The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter: February 13, 2026
The Big Lebowski exists in the Star Wars universe
Hello there
Welcome back once again to the Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter. I’m trying to get back on schedule. Here’s hoping it sticks. It’s a fun one this week. The Death Star HR Podcast returns to talk about Young Jedi Adventures. The Big Game featured a little green guy and people on the internet yelled about it. And there’s a Jar Jar Binks comic book that I had to purchase. All that plus the usual nonsense this week.
As always, thanks for reading Death Star HR. If you’re reading this and you’re not a subscriber, I’d love it if you entered your email below and smashed that subscribe button. There’s also an official Death Star HR Instagram and an official Death Star HR YouTube page as well and I’d love it if you subscribed there as well.
This Is Where The Fun Begins
Thankfully the snow and ice are out of North Texas. I’m typing this on the 10th, yesterday it was 80 degrees out. Texas weather, what can you do? At least some places still get snow where there should be snow. Like Hoth. Or in this case, Japan.
This was from the 76th Sapporo Snow Fest, held in Sapporo, Japan. Anyone know how to say “this is the way” in Japanese?
Yakkin’ About Young Jedi Adventures
Once again, friend of Death Star HR Shane Elliott is back and we talk about the show that many people have never mentioned in the same breath as Andor, the only Disney+ Star Wars show that’s explicitly marketed towards the under 10 crowd. That’s right, I’m talking about Young Jedi Adventures.
You probably know Shane from his always entertaining newsletter, Feats N’ Faults, where he ranks various pop culture franchises and characters in a points-based battle royale. It’s like sabermetrics for Dr. Who and Star Wars characters.
So make sure you check out our conversation about the greatness of Nubs, and then make sure you read and subscribe to Feats N’ Faults.
The Real Super Bowl MVP Were the Tauntauns
Going into Super Bowl Sunday I was feeling pretty meh about the game. As a Detroit Lions fan, there is never any reason for me to actually get excited about the game. However, this year there was at least going to be a trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Or so we thought.
Not exactly a trailer for a movie.
There was a decent amount of internet chatter with people not being too thrilled, that they felt like they got ripped off or something. That they were expecting an actual movie trailer and instead just got Mando and Grogu with some tauntauns.
I get the reaction, I do. Disney I guess never actually said we were getting a movie trailer, or at least I don’t think they did. But everyone heard “Super Bowl” and “Mando and Grogu” and I don’t think it was unreasonable to to think we were going to get a trailer. I wasn’t really paying attention to the game as I was still making dinner, one eye on the grill and the other on the TV. I caught the last half to the commercial (doesn’t seem right to call it a trailer) and had the same thought as a lot of the reactions. “That’s it?” No Mando and Grogu having an adventure. No shots of Zeb or Sigourney Weaver or maybe a new character. Nothing that even hints at what the plot might be? When expectations don’t meet reality, the online masses tend to get a little rowdy.
But was the spot really that bad? I don’t think so. After I got to sit down and watch the trailer on YouTube, I actually enjoyed it for what it is. Any youth of America reading this may not know that there was a time when Super Bowl commercials advertised actual products. Not celebrities shilling crypto. Not planet-destroying A.I. that nobody asked for. But things that real true red-blooded Americans wanted. Like beer and pickup trucks. Was there even a truck commercial this year? I honestly have no idea.
And with that in mind, that was absolutely the spirit that the Mando and Grogu spot was going for it. It wasn’t a trailer because we’re too far out of the movie to get a trailer. Those will probably come in April. It was just a little, “hey remember the green guy you love so much” type of ad, with the style and the spirit of a Budweiser commercial. I mean come on, the tauntauns are obviously supposed to be the clydesdales.
And don’t just take it from me. The Mouse is pretty clear that was the intent.
Lucasfilm’s marketing brand lead Ryan Stankevich said they wanted a Super Bowl spot that felt “instantly iconic, cinematic, and quintessentially ‘Star Wars.'”
“Our creative and marketing team landed on a unique concept that gave a nod to classic Big Game spots of years past,” Stankevich said. “It captured the warmth, humor, and emotional connection between these two beloved characters and was the perfect next step for our campaign as we lead up to their big screen debut this summer.”
