Page 63 - Star Wars Insider #188

BY ROYAL DECREE

“Evenasayoungkid,itwasveryclear

this was what I wanted to do with my life:

s
I wanted to make what I saw in Star Wars.”s

01

he aliens and
T creatures of Star
Wars have long
inspired artists
of all kinds to
put their own
spin on the galaxy’s exotic life
forms. For Tom Spina, the cantina
scene in Star Wars: A New Hope
(1977) served as a pathway
from a monster-loving kid to a
craftsman who has made Star
Wars collectibles and costumes
his career. Originally known in
fan circles due to the restoration
work of his company Tom Spina
Designs, his most recent venture— aliens and monsters brought to 01 Regal Robot’s recreation of Palpatine’s
Regal Robot—is all about creating life with foam latex and cloth, throne was designed as a centerpiece
for the perfect fan-cave.
hand-crafted mementos from delighted and inspired him.
a galaxy far, far away. Both “Instantly, it became very clear
companies highlight Spina’s love to me that everything was going
for the arts of puppetry, sculpting, to be different after that,” Spina creatures and monsters he’d loved
and costume design. Among other says of A New Hope. “All I wanted as a kid. He discovered he had an
mind-blowing creations, his team to do was fill my space with Star affinity for restoring costumes that

of artists can be found painting Wars stuff. I wanted to have life- were in need of serious repairs,
wear-and-tear on a Mandalorian size characters, I wanted puppets, and building upon his developing
skull ready to be hung as a wall I wanted monsters. I wanted to talent for restoring cloth, creature
ornament, or sculpting asteroids recreate what I saw in the movie. fur, foam latex, and other materials
around a Millennium Falcon Even as a young kid, it was very used in costumes and masks,
model built into a coffee table, clear this was what I wanted to he founded Tom Spina Designs.
and it all started with his desire to do with my life: I wanted to make Finding its services to be very much
bring a little movie magic into his what I saw in Star Wars.” in demand, the company was not
own home. So, how did Spina turn this only restoring items but creating
Already a big fan of classic enthusiasm into a business? As new pieces for businesses, home
monster movies like King Kong with so many Star Wars-related theaters, museums, restaurants,
(1933), it was the original Star Wars careers, that path began through themed attractions, haunts, and

film that changed what he thought being a fan. Spina started collecting even private collectors.
was possible onscreen. The Mos screen-used costumes in the late The design studio, based on
Eisley cantina, packed with unusual 1990s, driven by a passion for the Long Island, has grown from

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