A new short was released by the Disney Channel today. Narrated by Mark Hamill, How NOT to Draw R2-D2 is a fun llustration tutorial for the astromech that goes wrong when Jawas show up. Unsurprisingly, it is C-3P0 that ends up being the unwitting star in this short as the Jawas try to keep their shiny treasure away from Hamill and R2-D2. Watch this new short here:
Star Wars Cartoon Comes to Life 🖊️ | R2-D2 | How NOT to Draw
Star Wars Cartoon Comes to Life 🖊️ | R2-D2 | How NOT to Draw Official Description
In this drawing tutorial parody, the Animator (Mark Hamill) joins forces with R2-D2 from Star Wars to rescue C-3P0 after he’s kidnapped by those pesky scavengers, the Jawas!
“Creating an R2-D2 short was one of our ‘pie in the sky’ dreams for our How NOT to Draw team,” director Steve Hirt told StarWars.com. Each installment of this Disney Channel series parodies drawing how-tos, turning the illustrations loose and invariably things go wrong. “My dad worked as a draftsman for blueprints and technical drawings, and that sparked my interest in not only the act of drawing, but also all the gear,” Hirt adds. That knowledge comes in handy while brainstorming with storyboard artist Kevin Leal. “Kevin has amazing visualization and comedy chops. We workshopped a lot of different ways that the Jawas would capture C-3PO’s head, including a drawn net, a chain of paper clips, a binder clip, or having it roll down a drafting triangle. In the end, we wanted something unique that couldn’t be done in any other type of medium — peeling the drawing away with Silly Putty! It conveys a moment of capture, but at the same time is the silliest (literally) thing we could use.”
“We had A LOT of discussions with our leadership and writers about how to tackle seeing under the Jawas’ robes,” adds Leal. “Were we allowed to do it? Did it feel too weird? What would the drawing of a Jawa look like under their robe?” That gag, using the light table and one of Artoo’s many handy tools, made the cut, but another possible bit with a Jawa getting trapped under a glass like an insect did not. “In the storyboards, the Jawas look a bit different than in the final short,” Leal adds. “We had a couple different design ideas but ultimately went with the scribble bodies.”
Mark Hamill voicing the narrator was also a huge dream come true for the longtime Star Wars fans. Hamill is known for bringing Luke Skywalker to life, among other things. “Having Mark Hamill voice the animator felt like a fever dream,” Leal says. “It was such an unreal feeling to hear [Hamill and Daniels’] voices over my storyboards in the animatic. I think back a lot to being in art school only a couple years ago and if I got to tell that version of myself the fact that I got to work with the original actors in Star Wars, I just wouldn’t believe it.”
Along with Mark Hamill lending his voice to the short, Anthony Daniels returned to voice C-3P0. This is a role he has had since 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope.
“Mark Hamill immediately put us at ease with his jokes and anecdotes,” adds Gino Guzzardo, series creator and executive producer. “The recording session felt like a private convention panel and we had to remind ourselves to get to work.” And Daniels voiced his iconic protocol droid while standing in Threepio’s usual stance, elbows bent, to give him the perfect posture, he notes. “As Anthony Daniels got into character, he actually performed with his whole body. Seeing those famous robot arms in action will remain a career highlight.”
“I think all the characters in the Star Wars universe are up to the challenge of navigating strange worlds, so why not as a drawing on a desk?” adds Hirt. “I hope viewers get a kick out of seeing these iconic characters where you least expect them — next to the push pins and #2 pencils!”
What do you think of this short that was released on Star Wars Day? Would you like more like this in the Star Wars universe? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