So I’m not sure I’d call it “instantly iconic” but it absolutely gives nod to Super Bowl commercials of years past. And it features a voiceover from Sam Elliott which means the Big Lebowski is now canon in the Star Wars universe.
The Ben Quadinaros Revenge Tour Starts Now
Is saying the pod racing scene in Phantom Menace is the second best scene in the movie a controversial statement? I don’t think it is, but you never know. I still think back to the first time the Boonta Eve Classic kicked off on the big screen. It was a thrill. And now, Star Wars is back with a new pod racing game.
OK, looks fun. It’s not going to get me to go out and buy a PS5 like say, Knights of the Old Republic 3 would. It would still be a fun game to play. But most importantly, it features the people’s champion, Ben Quadinaros.
Ben Quadinaros, first featured in the pod race scene during The Phantom Menace, is kind of a Glup Shitto for a lot of people online. The background character that people latch onto and decide they love, either sincerely or ironically. Out of the top seven comments on the trailer, four of them were about Quadinaros, It’s a case where Lucasfilm knows what the internet fans are into, it’s like seeing Darth Jar Jar in the LEGO Star Wars Rebuild the Galaxy. The game looks fun, and for all the Ben Quadinaros stans out there, I’m glad your boy is back.
The Death Star Human Resources Department Book Club
I’ve mentioned two things about Star Wars comics in the past. First, it’s not really my thing. I’ve never really been a comic book guy. I tried, I’d read comics. I had friends that collected comics growing up. And as an adult I have friends who collect comics. Comic books are just something I’ve never been able to get into. But…in the last year or so I’ve occasionally picked some up if I’m at the used bookstore. The second thing about Star Wars comics are where the writers can really get weird with it. Jaxxon, the green bunny character, started in the comics. The first comic book review in Death Star HR featured a talking head in a box and religious sect called the Ancient Order of Pessimists.
All that to say, I’ve had my eye on this comic for a while, since it was announced at Comic Con last year. Ahem Best, Mr. Binks himself, was teaming up to write a Jar Jar focused comic book. I had to get it.
I suppose since this just came out, I should post a spoilers warning. If you’re going to read the Jar Jar comic book, haven’t yet, and don’t want to know what’s going to happen, you should probably skip the Death Star HR Book Club this week.
Title: Jar Jar 1
Series: One Shot. Which in comic book terms means a stand alone.
Author: Ahmed Best and Marc Guggenheim.
Illustrators: Laura Braga, Kieran McKeown, and Michael Atiyeh,
Date published: February 11, 2026
Pages: 32
Status: Canon
Summary in less than 20 words: The Jar Jar Binks redemption tour starts now with a little help from his friends.
There are some actors who will always be tied to a character. No matter how hard he tries to be an action hero, John Krasinski will always be Jim Halpert. Ron Livingston will always be Peter Gibbons. Most people probably think of him as his merlot-hating character, but to me, Paul Giamatti will always be Pig Vomit from Howard Stern’s Private Parts. Ahmed Best will always be tied to Jar Jar Binks, even though you don’t ever see Best’s face in any of the movies. It makes me happy that Best has been embraced by Star Wars fans and that he even wants to be part of the Star Wars universe. After all the abuse he took from “fans” after The Phantom Menace, you certainly couldn’t blame the guy if he never wanted anything to do with Star Wars again. But Best stuck it out, finishing out the Prequels even as his role shrunk. He came back to voice Jar Jar in The Clone Wars, LEGO Star Wars Rebuild the Galaxy, and various Star Wars video games. Then in 2019, he had a new role as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in the Jedi Temple Challenges kids show. Which again, if you’re my age it might remind you of Double Dare.
Most fans were probably introduced to the character when he showed up in season 3 of The Mandalorian.
