Ack!

Yeah, I know, this joke's been done ad nauseum. But I've never done it before, so that makes it OK!

I've always liked Admiral Ackbar. Even though he only appears in a handful of scenes, he's a memorable character. Just goes to show you can get just as much personality or more out of a guy in a suit as you can an all CGI creation. I'm just grateful that George Lucas left him alone in the Prequels and didn't try to give us some convoluted and unnecessary back story for him (cough, Jango Fett, cough).

I've always wondered why the Admiral has giant gnarly lobster claws and then tiny little feet that fit inside sensible shoes. And how does he get his shirt sleeves over those Popeye arms?

I'm sure everyone already knows this, but the Admiral's race is called the Mon Calamari. Yes, I said Calamari. I see what you did there, George Lucas.

Drawn in Photoshop on the graphic tablet.

Here's the original very rough notebook sketch of the Admiral. He looks a little wonky here because I was drawing him from memory.

Later I googled some reference photos and did a somewhat tighter digital sketch to get all the proportions and such right. Drawing that stinkin' trap was tough! It took forever to get the perspective right (just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean you don't need perspective!).

Here you can see me getting some free drawing advice right from the source. Yes, that's me holding an Admiral Ackbar figure. Yes, I am a geek.