Max Rebo Band
The Max Rebo Band is a fictional pop music band in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The group appeared in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) as a trio of aliens who perform for crime lord Jabba the Hutt. The original band included the blue-skinned Ortoloan keyboardist Max Rebo, a plump Kitonak woodwind player named Droopy McCool, and the spindly-legged Pa'lowick lead singer Sy Snootles. Max Rebo and Droopy McCool were portrayed by actors wearing body suits and Sy Snootles was a puppet operated by two puppeteers. For the 1997 Special Edition release of Return of the Jedi, the band was expanded to include nine new characters and the Sy Snootles puppet was replaced with a computer-generated image (CGI).
The band members are featured in Star Wars literature where they are called jizz-wailers, a term that refers to a "musician who plays a fast, contemporary, and upbeat style of music."[1] The role of the Max Rebo Band in the Star Wars galaxy is elaborated upon in several short stories and comics. The group begins as the obscure Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers and it consists of leader Evar Orbus, Max Rebo, Sy Snootles, and Droopy McCool. After the death of Orbus on Tatooine, the band elects Max as its leader and the name changes to the Max Rebo Band. Max secures a contract with crime lord Jabba the Hutt and the band's membership quadruples. When the contract with Jabba ends, the band is known as the Max Rebo Duo, a short-lived ensemble consisting of Max Rebo and Sy Snootles.
Appearances in Star Wars fiction
The Max Rebo band first appeared in Star Wars fiction in the film Return of the Jedi in the scenes set in Jabba the Hutt's palace on the desert planet Tatooine. In the original version the three-member band performs a Huttese language pop song titled "Lapti Nek"; the English translation of the title is "Work It Out". The lyrics, sung by lead singer Sy Snootles, are about dancing.[2] The song was replaced in the Special Edition with "a less dated piece of music" titled "Jedi Rocks" sung by the Yuzzum Joh Yowzah and Sy Snootles.[3] In both film versions, the songs are featured shortly after the arrival of droids C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), who are sent to the Hutt to deliver a message from Jedi knight Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). The band is accompanied by two of Jabba the Hutt's slave girl dancers: the Twi'lek Oola and the six-breasted Askajian Yarna d'al' Gargan. Oola is fed to the rancor beast beneath Jabba's throne room during the performance. Later, the band plays an untitled song on Jabba's sail barge en route to the Great Pit of Carkoon where Jabba plans to execute Luke, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and the Wookiee Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) in the Sarlacc. The fate of the Max Rebo Band is unclear in the film, as the sail barge explodes and kills those on board.
The members of the Max Rebo Band make several appearances in Star Wars Expanded Universe literature. Max Rebo, Droopy McCool, and Sy Snootles are featured in John Gregory Betancourt's short story "And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale", published in the anthology Tales from Jabba's Palace (1995). According to this story, the band arrives on Tatooine in 3 ABY, a year before the events of Return of the Jedi. The band is led by an alien named Evar Orbus and called Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers. Orbus is killed by Bith musician Figrin D'an, leader of another jizz-wailer band on Tatooine called the Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes. Droopy and Sy elect Max the new leader and they secure an audition with Jabba the Hutt. Jabba is pleased with their performance of the piece "Lapti Nek" and offers the band a lifetime contract. A silver translator droid announces to Max: "As you are an Ortolan, and know the value of food, [Jabba] wishes to pay you in that medium—all you and your band can eat in exchange for a lifetime contract." Sy is horrified, but there is little she can do.[4] At the Great Pit of Carkoon, the execution descends into chaos and the band flees from the sail barge after witnessing Princess Leia strangle Jabba. Their instruments are destroyed when the sail barge explodes and Droopy wanders into the desert to join other Kitonaks he hears playing in the distance. Sy and Max form a new band called the Max Rebo Duo.