All that to say, the comic is a quick read at 32 pages. Senator Jar Jar Binks teams up with Kelleran Beq to try to help the people of Urubai, a planet that the Palpatine’s Republic is mining for coxaium and other minerals. While Palpatine is still presenting his non-Sith persona to the public, the people of Urubai are being worked to death to help Palpatine build the Grand Army of the Republic, or maybe something worse. Jar Jar has to come to terms that he played a pretty big part in Palpatine seizing emergency powers. Even if Palpatine hasn’t revealed himself as a Sith Lord yet but he’s not exactly helping out your average galactic citizen. Eventually Jar Jar and Beq realize that Palpatine is up to something, they don’t know what, but maybe they should start getting organized for something.
The Good:
It’s a quick read and a fun story. There’s an appearance by some other familiar characters as well. Ric Olie, Aurra Sing, and a young Mira Bridger all make appearances.
As I said, I’m glad Best has had the opportunity to reclaim the character.
The Bad:
While I said the comic is 32 pages, 6 of the pages were ads. Come on, I feel like I’m getting a little cheated here.
Wild Card:
I posted about buying the comic on the official Death Star HR Instagram page. And Mr. Best himself liked by Story. We’re basically best friends now.
Always Check Your Seats at the Movie Theater
If you saw 3:45 PM IMAX 3D showing of The Force Awakens on December 30, 2015 at the Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX in West Palm Beach, Florida; you may have sat next to Jeffrey Epstein.
He seems like the type of guy who would talk during the movie.
This Day in Star Wars History
We’ve got a quite a few birthdays today, along with a relevant video game.
O.G. Mon Mothma, Caroline Blakiston was born in 1936. She played Mon in her first appearance, during Return of the Jedi. She had a fun quote about it, “Certainly people are always very envious of me. When I join a new theater company, the other actors look down the program, see my Return of the Jedi credit and say, ‘Oh, you were part of Star Wars.’ I smile and say, ‘Yes, but only for twenty-six and a half seconds.’“
Tom Jung was born in 1942. Jung worked as an art director, graphic designer, and illustrator. He’s best known in Star Wars as the designer of the Style A poster for A New Hope.
Swedish actress Pernilla August was born in 1958. August played Shimi Skywalker in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, along voicing Shimi in one episode of The Clone Wars.
Author John Whitman was born in 1967. Whitman was pretty active in writing young reader Star Wars books, most notably the “Galaxy of Fear” series. Nothing like children’s books with titles like Eaten Alive, City of the Dead, and The Nightmare Machine. Basically Goosebumps but Star Wars. No sleep for the kids. Whitman is also founded the Krav Maga Alliance.
Videogame Star Wars: Racer Revenge was released for the PS2 in 2002. In an attempt to give a racing game a plot, it’s Sebulba trying to get his revenge on Anakin. Dugs can hold a grudge.
From the Depths of Wookieepedia
When I saw the entry Anthem of Evil I just assumed somehow some heavy metal songs had accidentally creep into Wookieepedia. Turns out it was instead a track from Rise of Skywalker’s soundtrack. Composed by the GOAT John Williams, the track is written for the Sith Eternal. Rock out with the Dark Side.
News From the HoloNet
Star Wars Rise of Resistance Reopening Date Revealed
The Disneyland Rise of the Resistance reopens today! It’s still the same, the timeline refresh hasn’t come to Disneyland yet.
Admiral Piett was a fellow cat guy.
That’s it for this week. If you like what I’m doing, please subscribe. I’ll catch you next week, and may the Force be with you.
So apart from the love for Jung I also adored the Super Bowl spot. The baby Grogurt movie is pretty much THE film you’re going to take your kids to. And I think Disney knows that. Plus I love the pulpy matinee feel of the poster.
If anyone expects them to save the galaxy should be shocked. But I wouldn’t mind a Luke cameo telling them to go recruit Rotta for his academy.
Okay, so people are upset that the new Superbowl trailer wasn’t a real trailer? Does nobody remember 30 years ago when everyone lost their damn minds over the “Independence Day” trailer, and that only involved blowing up the White House? (Personally, the Mando trailer was the Euclidean ideal of 60 years of Superbowl ads: it hit all of the right notes, it sold the movie without overselling it, and it was cheerily funny. Best of all, it got people talking without wondering “What the hell were they thinking?”, and that’s going to carry through until the movie’s debut.)