Station management recently enjoyed a smooth freelance opportunity at the popular The Star Wars Insider magazine. The result, entitled "Tatooine Thunder Machines", can been seen on the thick glossy pages of issue number 52, in the irreverent "Nothing But Star Wars" section. Originally called upon to produce some "customized" speeders, we took a crack at the article write-up to boot, which was, surprisingly, deemed fit for consumption.

Some initial concern that this highly intellectual piece o' literary refinement wouldn't see print due to a, uh, management shift at The Insider. Issues 51 and 52 were in the middle of a transition. Apparently the bulk of issue 52 was complete, however, when Fantastic Media passed the torch on to Wizards of the Coast, which makes sense given the timeframe these things require to produce.

Since the article mentions that "you can find more on his website", figured we'd post a quick guide to the vehicles - a primer for the spread - giving you, o' beloved Station resident, the inside lane on just how ridiculous the piece is?

Wise AC-R3 Dust Devil
Named in honor of our comrade Philip Wise.

That loopy bit about the "Royal Tatooine Racing League" was the highlight of this particular speeder description - as if a grungy, back-water, outer rim, desert planet would host a high-brow racing organization... You just know the members of the "League" are sportin' pencil-thin mustaches, monocles, speaking in dignified alien tones, and being constantly hassled by the uncouth masses.

SoroSuub X-1031 Sport Speeder
No real hidden meaning behind this particular model. Pulled "SoroSuub", along with some of the other vehicle brands, from somewhere on the SW Technical Commentaries site - give the speeders a grounding in SW reality that the hardcore would appreciate.

And the Station manager was born 10/31, of course.

The title and description on this bad boy was actually supposed to go along with the other convertible (the Falfa Custom), and vice-versa. Somehow switched up. The speeder pictured above is the correct model. Looking at the copy now, reckon it really don't make no never mind (as Robert Frost once wrote).

Kuan MFP 4073 KMRocket
"Kuan" is another TC winner. Known for making speeder bike engines or somesuch.

As the hip well know, MFP 4073 was Max Rockatansky's badge number (Main Force Patrol) in Mad Max, while G2241, mentioned in the vehicle write-up, was the Goose's number (sans the MFP - and a 'G' for Goose, naturally). The car presumably burns nitromethane too?

KMRocket = King Monkey Rocket. Sounded Fast. Crazy-outta-control Fast (with a capital F). With a name like that, y'just know you'll be takin' Dominos off the line at every green.

Falfa Custom GR1 - d3 Cruiser
Ahhhh, the G-Ride. So named after Harrison Ford's character Bob Falfa in American Graffitti - as a little tip o' the hat to George (the guy has to read his own magazine, right?).

Chicks dig a rag top. Most certainly what LSilky drives (LSilky being th' favored option among the twi'lek ladies). Aw yeah.

That wraps up the director's commentary. More than most would want to know, true... Like to offer a thanks to Jon Snyder for being the type of SW fan that he is. In our limited Snyder exposure, we've determined he's the real deal.