Max, Sy, and Droopy are featured in two Dark Horse comics. In Dave Cooper's "Stop That Jawa!", part of Star Wars Tales 2 (2000), the band is visiting the Mos Eisley cantina when Sy complains about her contract with Jabba and insults the Hutt. A droid bounty hunter overhears her remarks and the trio becomes nervous. They leave the cantina and discover that their vehicle and equipment have been "salvaged" by Jawa scavengers. They track down the Jawa's Sandcrawler, but the creatures refuse to return their belongings. The droid bounty hunter from the cantina appears, and intimidates the Jawas into returning the band's equipment. When the Jawas depart, the bounty hunter reveals himself to be a Shawda Ubb musician named Rappertunie.[5] Another Dark Horse comic titled "A Hot Time in the Cold Town Tonite!" by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Mark Martin and Rick Neilsen in Star Wars Tales 6 (2000) features the Max Rebo Band. Jabba the Hutt sends the puzzled Sy, Max, and Droopy to the frozen planet Hoth to play for a rival crime lord. None of the band members know why the Hutt made this decision.[6]
The Max Rebo band has made minor appearances in other Star Wars media. The unfinished mockumentary Return of the Ewok (1982) by David Tomblin shows the band in Jabba's Palace. The original band appeared in an episode of the animated series Star Wars: Droids titled "The Lost Prince" that aired in 1985. The band is seen performing in Doodnik's Café on the mining planet Tyne's Horky, their last job before coming to Tatooine.[7] The band can be seen in the Star Wars video games Star Wars: Demolition (2000) and Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005). A 2003 issue of the magazine Star Wars Insider gives brief biographies of the new members of the Max Rebo Band created for the Special Edition of Return of the Jedi in an article called "Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band".
Concept and creation
Star Wars creator George Lucas states that the scene in Return of the Jedi featuring the Max Rebo Band was intended to be a big production, but the crew "never really had the time to shoot" it. Lucas comments, "I thought [it] would be funny [to have a musical number] in the middle of a Star Wars film."[8]
The original members of the band—Max Rebo, Sy Snootles, and Droopy McCool—were puppets designed by Phil Tippett of Industrial Light and Magic's (ILM) Creature Shop. Lucas was not pleased with the puppets, claiming they were too static and motionless.[8] Executive producer Rick McCallum contends that the requirements of the scene were too complex, even for animatronics.[9] The Huttese language lyrics to the song "Lapti Nek" were written and performed by Annie Arbogast, a Lucasfilm engineer who had her own punk rock band. The song was recorded at Lucasfilm's Sprocket Systems, now Skywalker Sound.[10]
When Return of the Jedi was re-released as a Special Edition in 1997, the original "Lapti Nek" song was replaced with "Jedi Rocks", a blues-inspired piece.[3] The Sy Snootles puppet was replaced with a computer-generated image and nine new characters were added to the sequence. Visual effects supervisor Dave Carson described the process of creating CGI characters Sy Snootles and Joh Yowza as a process similar to sculpting models out of clay. Carson claimed that CGI characters are more like puppets than cartoons. Animators "constantly find limitations": "the characters don't bend right, or their mass isn't right." He notes that these are the type of problems that confront puppeteers.[11]
Lucas commented that the revised sequence adds more atmosphere and quality to the film.[8] Critic Tom Bissell, however, described it as the "most unspeakable sequence in all the films, almost too depressing to discuss at any length". He was especially bothered by the decision to show Boba Fett in the Special Edition "flirting with the humanoid tarts who make up Jabba's dancing troupe."[12]
The Max Rebo Band was incorporated into the merchandising campaign that accompanied the theatrical release of Return of the Jedi. An action figure playset was manufactured first by Kenner in 1983 and later by Hasbro for the Special Edition re-release.[13] The "Lapti Nek" song from the original Return of the Jedi was released as a 45 RPM single by PolyGram Records, with an extended five-minute Special Extended Dance Club Mix and a seven-minute B-side Dub Mix.[3]
Band members
The online Star Wars Databank describes the band as both a "diverse ensemble of lively and talented alien musicians"[14] and a "loose ensemble of musicians cobbled from the remains of a band fronted by Evar Orbus."[15] Beginning as an obscure four-member troupe called Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers, the Max Rebo band swells to 12 members before the death of Jabba the Hutt. The band included singers, wind players, drummers, and a keyboardist from across the galaxy.
