(Image via L.A. Weekly)

Courtney Cruz, the founder of Los Angeles' The Devil's Playground burlesque troupe, recently joined us at GalacticBinder.com for an exclusive interview about her upcoming, encore performance of Star Warz Burlesque. The show is slated to take place on Friday, March 12th at the Henry Fonda theater in Hollywood, Caifornia.

Courtney discusses how much she enjoyed the Star Wars saga growing up, what to expect when attending one of her shows and which actor from the Star Wars films she'd most like to perform for.

Fan favorite Star Wars artists Randy Martinez and Denise Vasquez will be special guests at Jedi-Con in Dusseldorf, Germany - April 3rd-5th, 2010. Both artists have tables where they will have plenty of Star Wars art for sale. Both will also participate in panels, and Martinez will be teaching a very special "How to Draw Star Wars" class. Seating is limited for the class, so check the official Jedi-Con website for details on how to reserve a seat.

The duo will be very active all weekend and can't wait to hang out with all the German Star Wars Fans, who should be sure to stay for the convention's closing ceremonies where Martinez and Vasquez will perform a couple songs, including a world exclusive Star Wars inspired song!

The Following weekend the artists will be special guests at "Star Wars Fest" in Torino, Italy - April 9th-11th, 2010.

To celebrate 30 years of "The Empire Strikes Back" and to usher in this year's Jedi-Con theme, Martinez has created the official poster (seen above) for the event. Only 500 Prints will be available, and they'll be sold exclusively at Jedi-Con. The piece measures 59.4 cm (width) x 84 cm (height) and the projected cost is ten Euro.

So be sure to pick up this exclusive print and stop by to say hi to Randy and Denise if you're in Dusseldorf or Italy!

(Image via Bioware)

In the latest entry on the Developer Blog of the official site for the upcoming Star Wars MMO, "Star Wars: The Old Republic", Bioware writer Joanna Berry discusses the creation of the Jedi Consular character. Clearly, this character will enjoy a unique place in the game, bringing The Force to Star Wars fans like they've never seen it before.

From the SW:TOR site:

"But the Jedi Consular, more than any other Jedi, constantly walks a fine line. The Force has two sides; truly mastering it requires an understanding of both darkness and light. And a Jedi Consular’s natural curiosity can often lead him or her into trouble. Walking the balance between light and dark can give a Consular incredible power… but that’s when the treacherous thoughts begin creeping in. Don’t worry about falling to the dark side. You’re so smart and powerful, you can resist petty temptations. And even if you discovered some ancient secret that could make you stronger… surely you, with your superior intellect and understanding of the Force, know what’s best?"

Head over to the official SW:TOR website to read the entire entry.

(Image via CBS)

"The Big Bang Theory", which features the exploits of Leonard & Sheldon, two geeky Caltech physicists in their twenties, has quickly become one of the most watched sitcoms on television. The premiere of the third season of the CBS sitcom raked in 12.83 million viewers, and the show has continued to become even more popular.

To the delight of Star Wars fans, the show has always featured Star Wars humor and inside jokes, and the series scratches them right where their sci-fi fandom itches. But recently, Star Wars fans with keen eyes have begun to notice that the set of the show itself has started to feel The Force.

Fans have been buzzing all over the internet about the appearance on the set of several pieces of notable Star Wars art from ACME Archives, the Lucasfilm licensee for fine art. It started with the appearance of Lawrence Noble's "Failure Will Not Be Tolerated" piece next to Sheldon's dresser in his bedroom. Then fans noticed a huge version of Mike Kungl's "Defend and Protect" war propaganda piece in Leonard's bedroom. In the show's latest episode,"The Excelsior Acquisition", Brian Rood's moody "Trooper" piece can be prominently seen hanging on the wall right inside the door of the comic book shop set.

"We're excited to see Star Wars fans having fun spotting these pieces on the show," said Pete Svab, Director of Special Operations for ACME Archives. "Ann Shea, the set decorator on the show, does such an amazing job and really understands how to keep the sets fun, geeky and perfectly dressed. We consider it a thrill and an honor to be able to feature work from some of our artists on a show everyone in our office just can't get enough of," Svab continued.

