Check out these Kotobukiya Star Wars Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia ARTFX+ Statues

Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series (along with its spin-offs and the acclaimed video games Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City).

In celebration of Mark Hamill's birthday this year, Kotobukiya posted this picture of their Star Wars Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia ARTFX+ Statues alongside Han Solo and Chewbacca. Lots of Star Wars announcements recently, with Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi 1/6th Scout Trooper Figure (previewed HERE) and the Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale Speeder Bike (pictures HERE) as well as the Hot Toys MMS261 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope 1/6th Han Solo 12-inch Collectible Figure (posted HERE) and Hot Toys MMS262 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope: 1/6th Chewbacca 14-inch Collectible Figure (pictures HERE)

George Lucas' multi-film Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern American popular culture. Star Wars references are deeply embedded in popular culture; references to the main characters and themes of Star Wars are casually made in many English-speaking countries with the assumption that others will understand the reference. Darth Vader has become an iconic villain. Phrases like "evil empire" and "May the Force be with you" have become part of the popular lexicon. The first Star Wars film in 1977 was a cultural unifier, enjoyed by a wide spectrum of people.

And these four (Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia) have played a very big role in making Star Wars such a success. Scroll down to see more pictures of Kotobukiya Star Wars Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia ARTFX+ Statues. Click on them for bigger and better views.

Science fiction since the original 1977 Star Wars, particularly in film, has often been influenced by and compared to Star Wars. Sounds, visuals, and even the music from the films have become part of the tapestry of American society. The film also helped launch the science fiction boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and made science fiction films a blockbuster genre. It has also been parodied in films and short videos, such as Spaceballs.

Star Wars fundamentally changed the aesthetics and narratives of Hollywood films, switching the focus of Hollywood-made films from deep, meaningful stories based on dramatic conflict, themes and irony to sprawling special-effects-laden blockbusters, as well as changing the Hollywood film industry in fundamental ways. Before Star Wars, special effects in films had not appreciably advanced since the 1950s. Star Wars was also important in the movement towards the use of computer initiated imagery in films. The commercial success of Star Wars created a boom in state-of-the-art special effects in the late 1970s.

The 1977 Star Wars pioneered the genre pastiche, where several classic film genres are combined in one film. In Star Wars, the genres were science fiction, the Western, the war film, and the quasi-mystical epic.

Related posts:
April 8, 2014 – Check out Kotobukiya Star Wars 1/10 scale 7-inch Han Solo & 8-inch Chewbacca ARTFX+ Statues HERE
July 18, 2009 – Hasbro Star Wars Silver Anniversary (1977 - 2002) Han Solo and Chewbacca posted HERE
July 17, 2009 – Medicom Toys 1/6 scale Han Solo and Chewbacca (pictures HERE)
September 17, 2008 – Review of the Hasbro Millennium Falcon Legacy Collection posted in my toy blog HERE