Ak-rev
Ak-rev is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a leathery-faced Weequay drummer from the planet Sriluur, a guard in Jabba the Hutt's skiff fleet, and a member of the Max Rebo Band. Ak-rev is one of nine characters added to the band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. He was portrayed by an actor in a latex mask designed after the Weequay characters from the original Return of the Jedi. According to the Star Wars Databank, his drumming is derived from the Japanese art of Taiko drumming.[16]
In Sriluur's capital city, Al-Campur, Ak-rev had been a monk in a monastery devoted to the Weequay god of thunder; he played the monastery's sacred drums. While on a trip to Tatooine, Ak-rev brawls with one of Jabba the Hutt's Gamorrean guards. Jabba is impressed by Ak-rev's tenacity and hires him as a skiff guard. Ak-rev accepts since several Weequay are already employed at Jabba's Palace. One day, Jabba hears Ak-rev drumming and insists that he play part-time for Max Rebo's Band. One the day of Luke, Han, and Chewbacca's execution at the Great Pit of Carkoon, Ak-rev and fellow drummer Umpass-stay remain at the palace. Upon hearing of Jabba's demise they flee from the Hutt's enclave. En route to Mos Eisley, the pair is ambushed by Tusken Raiders and Ak-rev is beaten to death.[17]
Doda Bodonawieedo
Doda Bodonawieedo is a fictional character from the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a green-skinned Rodian musician in the Max Rebo Band. Doda plays a sliterhorn, a fictional wind instrument similar to a saxophone. He was one of nine characters added to the Max Rebo Band for the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. He was portrayed by an actor in a latex mask designed after Rodian characters from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) and the original Return of the Jedi.
Doda was born on a transport shuttle and raised in Mos Eisley. His family fled their homeworld, Rodia, due to the harsh policies of Navik the Red, a Rodian warlord. Navik banned emigration and penalized those who left the planet. Bounty hunters track down the Bodonawieedos and kill them. The orphaned ten-year-old Doda held an affinity for classical Rodian music and crime. His connections with the Tatooine underworld lead him to Jabba the Hutt and the Max Rebo Band. Doda remains at Jabba's Palace during the execution at the Sarlacc; when he hears of Jabba's death he steals several valuable statues from the palace and disappears.[18]
Barquin D'an
Barquin D'an is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a dome-headed, black-eyed Bith musician from the planet Clak'dor VII and a member of the Max Rebo Band. He plays a Kloo horn, a fictional wind instrument that resembles a bassoon. He is one of nine characters added to the Max Rebo Band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. Barquin was portrayed by an actor in a latex mask designed after Bith characters from the cantina scene of A New Hope.[19]
Barquin is the estranged older brother of Figrin D'an. Barquin resents the success of his brother's band, the Modal Nodes. Determined to make it in the music business, he travels to Tatooine to join Figrin's band. When he arrives on the planet, he discovers that Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes had fled the planet. The trip to Tatooine bankrupts Barquin, who starts performing with local musicians and eventually joins the Max Rebo Band. He is not accustomed to the depravity he witnesses in Jabba's Palace, and flees after Oola's gruesome death.[20]
Greeata
Greeata is a fictional character from the Star Wars saga. She is depicted as a green-skinned, female Rodian singer and musician from the planet Rodia and a back-up vocalist in the Max Rebo Band. She is one of nine characters added to the Max Rebo Band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. Like Doda Bodonawieedo, Greeata was portrayed by an actress wearing a latex mask designed after Rodian characters from A New Hope and the original Return of the Jedi.