On his Facebook page, artist Brian Rood expressed excitement over seeing his work on the show, jokingly commenting, "I think I might win an Emmy!!!"

And it's not just ACME Archives who's enjoying a relationship with the show. Sideshow Collectibles, a Lucasfilm licensee that makes statues and other figures, currently has one of their San Diego Comic-Con exclusive 12-inch figures of Han Solo in his Stormtrooper disguise featured on the bookshelf in Leonard and Sheldon's apartment.

What will Star Wars fans see next? Tune in Mondays at 9:30 EST/PST to find out!

For more information about these Star Wars items or the show visit:

Official "The Big Bang Theory" page at CBS.com
ACME Archives
Sideshow Collectibles

Big Bad Toy Store has a new crop of Star Wars preorders.

NEW PREORDERS

CELEBRATION IV MCQUARRIE R2-D2 AND C-3P0
The shipment also contains the Celebration IV McQuarrie Concept R2-D2 and C-3P0 two-pack.

SW MIGHTY MUGGS RESTOCK
BBTS is restocking many of the waves of the Star Wars Mighty Muggs - check out the link for pre-orderable cases and singles!

SW VEHICLE FIGURE PACKS 2010 SERIES 2 CASE
The new assortment is a "best of" case of sorts. It includes Anakin on Can-Cell, Crab Droid, Obi-Wan with Freeco Bike and Clone Trooper with BARC Speeder.

NEW ARRIVALS

CLONE WARS GENERAL ANAKIN SKYWALKER 12" FIGURE
This new 12" figure from Sideshow shows Anakin in his role as Clone Wars General. Clad in his dark armor, this version features over 30 points of articulation.

Big Bad Toy Store is a GalacticBinder site sponsor.

WORLDWIDE INTERNET SENSATION BRINGS NEW MEANING TO THE DARK SIDE

LOS ANGELES, February 18, 2010 – By popular demand, the Star Wars burlesque sensation with over 150,000 YouTube views in less than three weeks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezrvxYmSGNs) is set to take a bigger stage at The Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood. On Friday, March 12 at 9pm, Courtney Cruz’s Devil’s Playground presents Star Warz Burlesque & Cabaret, recapturing the inspired galactic interpretation that earned worldwide acclaim in G4's "Attack of the Show," LAWeekly, SpikeTV, Esquire.com, BoingBoing, PerezHilton.com, SciFi Wire, AnyGuey.com and more.

If you’re a Star Wars fan and you think you’ve seen it all, get ready to go an entirely new galaxy with Devil's Playground on March 12. Courtney Cruz is working closely with creative director and costume designer Carlos Flores to assemble her most popular burlesque artists for their most elaborately-designed production to date. Star Warz Burlesque & Cabaret will surprise and delight fans of Star Wars, burlesque, or anyone who just likes to have fun on a Friday night.

What: Devil’s Playground Presents Star Warz Burlesque & Cabaret
Date: Friday, March 12, 2010
Time: Doors at 9:00 p.m. | Post-Show Meet & Greet with Photos 11:15 p.m.
Where: The Music Box @ Fonda | 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA | 323-464-0808

Tickets: www.wantickets.com/starwarz

About The Devil’s Playground
The Devil’s Playground a monthly installment of themed, theatrical burlesque entertainment and variety acts. The second Saturday of every month Devil’s Playground Creator Courtney Cruz produces and performs with her group of sexy dames in Los Angeles. From Star Wars themes and Batman characters to Video Game girls, Courtney and her lovely ladies will always leave you wanting more. The Devil's Playground can be found at www.courtneycruz.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/trueburlesque.

Star Wars artist Randy Martinez is having a great sale to celebrate the release of the Topps Star Wars Galaxy 5 trading card set. Martinez illustrated 19 cards for this monumental set, including 4 base set trading cards and 15 Foil chase cards.

So if you are among the many fans who have collected a whole set, and you have a bunch of extras.... well, Randy Martinez wants them. For a limited time, you can trade in your extra Star Wars Galaxy 5 trading cards (with Martinez's art on them) for great discounts - including up to 50% off a commissioned sketch card!

Visit Randy Martinez's blog for all the details!