A long time ago.…Fantha Tracks caught up with Brian Hickey to discuss his childhood memories and Star Wars vintage action figure photography.
Brian has been sharing his Star Wars original trilogy recreations on social media for the last five years using the hashtag #StarWarsCreatingAdventure. He has posted hundreds of images on his Instagram account recreating more than 120 scenes from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
The project started for Brian back in 2017. Since then, he has taken thousands of photographs of Kenner’s classic Star Wars toys. And with the help of friends and collectors based in Ireland, he was able to gather the figures, vehicles and playsets together needed to bring scenes from each of the original Star Wars movies to life.
“The biggest challenge was sourcing an Imperial army. I reached out to a very good friend of mine, Ken Costello, who is highly respected within the Star Wars collector community in Ireland. He was able to make contact with a number of fellow collectors and asked them if they would be kind enough to lend me their Imperial troop builders…” – Brian Hickey
Brian has made no secret that his goal is to publish these images in book form. While his search for a publisher continues, he has made a digital version of the book available for Star Wars fans to read online for free.
The digital book contains 396 pages, and showcases the classic toys made by Kenner across more than 300 photographs. Brian’s photographic style combines diorama building with in-camera effects.
“I wanted to keep the vibe as authentic as possible to how I would have played with the figures as a kid. So I have a rule when it comes to diorama builds. They have to be something that a 10-year-old could make with some patience, creativity and things that can be found at home.” – Brian Hickey
While Brian’s style pays obvious homage to the packaging photography of Roy Frankenfield and Kim Simmons, his intention is to showcase Kenner’s Star Wars toys in a way that’s not been done before.
“Over the years, I’d seen many photographers tackle all kinds of Star Wars scenes, using mainly modern era figures. I’d never seen a single photographer focus on a project of this scale using only the vintage, 5 point of articulation (5 POV) figures. I felt this was an original, creative challenge, and I was excited to take it on.” – Brian Hickey
Brian has kindly provided free access for Fantha Tracks fans to read his Star Wars Creating Adventure, and view high resolution images.
Brian Hickey is an award-winning designer, content creator and author. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years and has co-authored four books on collectable toys providing photography with writer and fellow action figure aficionado Paddy Lennon.
Some of these books explore the UK licensed Star Wars action figure manufacturer Palitoy, and charts their history with another well-loved 3 ¾ inch childhood favourite, Action Force:
– Total Action Force: The Battle Years – Book
– Total Action Force: Volume Two – Book
– Total Action Force – Images
You can find more from Brian Hickey online at:
Instagram | Total Toy Books | Issuu | Brian Hickey Artist
- Audible Audiobook
- Lydia Kang (Author) - Marc Thompson (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 04/04/2023 (Publication Date) - Random House Audio (Publisher)