Greeata has no interest in her people's violent culture. Most of her time is spent in the Rodian capital intermingling with off-worlders. Greeata is employed on a luxury starship called the Kuari Princess playing the Kloo horn. She becomes good friends with Sy Snootles, the band's lead singer. Greeata and Sy become a duo and eventually meet Max Rebo, who gives them contracts. After Jabba the Hutt's death, Greeata and fellow singer Lyn Me come to their rescue as the band is threatened by marauding Tusken Raiders. They acquire banthas and ride to Mos Eisley.[21]
Droopy McCool
Droopy McCool is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a fat, fleshy Kitonak musician from the planet Kirdo III and a member of the Max Rebo Band; the character is only 1.58 meters (5.18 feet) tall. Droopy is an original member of the Max Rebo Band as seen in Return of the Jedi and he was portrayed by little person Deep Roy in a full body suit designed by Industrial Light and Magic.[22]
He plays a chidinkalu horn, an instrument that resembles a clarinet. Droopy McCool is the stage name of the creature most people called "Snit", a name given to him by his owner, Evar Orbus. His Kitonak name is a series of unintelligible, flute-like whistles. Droopy McCool was a slave purchased by Orbus because of his musical talents. Orbus forced him to play in his band, Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers, but upon Orbus's death at the hands of Figrin D'an, McCool is freed and is given the his stage name by fellow band member Sy Snootles. Droopy McCool is one of the original members of the Max Rebo Band that finds employment with Jabba the Hutt. When the crime lord is strangled aboard his sail barge, McCool escapes and wanders into the desert searching for other members of his race. He is never seen again, but people in Tatooine's Dune Sea report hearing Kitonak music playing in the distance.[23][24]
Lyn Me
Lyn Me is a fictional character from the Star Wars saga. She is depicted as a chalky-skinned, female Twi'lek dancer from the planet Ryloth and a back-up vocalist in the Max Rebo Band. She is one of nine characters added to the Max Rebo Band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. Lyn Me was portrayed by dancer Dalyn Chew and the character is based on the character Bib Fortuna from the original Return of the Jedi.[25]
Her village on Ryloth is plagued with constant raids by slavers who sell young Twi'lek girls into slavery. Lyn Me's village pool their resources to hire a protector, the bounty hunter Boba Fett. The bounty hunter leaves the village destitute, but kills the slavers and saves the village's children. Lyn Me become infatuated with Boba Fett and follows him to Tatooine where she becomes a member of the Max Rebo Band and a dancer in Jabba the Hutt's palace. She meets her hero, but is enraged when she learns that he is killed during the skirmish at the Sarlacc pit. She and fellow dancer Greeata head out into the desert on a stolen landspeeder and rescue Max Rebo, Droopy McCool, and Sy Snootles from Tusken Raiders. When she arrives at Mos Eisley, she vows to take revenge on Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker for their part in the death of Boba Fett.[26]
Evar Orbus
Evar Orbus is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as an eight-tentacled, beak-mouthed Letaki singer and musician. Orbus first appeared in the short story "And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale" by John Gregory Betancourt, printed in the anthology Tales from Jabba's Palace (1995). More of the character's history is revealed in the May 2003 Star Wars Insider article "Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band".
Orbus is the founder of the band Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers with Max Rebo and Sy Snootles. He later purchased Droopy McCool, a Kitonak musician Orbus referred to as "Snit". Orbus brings the band to Tatooine to play at a Mos Eisley cantina, but upon their arrival they are confronted by a local band called Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes. A gunfight ensues that results in the death of Evar Orbus. Following his death, the band is renamed after Max Rebo, whom the band elects the new leader.[27][2]
Rappertunie
Rappertunie is the stage name of Rapotwanalantonee Tivtotolon, a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a green-skinned, pot bellied Shawda Ubb musician and member of the Max Rebo Band. Rappertunie plays a harmonica-like instrument called a growdi that is described in the Star Wars Databank as a cross between a water organ and a flute.[28] He is one of nine characters added to the Max Rebo Band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. The character is a 0.3 meters (0.98 feet) tall puppet digitally composited into new and existing footage of the film.[29]
Rappertunie comes from the swamp planet of Manpha. The musicians wanderlust eventually leads him to Tatooine and the Max Rebo Band. Rappertunie, however, despises the dry, desert environment of Tatooine and rarely leaves Jabba's Palace even though his short stature of 0.3 meters places him in constant danger of being eaten.[28] After the death of Jabba the Hutt, Rappertunie leaves Tatooine to continue his music career, however, his knowledge of computer technology leads him to employment as a computer engineer for a corporation that manufactures MSE-6 droids.[2]
Max Rebo
