California Officially Recognizes May 4th As 'Star Wars Day'

By: Benjamin Hart

"Happy Star Wars Day!"

"May the 4th be with you!"

Those are some of the phrases you can hear Star Wars fans telling each other once every year around this time. That's because we are now just hours away from the international(or intergalactic) holiday know as "Star Wars Day", A.K.A May the 4th(be with you). Each year fans across the globe find new and interesting ways to celebrate the special day, despite it being completely unofficial. But now it seems in at least one place in this galaxy Star Wars Day will finally be fully recognized as an official holiday!

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Rian Johnson & John Williams Send Special #StarWarsDay Greetings

By: Benjamin Hart

May the 4th is upon us, and today we get to celebrate the greatest saga ever even more than we usually do. One of the most exciting aspects of Star Wars is the promise of new feature films, and right now we're anxiously anticipating the next chapter in the Skywalker saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

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Star Wars Day Deals & Events Revealed From Across The Galaxy

By: Benjamin Hart

May the 4th, A.K.A Star Wars Day is tomorrow and millions of fans across the globe will all be celebrating the occasion in their own way. In addition, a select number of retailers and more that will be offering special deals on various Star Wars merchandise. Over the past few days StarWars.com has been detailing special offers you can reward yourself with this May the 4th.

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TBS Hosting Star Wars Marathon On May The 4th

By: Benjamin Hart

Star Wars Day is coming up this Thursday, and as always there will be plenty of different ways to celebrate the occasion. A popular way to make May the 4th extra special is by doing a Star Wars marathon, and TBS is making it easy this year!

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Gold Darth Vader Mask Valued At $1.4m To Go On Sale This Star Wars Day

A solid gold Darth Vader mask has been valued at $1.4 million and is up for sale in Japan next month. 

Japanese jeweller Ginza Tanaka, located in Tokyo, has revealed a lifesize 24-carat gold Darth Vader mask and will go on sale in a week's time on Star Wars Day, May the fourth.

Only one of these masks exists in the world and the gold head weighs around 33lbs. 

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'The Sun' Exclusively Interviews Mark Hamill On May The Fourth

By Ciaran Duggan,

It has been a manic day of breaking news on official Star Wars Day and it doesn't stop here. Today, Mark Hamill has released a column in the reputed British press agency, The Sun. In his article, Hamill implores fans and, readers of The Sun, to donate funds to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. The online article also features an exclusive interview of Mark Hamill, conducted by an editor of The Sun. Take a look at the Q&A interview below.

In typical Hamill style however, he reveals the existence of a revised scene of The Force Awakens, which was originally going to be the opening sequence of the film. Hamill disclosed this information, in response to a question about the difficulties of keeping things secret in the new world of social media.

Hamill: "When I first starting reading, I won't name the websites, you read the leaks and stuff, I'd say "That's rich. They're so wrong." Then one day, I read the first fifteen minutes absolutely accurately. 

I can tell you now the original opening shot of Episode VII. The first thing that came into frame was a hand with a lightsaber...a severed hand....that enters the atmosphere and the hand burns away. Everything burns away and then the lightsaber goes sticking into the surface of Jakku, the planet that Rey lives on. And this alien hand comes in, I don't know if it was Maz, but it was an alien hand that comes in and then the movie proceeds as you see it."

Has Hamill confirmed the origin story of how Maz obtained possession of Luke's lighstaber? Why wasn't this scene shown in the Blu-Ray deleted scenes reel?

It wasn't the only revelation that Hamill imparted to the interview however. He did not discredit the possibility that Luke Skywalker will fight in a lightsaber duel in Episode VIII.

Interviewer: Do you still keep up your fencing skills for lightsaber fights?

Hamill: Again, I'm under an NDA, which is a non-dislosure agreement, but its possible.

As ever with a Mark Hamill interview, he will leave you with something compelling to think and talk about.

What do you make about the comments Mark made? Let us know below.

Source: The Sun

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BREAKING: Star Wars Celebration Coming To Orlando In 2017

By Ciaran Duggan,

It has just broken that the next Star Wars Celebration will take place in Orlando in the year of 2017. The mammoth event will be hosted at the Orange County Convention Center from April 13-16, 2017.

Tickets for the event will go out on sale on Wednesday, May 25 at the times of:

- 12:00 PM PDT

- 3:00PM EDT

- 8:00 PM GMT+1.

The show floor hours of the event have also been announced:

- Thursday, April 13, 2017, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

- Friday, April 14, 2017, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

- Saturday, April 15, 2017, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

- Sunday, April 16, 2017, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

What an exciting announcement! How appropriate that Disney release this information on a day where fans around the world are 'celebrating' Star Wars!

