordionist” Nathan Stodola in their documentary series New York on the Clock. Nathan is known for wearing a homemade Boba Fett helmet and playing familiar songs on his accordion, like Carry On Wayward Son and Come On Eileen, as a professional New York City street musician. You can find more songs he’s covered on his Youtube page.

Boba Fett-masked accordion player Nathan Stodola more or less supports himself busking sci-fi theme songs near the Highline and Washington Square Park while pursuing a graduate degree in engineering from Columbia.

We first wrote about him earlier this year in the post, Boba Fett Playing The “Lost Woods” Song From Zelda on an Accordion.

Carry On Wayward Son originally by Kansas

Come On Eileen originally by Dexy’s Midnight Runners

photo by CS Muncy

Star Wars How to Speak Wookiee by Wu Kee Smith with illustrations by JAKe. The book was published by Chronicle Books and is now available through ThinkGeek.

Star Wars Alphabet by Fabian Gonzalez

Katie Mello, an artist at the animation studio LAIKA, made an awesome Star Wars AT-AT costume for her dog Bones.

via Super Punch

photo via LAIKA