Max Rebo is the stage name of Siiruulian Phantele, a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a stocky, blue-skinned Ortoloan musician and leader of the Max Rebo Band. He plays a Red Ball Jett keyboard, an instrument that resembles an organ or piano. Max Rebo is one of the original members of the Max Rebo Band seen in Return of the Jedi. The character was a puppet designed by Industrial Light and Magic that consisted of a torso, head, and arms. He was portrayed by Simon Williamson.[30]
Max was a founding member of the band Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers. Upon the death of leader Evar Orbus fellow band members Sy Snootles and Droopy McCool elect Max the leader. Under Max's leadership, the band acquires a lifetime contract with the crime lord Jabba the Hutt in his desert palace on Tatooine. Max, like other members of his race, is a glutton who agrees to work for Jabba for food, much to the chagrin of Sy Snootles. While at Jabba's Palace, the band expands to 12 members. When Jabba's is killed in the Dune Sea, Max and other band members escape the Hutt's sail barge just before it explodes, killing all inside.[27] With their contract with Jabba terminated, the group disbands and Max and Sy Snootles find employment with Mos Eisley crime lord Lady Valarian under the name the Max Rebo Duo. When Sy's business arrangement with Max is finished, Max joins the Rebel Alliance, claiming that the "Rebellion has the best food."[24] After the Galactic Civil War, he opens a successful restaurant. He retires to life of wealth and luxury on Coruscant.[31]
Rystáll
Rystáll is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. She is depicted as a colorful alien female singer and dancer. She is one of nine characters added to the Max Rebo Band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of Jedi. Rystáll was portrayed by dancer Mercedes Ngoh in full-body make-up.[32]
Rystáll is near-human from Coruscant: her father is human and her mother is a Theelin. She is orphaned on Coruscant as a small child and never knows her parents. Rystáll is cared for by Ortolan musicians that offer her the chance to performance with them as a dancer. Because of her striking beauty, she draws the attention of a high-ranking lieutenant in the Black Sun criminal organization. Infatuated with Rystáll, the criminal promises her a life of luxury and the chance to travel across the galaxy. Instead, he enslaves her and her adoptive parents. Lando Calrissian comes into possession of the group, winning them from the criminal in a sabacc game. Detesting slavery, Lando frees them and they travel to Tatooine. The Ortolans arrange for Rystáll to perform with the Max Rebo Band in Jabba's Palace as a back-up singer and dancer. At the Hutt's palace, Rystáll's beauty attracts the attention of bounty hunter Boba Fett, who converses with the dancer prior to the arrival of Princess Leia disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh.[33]
Sy Snootles
Sy Snootles is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. She is depicted as a robust, thin-legged female Pa'lowick alien and lead singer of the Max Rebo Band. Sy Snootles is an original member of Max Rebo Band from Return of the Jedi. During production, Sy Snootles' nickname was "Ms. Snooty". She was designed by Phil Tippett of Industrial Light and Magic. The character's big ruby lips were suggested by George Lucas, who referred to them as "Mick Jagger lips". In the 1983 film, the character was portrayed by an articulated puppet operated by two puppeteers like a marionette. A puppeteer was positioned in scaffolding controlling her upper body and puppeteer Tim Rose was concealed beneath the stage moving her legs. For close-up shots, the Sy Snootles puppet's mouth moved using a nearly invisible wire connected to a microphone stand. A punk rock band leader named Annie Arbogast provided the character's voice. In the 1997 Special Edition, the character was replaced by a computer-generated image.[34] Sy Snootles appears in the short stories "Taster's Choice: the Tale of Jabba's Chef" by Barbara Hambly and "Of the Day's Annoyances: Bib Fortuna's Tale" by M. Shayne Bell. Both appear in Tales from Jabba's Palace (1995) edited by Kevin J. Anderson.
Sy Snootles was determined to make a name for herself in the galactic music business. Much of her early career remains unknown, but Sy and Max Rebo were co-founders of the band Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers led by Evar Orbus. When Orbus is killed on Tatooine, Max is elected leader of the band. Max negotiates a lifetime contract with crime lord Jabba the Hutt in which the band is paid in food. She tries to renegotiate the contract, but her futile searches for loopholes and escape routes are done discreetly to avoid angering the Hutt. Sy secretly earns credits by working as a spy for Jabba's enemies, particularly the Twi'lek Bib Fortuna. When Jabba the Hutt is killed, she forms a duo with Max called the Max Rebo Duo. Soon after, Sy dissolves her relationship with Max and begins her unsuccessful solo career. She tours the Outer Rim Territories under different stage names.[35][36]
Tik Tali Talosh
Tik Tali Talosh is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a human from the planet Derf. The character first appeared in an article of the Star Wars Insider magazine called "Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band" printed in May 2003. The article is the only piece of Star Wars fiction which Tik appears.