For more information about the announcement, click on the link below.

Source: Star Wars Celebration

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Tons Of Retailers Offering Star Wars Day Deals

By: Benjamin Hart

It seems that May the 4th, also know as "Star Wars Day", is becoming more of a phenomenon every year, What started as a mere play-on-words has morphed into a yearly celebration of the greatest saga of all time. In conjunction, Lucasfilm and many other companies seem to have adopted the date as an unofficial holiday. In doing so, a plethora of retailers have unveiled their plans to release exclusive and limited edition items along with special discounts and deals on May the 4th. Everyone from Walmart, Gamestop, Toys"R"Us and Bed, Bath and Beyond to Her Universe and Petco are participating. StarWars.com has released a handy list of all the merchandise and deals that will be available on or around the 4th, and we gleaned some highlights which you can check out below!

Sphero

• In honor of May the 4th, score a BB-8 by Sphero for $129.99.
• Offer valid April 30th – May 8th.

GameStop

• Come to GameStop for exclusive items like the Poe Dameron #1 variant and a full line of Star Wars accessories from Love and Madness.
• Find the deals that you ARE looking for with 20% off select Star Wars Housewares.
• Offers valid on May the 4th only.

Target

• Free $10 gift card when you spend $50 on Star Wars items online at Target.com.
• Offer valid on May the 4th only.

Kohl’s

• Take an Extra 20% off select Star Wars Hasbro items at Kohls.com.
• Offer valid May 4th – May 10th using promo code MAYTHE4th.

Her Universe

• We love May the 4th so much we’re celebrating May 4th through May 8th with new Star Wars products! Free “May The 4th Be With You” patch with any order of $25 or more!
• Special sale on Star Wars items!

Gentle Giant LTD

• 20% off entire collection from the Star Wars Universe!
• Join the Gentle Giant LTD Premier Guild Collector’s Club and receive an ADDITIONAL 10% off your purchase for a total of a whopping 30% discount!
• Offer valid May 1st – May 8th.

Best Buy

• $20.00 off all controllers: The officially licensed Star Wars: The Force Awakens wired controllers for XBOX One feature all new imagery from the latest in the Star Wars saga.
• Offer valid May 1st to May 7th.

Fathead

• Gear up for May the 4th with 35% off all Star Wars Fatheads, available at fathead.com! Discover how the supreme quality and resolution of our Star Wars wall decals honor the cinematic quality of the legendary films. Unlike a Star Wars poster, these high impact, finely detailed Fathead Star Wars wall decals come with a low-tac, adhesive backing that makes decorating easy and allows you to remove and reuse them without any harm to your walls.
• Offer valid May 4th through May 10th.

Walmart

• Celebrate Star Wars Day with Walmart! May the 4th be with you, as galactic Rollback savings await on four buildable LEGO characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as a cool Finn costume for your Padawan!
• One Costume for $4: Star Wars Episode 7 Finn Child Dress Up / Role Play Costume (Offer Valid May 4th – May 31st).
• Select LEGO toys $20/each: LEGO Constraction Kylo Ren, LEGO Constraction Captain Phasma, LEGO Constraction Finn,  LEGO Constraction Poe Dameron (Offer Valid May 4th – August 4th).

In addition, Walmart recently announced that new 3.75'' Hasbro Black Series Star Wars: The Force Awakens figures will be available for Star Wars day. The figures include Starkiller Base Han Solo, General Leia Organa and Captain Phasma. According to Yakface, these figures have already been spotted on shelves, so be on the lookout for them. You can see images of them below:

And, of course, be sure to head over to StarWars.com to check out the full list! You don't want to miss many of these incredible offers!

Source: StarWars.com

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EA Reveals Star Wars Day Bonuses For 'Battlefront' & 'The Old Republic'

By: Benjamin Hart

Star Wars Day, May the 4th(be with you), is coming up next week and it looks as though we're going to have plenty of ways to celebrate the occasion! Star Wars gamers will want to take note of some awesome bonuses that EA will be making available to us on and around the 4th. Gamespot is reporting that at least three Star Wars titles will be offering up some rewards you won't want to miss out on,

First off, those who log into Star Wars Battlefront on May the 4th will be treated to a free bundle of 4,444 credits. In addition, a new Hutt Contract feature will be available that day which will allow players to both spend credits and earn rewards for completed bounties. Also, free access to Battlefront on PC will be available as a four-hour trail from Origin which will be online starting at 11:00am PT.

