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After a narrow escape on the swamp planet Dagobah, the crew finds a link to one of the most dangerous weapons ever created in the galaxy - The Death Star.
Join Al, Mikel, and CB as they dive into every trench, thermal exhaust port, and superglued panel on the iconic battle station. Digging into the behind the scenes creation and iteration, all the way to answering age old questions like "why does the Death Star even have a trash compactor??" and "What does power its planet destroying laser??"
We hope you grab your flight suit, hop in your X-Wing and come join us on board as we explore Moff Jerjerrod's pride and joy!
The Death Star
"I made myself indispensable, and all the while, I laid the groundwork of my revenge. We call it the Death Star. There is no better name... and the day is coming soon when it will be unleashed."
- Galen Erso
The 2002 ornament that harkened in the holiday season for Mikel
Ralph McQuarrie's original matte painting for the Death Star, before moving the radar dish out of the meridional trench.
In Colin Cantwell's original Death Star model, you can see how the equator was useful to offset the warped, imperfect shape.
A lot of inspiration for the Trench Run on the Death Star wars taken from Michael Anderson's "The Dam Busters"
To get the natural planetary lighting on the surface of the Death Star, ILM just took the model out into the parking lot and shot on a sunny day
Capturing the heart and soul of ingenuity in 1976, the crew used whatever they could to get fast paced aerial shots. Including an old pickup truck driving past the pyrotechnics
John Dykstra with his Dykstraflex camera, a revolution in special effects that allowed for repeating moving camera passes that could be composited together, creating never before seen moving action shots with miniatures
Saturn's moon "Mimas" with an uncanny resemblance to the Death Star
![Star Wars] The Geonosians built in the exhaust port on the Death Star on purpose : r/FanTheories](https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7330/13094455004_f54959dbb5_b.jpg)
The Geonosians were the original builders of the Death Star, planning to use the weapon agains the Republic
After the genocide of the Geonosians, slaves from around the galaxy were used to build disparate parts of the Death Star
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This episode's research heavily benefitted from Star Wars Explained's breakdown video of the death star:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvy-AnI2M8A
Around the Holonet:
Email: smugglersdispatch@gmail.com
Instagram: @smugglersdispatch
YouTube: smugglersdispatch
Production Credits:
Written By: Mikel Howarth & Alex Stewart
Produced By: Mikel Howarth
Directed By: Mikel Howarth, Alex Stewart, and C-B7
Thank you for listening! May the force be with you, and may the stars light your way!