Tik Tali Talosh is the President of the Max Rebo Band Fan Club who dreams of auditioning for his favorite musician, Max Rebo. He realizes his fantasy when he is invited to play with the band shortly before the Battle of Endor at Jabba's Palace. After the group disbands, Tik writes a biography entitled Blue Man's Group. Max and the band is furious when they learn about the book's publication and Tik's failure to obtain their permission to print their secrets. As a result, the band cut ties with him. While he regrets being shunned by the band, Tik treasures his brief status as a member of the Max Rebo Band.[2]
Umpass-stay
Umpass-stay is a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as an energetic Klatooinian drummer with a canine-like snout and hooded eyes. Umpass-stay is one of nine characters added to the Max Rebo Band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. He is portrayed by an actor wearing a latex mask and gloves used in the original Return of the Jedi to portray a Klatooinian skiff guard. The drumming style Umpass-stay and fellow drummer Ak-rev is inspired by the Japanese art and practice of Taiko.[37]
Umpass-stay spent most of his life as a servant to the Hutts. Born a slave on the agricultural planet Shawti, Umpass-stay's family belonged to Shebba the Hutt, uncle of Jabba the Hutt. Umpass-stay serves as a capable personal bodyguard to Shebba, but fails to view Shebba's nephew as a risk. Jabba kills Shebba and Umpass-stay's ownership transfers to him. As a servant of Jabba, Umpass-stay works as a spy and a guard. When a troupe of traveling minstrels try to assassinate the Hutt, Jabba insists on having his guards join the band for protection. At this point, Umpass-stay becomes a drummer in the Max Rebo Band. Umpass-stay remains at Jabba's Palace during the execution of Luke Skywalker and his friends. Although he is free following the Hutt's death, Umpass-stay willingly becomes a servant in another Hutt household.[38]
Joh Yowza
Joh Yowza is the stage name of J'ywz'gnk Kchhllbrxcstk Et'nrmdndlcvtbrx, a fictional character in the Star Wars saga. He is depicted as a short, furry alien creature called a Yuzzum from the forest moon of Endor. Joh Yowza is a lead singer in the Max Rebo Band; he is one of the nine characters added to the band in the 1997 Special Edition of Return of the Jedi. The Yuzzum design, however, dates back to the original production of Return of the Jedi. According to the Star Wars Databank, the Ewoks of Endor were planned to have a companion species, but Yuzzums proved too costly to produce in quantity. Only one Yuzzum puppet was made and was used as a barely-visible background creature of Jabba the Hutt's palace. In the Special Edition, the Joh Yowza design was revisited as a computer-generated image.[39] The original Yowza puppet became the Yuzzum character Wam "Blam" Lufba in the Jabba the Hutt sequence of Return of the Jedi.[40]
Joh Yowza is considered short for a Yuzzum, standing only 1.4 meters (4.59 feet) tall. On Endor, he is ostracized by other Yuzzums. While the rest of his herd forages for food, he is left to fend for himself. Often, he would sit alone, vocalizing the haunting, singing cries that comprised the Yuzzum language. While searching for food, Yowza spotted a star freighter that had landed for repairs. Not knowing anything about modern technology, Yowza boarded the ship looking for food. The ship launches into space and the captain, Roark Garnet, discovers Yowza and calls him "Furball". He keeps the Yuzzum around to help cook, clean, and perform other menial tasks. In return, Yowza is well fed and taught Galactic Basic. During a trip to the Hutt moon Nar Shaddaa, Yowza wanders from the ship and into a cafe where he sees Evar Orbus and His Galactic Jizz-wailers. Impressed by the music of Max Rebo, Sy Snootles and the others, Yowza sings along. Orbus signs the Yuzzum, who performs for food and shelter. The lead singer, Sy Snootles, gives Yowza his stage name. When Evar Orbus is killed on Tatooine and Max Rebo becomes the new leader, Yowzah accompanies the band to audition for Jabba the Hutt. Although the Hutt detests Yuzzums, he is pleased by the vocals of Yowzah. After the death of Jabba, the group disbands and Yowza travels to Mos Eisley. He finds a job on a small passenger liner and performs with the liner's house band in exchange for a free food and passage throughout the Outer Rim.[41]
References
Notes
- ^ "Jizz-wailer" in Stephen J. Sansweet, Star Wars Encyclopedia (New York: Del Rey, 1998), p. 152, ISBN 0345402278.