Players of the MMO RPG Star Wars: The Old Republic are in for some treats as well. From now until May 30th the Knights Of The Fallen Empire expansion will be available to play for free, and those who log in prior to May the 4th will receive a M4-I6 Zakuulan Astromech Droid mini-pet. which you can see above.. If you play between May 3rd and May 10th you will be rewarded with double PvP commendations, double experience, double requisitions in Starfighter, and double legacy experience.

Also, mobile gamers should be aware that Star Wars: Galaxy Of Heroes will be offering a twenty-five percent discount on crystals on May the 4th, and between April 30th and May 5th different game modes will offer double rewards each day, beginning with Cantina battles.

Happy gaming, and May the 4th be with you!

Source: Gamespot

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'Rogue One' Apparel To Be Available At Disney Parks On May The 4th

By: Benjamin Hart

Want to get your hands on some Rogue One: A Star Wars Story apparel and support a great cause? Thanks to Star Wars: Force For Change and Disney theme Parks, you'll be able to do just that starting next week! Today, the Disney Parks Blog announced that T-shirts featuring the official Rogue One logo will be available for purchase at various locations at both Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California. In addition, 25% of the retail price of the shirts will be donated to UNICEF to benefit their "Kid power" program.

The shirts will be available in adult and child sizes beginning May 4th, A.K.A "Star Wars Day". The apparel will not be purchasable on the Disney Park online store or the Shop Disney Parks mobile app. They will be only be available exclusively at the following locations in Disney Parks:

Disneyland Resort

• Disneyland park – The Star Trader and Star Wars Launch Bay
• Downtown Disney District – D-Street and World of Disney

Walt Disney World Resort

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Tatooine Traders and Star Wars Launch Bay
• Disney Springs – Star Wars Galactic Outpost and Once Upon A Toy
• Magic Kingdom Park – Merchants of Venus

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters December 16th!

Source: Disney Parks Blog

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Disney Unveils 'The Force Awakens' Tsum Tsums

By: Benjamin Hart

Star Wars: The Force Awakens may be officially out of theaters(and in our Blu-ray players), but that's not stopping a steady stream of new merchandise related the film from being released. The latest cool collectible to be revealed is a collection of Disney's Tsum Tsum plush toys based on characters from the film. Rey, Poe, Finn, BB-8, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, First Order Stormtrooper, Finn(Stormtrooper) and Rey(with goggles) will all be immortalized in the cuddly form. BB-8 will be available in both big and mediums sizes, while Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren will also be available in medium.

Their name is derived from the Japanese verb tsumu, which means "to stack". Previously other Star Wars characters such as Anakin, Qui-Gon, Boba Fett and many others were featured in the line, but these are the first characters from Episode VII to be included.

These Tsum Tsums will hit Disney Store shelves in Japan on May 4th, which will coincide with Star Wars day festivities there. Disney Stores in Europe and North America will get them on June 26th on the second of two planned #TsumTsumTuesday events.

Source: ComicBook.com

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UGG Announces Star Wars Line to Launch on May the 4th

By: Dominic Jones

The footwear company UGG has announced that they will be launching a line of Star Wars inspired footwear to coincide with this year's Star Wars Day, aka May the 4th Be With You.  The boots being released are meant to honor the look of Darth Vader and will be available at select locations (see below) around the world with prices ranging from $100 to $225.

Check out some images of the products below,

Women's:

Men's:

Kids:

 

Via the official press release,

NEW YORK (April 30, 2015) – On May 4th the UGG® brand, a division of Deckers Brands (NYSE:DECK), in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products, will be launching the limited edition Star Wars by UGG® collection. Available at select locations worldwide, the collection celebrates the passion, imagination, emotional connection and multi-generational appeal of two iconic brands. Star Wars by UGG® will honor the characters that have captured the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the world. Ranging in price from $100 to $225, the first series in the collection features eight styles for men, women and kids honoring Darth Vader of the original Star Wars trilogy.

“We are thrilled to work with Disney Consumer Products and to be a part of the cultural phenomenon that is Star Wars,” said Vice President Creative Director for the UGG® brand, Leah Larson.  “We are proud to be a part of the Star Wars universe, and much like the UGG® brand, Star Wars has grown to be a part of our lives and families since the seventies.”

Thoughtful details are abundant in each collection and will appeal to the UGG® brand loyalist or avid Star Wars fan as each style includes a custom, inner-woven label featuring famed Star Wars quotes, original storyboard tissue paper and a custom Star Wars by UGG® box.

