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Star Wars Gets Stamped; Jar Jar Snubbed

Wed., Mar. 28, 2007 3:54 PM PDT by Joal Ryan

When it comes to the Star Wars universe, Jar Jar Binks is a fat Elvis.

The maligned Gungun did not make the cut as the U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday unveiled the design for 15 commemorative stamps marking the 30th anniversary of the George Lucas franchise.

Binks' more-fortunate colleagues included Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Darth Vader and Chewbacca, all of whom and more will be making the post-office scene starting May 25.

"I'm sure there'll be some disappointments," David Failor, the Postal Service's executive director of stamp services, said at the Hollywood photo-op. "But overall I'm sure everybody's just going to love these stamps."

True to form, Tony Tomey, a 40-year-old actor who turned out for the morning event in a stormtrooper costume (it's a living, actually), said he liked the stamps, but missed the clonetroopers from Revenge of the Sith.

When asked if he was upset that Jar Jar Binks wasn't depicted, Tomey said: "No."

In a vote reminiscent of 1992's skinny Elvis and fat Elvis referendum, the Postal Service is asking the public to vote for its favorite Star Wars stamp; the winning character or X-wing fighter, as the case may be, will get its own additional stamp to be issued in the fall.

In 1992, skinny Elvis ate fat Elvis' lunch, en route to getting his own 1993 commemorative stamp. Of course, at least fat Elvis made it onto the ballot. Binks didn't even get that far.

Failor said that Binks, featured prominently in 1999's The Phantom Menance and not so much after that, was "certainly part of the discussion" for one of the 15 stamp spots.

According to Lucas Licensing president Howard Roffman, Binks shouldn't take his snub personally.

"Jabba the Hutt didn't make the cut. Greedo [a bounty hunter] didn't make the cut," Roffman said. "You can go down the list of characters that are loved, not loved, popular, unpopular."

To hear Roffman explain it, popularity and lovability were not the be-all, end-all criteria, which should have boosted Binks' shot for a stamp, but rather credibility, which might have doomed the character's chance.

"It was: How iconic are they? How much do they represent the real story arc of the Star Wars saga?," said Roffman.

R2D2, a franchise V.I.P. who did get his own stamp (shared with Leia), was on hand for Wednesday's press event, and available for comment on Binks, but he just kinda beeped.

The droid was joined on a stage in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater by the aforementioned Princess, Darth Maul, a contingent of stormtroopers and a surprisingly compliant Darth Vader.

"Darth Vader, look at the stamps!" a photographer shouted at the Dark Lord of the Sith.

"Darth Vader, over a little closer to the poster--facing us!" another shutterbug commanded.

The Star Wars stamps unveiling comes as the Star Wars mailbox stunt is about to end.

Since Mar. 16, 400 mailboxes across the country have been outfit with decals to make them look like the stout R2D2. The decorated boxes will remain decorated for about another week.

As of Wednesday, there were no reports of fanboys making off with the limited-edition collectibles.

"You know it's a federal crime, so you don't want to steal of mailbox," Failor said. "You'll have a lot of people come looking for you."

There are no current plans to commemorate other Star Wars characters on mailboxes.

Which means Binks is out of luck again.