Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew dies aged 74

Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, has died aged 74, his family says.

He passed away at his home in Texas on 30 April with his family by his side, a statement said.

The British-American actor played giant Wookiee warrior Chewbacca in the original trilogy beginning in 1977 as well as later films until 2015.

"He put his heart and soul into the role of Chewbacca and it showed in every frame," his family said.

Not your ordinary treasure hunt! Meet Star Wars artist Robert Bailey!

TIE Fighter - short film

What if there was an Empire-focussed short Star Wars animation, drawn with the crazy detail and shading of classic 80s anime that's all but vanished from Japan nowadays?
Well, I tried my best. Apologies in advance for not living up to Venus Wars standards.
Drawn and animated by yours truly over 4 years' worth of weekends, with music by the living guitar solo Zak Rahman and sound design by up and coming audio technician Joseph Leyva. Fans of Lucasarts' seminal 1994 TIE Fighter game may notice a few familiar sights and sounds. That “incoming missile” noise gives me horrible flashbacks to this day...