Both brands continue to evolve and innovate, adding new legions of fans to become a part of something that feels like nothing else. The Darth Vader line marks the first run of a three part series within the Star Wars by UGG® collection that will honor the iconic characters of the original films throughout the year, including the holiday season. This May, the collections can be purchased at the following North American UGG® brand stores, on www.uggaustralia.com and at select global locations:

• Madison Avenue – New York, NY
• Hyatt Regency Waikiki – Honolulu, HI
• The Grove – Los Angeles, CA
• Union Square - San Francisco, CA
• Fashion Valley Mall - San Diego, CA
• South Coast Plaza – Costa Mesa, CA
• Rush Street – Chicago, IL
• The Forum Shops, Las Vegas, NV
• Aventura Mall - Aventura, FL
• Mall of America – Bloomington, MN
•  Robson Street - Vancouver, BC
• Yorkdale Shopping Centre - Toronto, ON

Looks like some pretty cool products are hitting the shelves to celebrate Star Wars Day!

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Video Greeting from J.J. Abrams

By: Lillian Skye

Many Bothans died to bring us this video selfie from Director J.J. Abrams himself! Alongside Abrams is Star Wars Episode VII writer Lawrence Kasdan. "..We feel very fortunate to be here in London working on the next Star Wars script," says Kasdan, and Abrams notes that casting announcements will continue!

Watch the short clip below in honor of Star Wars Day!

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May The 4th Be With YouTube (Updated)

By: Benjamin Hart

In honor of May the 4th, know to us as "International Star Wars day", Lucasfilm and Disney have partnered with YouTube Space LA and several popular YouTube filmakers to create four short films that take place in the infamous Mos Eisley Cantina. Two of the films have already been released and the others are expected to hit the web in the coming days. Check them out below!

The first film titled "Clash At The Cantina" features famous YouTubers Cory Vidal(ApprenticeA), Craig Benzine (Wheezy Waiter) and Shay Carl doing their own funny & wacky version of the classic Cantina scene from A New Hope:


Next is a film done by Bored Shorts TV called "Kid Snippets" which features another remake of the same scene with actors acting out and lip syncing lines lines said by Children. Hilarity ensues:



Check back here soon! We will add more videos here as they're released.

Update: College Humor has now revealed their parody: Star Wars Cantina Ban Auditions! Starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, Rick Springfield, Ben Folds and many others!

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Rebels Trailer to Debut on May 4th

By: Lillian Skye

There has been no shortage of Star Wars news this week with the announcement that the Expanded Universe is no longer cannon, and the reveal of the Episode VII cast.

Now, a Star Wars Rebels trailer is scheduled to debut in honor of May the Fourth. According to USA Today, "the first Rebels trailer premieres early Sunday morning (3:01 a.m. ET/12:01 PT) on various websites including StarWars.com and Disney.com, and will also air during Disney XD's LEGO animated special Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles on Sunday night (7 ET/PT)."

Tiya Sircar, the voice behind the Rebel Sabine, says she "can't wait for people to find out why she's part of this Rebel crew." Sircar stressed that, "It's serious stuff."

She explained that if she had to rank her level of Star Wars fandom on a scale of 1-10, that she is now an 11. She also revealed that Vanessa Marshall, who plays Hera, and Freddie Prinze, Jr., who is the voice of Kanan in the show, know almost as much about Star Wars as Dave Filoni, who according to Sircar, is the "encyclopedia" of Star Wars.

Several new images for the show were also released, which can be seen below:

Star Wars Rebels will premiere Fall 2014 on Disney XD and will follow the characters of Ezra, Kanan, and the crew of The Ghost, answering unanswered questions about events that happened between Order 66 and A New Hope, leaving fans anxious to join their favorite heroes in the Rebellion against the Empire.

Sources: IGN, USA Today

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May the 4th: Lucasfilm Star Wars Art Show

By: Dominic Jones

Lucasfilm has announced cool plans for an art show happening this weekend in Los Angeles, California.  The art show will features artists from across the Disney empire, including Lucasfilm, ILM, Marvel, and Pixar, providing their own unique take on a Stormtrooper helmet.  Each artist was provided with a blank helmet (pictured above) and will present their own design on the helmet.  The show is presented by Lucasfilm and Neff.  Neff CEO Shaun Neff told StarWars.com,

"As a lifelong Star Wars fan, it's been a dream of mine to collaborate with Lucasfilm.  Teaming up with some of the most prominent street artists from around the world, we are thrilled to work alongside The Walt Disney Company -- to reimagine such an iconic piece of cinematic history as the Stormtrooper." 

The show takes place at the Robert Vargas Gallery, located at 620 Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90013.   The show runs from May 2nd - 4th and hours are:

Friday, May 2: 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 3: 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 4: Noon - 4:00 p.m.