- ^ a b c d "Jabbapalooza: Who's Who in the Max Rebo Band." Star Wars Insider 67 (May 2003). Cite error: The named reference "Jabbapalooza" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c Max Rebo Band, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank. Cite error: The named reference "MaxReboBandBTS" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ John Gregory Betancourt, "And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale," in Kevin J. Anderson, ed., Tales from Jabba's Palace (New York: Bantam Spectra, 1996), p. 209, ISBN 0553568159.
- ^ Dave Cooper, "Stop That Jawa!", in Star Wars Tales 2 (Dark Horse Comics, January 2000).
- ^ Ian Edgington, "A Hot Time in the Cold Town Tonite!", ill. Mark Martin and Rick Neilsen, in Star Wars Tales 6 (Dark Horse, December 2000).
- ^ "The Lost Prince", episode 5, Star Wars: Droids, aired October 5, 1985.
- ^ a b c George Lucas, commentary to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Special Edition (VHS, 20th Century Fox, 1997). Cite error: The named reference "LucasVHS" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Rick McCallum, commentary to Return of the Jedi, Special Edition, VHS.
- ^ Ben Burtt, commentary to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004).
- ^ Dave Carson, commentary to Return of the Jedi, Special Edition, VHS.
- ^ Tom Bissell, "Pale Starship, Pale Rider: The Ambiguous Appeal of Boba Fett," in A Galaxy Not So Far Away: Writers and Artists on Twenty-Five Years of Star Wars, ed. Glenn Kenny (New York: Owl Books, 2002), p. 21, ISBN 0805070745.
- ^ Geoffrey T Carlton, Star Wars Super Collector's Wish Book: Identification and Values (Paducah, Ky.: Collector Books, 2003), passim, ISBN 1574323342.
- ^ Max Rebo Band, The Movies, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Max Rebo Band, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Ak-rev, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Ak-rev, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Doda Bodonawieedo, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Barquin D'an, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Barquin D'an, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Greeata, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Droopy McCool, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Droopy McCool, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ a b Kevin J. Anderson, "Epilogue: Whatever Became Of ... ?," Tales from Jabba's Palace, p. 417. Cite error: The named reference "Anderson" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Lyn Me, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Lyn Me, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ a b Betancourt, "And the Band Played On".
- ^ a b Rappertunie, Expanded Universe Cite error: The named reference "RappertunieEU" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Rappertunie, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga, narrated by Mark Hamill (1985; VHS, CBS Fox Video, 1992).
- ^ Max Rebo, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Rystáll, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Rystáll, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Sy Snootles, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Sy Snootles, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Anderson, "Epilogue," p. 416.
- ^ Umpass-stay, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Umpass-stay, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Joh Yowza, Behind the Scenes, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Wam "Blam" Lufba, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
- ^ Joh Yowza, Expanded Universe, at the Star Wars Databank.
All URLs last accessed July 24, 2006 unless otherwise stated.
Other references
- Childs, T. Mike. The Rocklopedia Fakebandica. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2004. ISBN 031232944X.
- Lewis, Ann Margaret. The Star Wars Essential Guide to Alien Species. New York: Del Rey, 2001. ISBN 0345442202.
- Mangels, Andy. The Essential Guide to Characters. New York: Del Rey, 1995. ISBN 0345395352.
- Reynolds, David West. Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary. New York: DK Publishing, 1998. ISBN 0789434814.
External links
- Max Rebo Band at the Star Wars Databank
- Max Rebo Band on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki