Imperial Walker

by Roy Sutherland

Roy's Imperial Walker is available for bidding on Ebay in "The Auction for America"

In response to the events of September 11th, many decided to help out the victims in any way they can.

I am lucky enough to be currently working on Star Wars: Episode II in the Model Shop of Industrial Light and Magic. The work is always interesting and challenging, but the job is especially rewarding thanks to the people that I work with. They are an amazingly talented group, with a vast and diverse range of skills. My commute can be over three hours a day, but it is a small price to pay.

When someone proposed that we do something to help raise money for the Auction for America on Ebay, it was suggested that the ILM Modelmakers could build Star Wars kits and donate them for Auction. Being a rabid modeler, I jumped at the chance.

I have always loved the Imperial Walkers from The Empire Strikes Back. I think it is probably my favorite special effects sequence of all time. Luckily, no one else had taken this subject yet, so I took the kit home and cracked open the box.

Not having built a sci-fi kit since the late seventies, I was surprised at the, uhhhh,"basic" nature of the detail. Those who know me understand that I am a detail freak and obsessive about accuracy, so I obtained photos of the original movie models and started improving the basic kit. More than 120 hours later, here is the result. The entire kit has been reworked, refined, rescribed, and detailed. The photos are taken by and are property of Industrial Light and Magic.

I recommend that you check out all the models up for auction on EBay by clicking on this link.

 

Most have had extra detail added, and all are well built and beautifully painted. They come with custom acrylic cases and custom nameplates featuring the ILM logo, subject and modeler. They all come with a certificate of authenticity signed by the modeler and Jim Morris, the president of ILM. I highly recommend that you check them out. Whether or not you have any interest in owning one of these pieces, they are fine examples of what can be done with these kits, and a change of pace from the usual Hyperscale fare.

Happy Modelling! Roy Sutherland

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Text Copyright © 2001 by Roy Sutherland
Images Copyright © 2001 by Industrial Light and Magic
(used with permission of Roy Sutherland)
Page Created 06 December, 2001
Last Updated 04 June, 2007

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