If you're in the LA area be sure to check this out!  (And if you happen to take some pictures, feel free to share them with us on Facebook!)

Source: StarWars.com

You can follow Dominic on Twitter: @DominicJ25

 

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'The Big Bang Theory' Star Wars Day Episode Preview

By: Dominic Jones

CBS has released the first preview for the episode of The Big Bang Theory that will coincide with Star Wars Day (May the 4th), "The Proton Transmogrification".  The episode guest stars Bob Newhart as Professor Proton, Sheldon's hero, who will be appearing to Sheldon as Force ghost.  The episode also features a recreation of the Dagobah set from The Empire Strikes back built with the help of Lucasfilm.  You can see first looks at all of this, as well as a death Star cake in the preview below,

The episode airs on May 1st at 8:00pm.  You can also catch as special Star Wars episode of The Goldbergs on May 6th.

You can follow Dominic on Twitter: @DominicJ25
 

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Star Wars Episode of 'The Goldbergs' Coming May 6th

By: Dominic Jones

Following yesterday's announcement that The Big Bang Theory would be teaming up with Lucasfilm for a Star Wars themed episode, it has been announced that ABC sitcom, The Goldbergs will also be getting the Lucasfilm treatment.  The episode will air on May 6th, (to tie in with the May the 4th be with you event) and is titled A Wrestler Named Goldberg.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, 

"As part of the tie-in, Lucasfilm partnered with studio Sony Pictures Television and ABC for the May 6 episode titled "A Wrestler Named Goldberg." Lucasfilm will help promote the episode in the lead-up to the broadcast. The episode sees Adam (Sean Giambrone) and Erica (Hayley Orrantia) encounter elaborately costumed Star Wars fans, including Reno 911's Thomas Lennon, while waiting in line at the Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi opening."

It's interesting to see Lucasfilm doing these tie-ins with sitcoms for May the 4th.  I have never watched The Goldbergs, but this just might give me the incentive to sit down and watch an episode.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

You can follow Dominic on Twitter: @DominicJ25

 

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Rumor: Australia to get Star Wars Saga Re-Release for May the 4th

By: Dominic Jones

The Australian website Access Reel is reporting that on May 3rd and 4th of this year, Australian cinemas will present Star Wars trilogy marathons (one trilogy per day).  On May 3rd it's the prequel trilogy, and on May 4th it's the original trilogy.  The films will be presented in digital 2D.

No word on what cinemas in Australia will be showing the films or if the rest of the world will be getting marathons as well.

As always this is just a rumor until confirmed (or denied) by Lucasfilm or Disney (or in this case, Australian cinema chains!)

Source: Access Reel

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May the 4th: A SAGA IN THE STARS: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

By: Dominic Jones

Fans in the LA area are encouraged to check out this awesome event celebrating May the 4th.  The event will feature over 60 artists displaying their art as well as fun events like a costume contest and a live lightsaber duel!  For more info check out the press release below:

A SAGA IN THE STARS: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE • SELECT PREVIEW BELOW • over 60 artists • don't miss event

MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!

The Force is strong with Nucleus in LA as the gallery presents one of its biggest tribute exhibitions yet in honor of the Star Wars franchise. Welcoming a diverse group of international talent celebrating their favorite Star Wars characters and moments, join the gallery as it transforms into a galaxy far, far away with a collection of original works inspired by this saga in the stars. Learn more

OVER 60 ARTISTSSHAG • Ana Bagayan • Nimit Malavia • TADO
Allen Williams • Justin Gerard • Ralph Mcquarrie & many more

SELECT PREVIEW
OPENING RECEPTION
Join us Saturday, May 4, 7:00PM-11:00PM
$5 Admission, Open to Public, All-Ages ,No RSVP
FREE Admission for those in Star Wars-themed costume

OPENING RECEPTION HIGHLIGHTS

• Live Lightsaber Duel
  
• Costume Contest
  
• Artists in Attendance
  
• Live Dj
  
• Star Wars-themed refreshments
  
• & More to be announced

VIEW THE ARTWORK ONLINE
Prior to the opening reception, collectors and non-local fans can sign up here to view the featured works in an online gallery. The online gallery will be made public at midnight May 4th here. The exhibit will be on display at Gallery Nucleus through May 26, 2013.

VENUE ADDRESS:
Nucleus
210 E Main St
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-458-7482
(15 mins outside of downtown LA)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFO PLEASE EMAIL US




Images by John Malloy, Caitlin Hackett, Jeremy Wilson, Mattias Adolfsson, Chris B Murray, SHAG, Cynthia Sheppard

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