Greetings, exalted ones, and welcome to another edition of Wookieepedia Interviews! For those who don't know, this is a series where we interview and shine a spotlight on various members of the Wookieepedia community! In this very special edition, I had the honor of interviewing the interviewer, himself, @ArtooD2! I will let Artoo’s replies to my prompts paint his own picture, but allow me to preface it by saying that Artoo is something of a legend of the community to me, having gone out of his way and basic responsibility to improve discussions for those around him, if not through his dedications in The Origin Tree project or handbooks, then through his quiet and joyful personality in his conversations with us. In the coming moments, as you sit in on Artoo and I’s conversation, I hope you will be able see those things about Artoo, and I hope you enjoy learning more about him as much as I did. Enjoy!
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When did you join Wookieepedia and why, m'boy?
I had known of Wookieepedia's existence for a while, but always thought of it as some obscure, disorganized fan site. I had checked it out a couple of times over the years, but always found it kind of intimidating and complicated. That is, until the pandemic, when I was forced to find new sources of entertainment. This was during the peak of my Star Wars obsession. Until this point, my only access to Star Wars news or media was through the official app and website, both of which I absolutely loved, but I still felt I was only scratching the surface. One day, out of sheer boredom, I looked up Wookieepedia on my iPad and my mind was blown. I was completely entranced by how deep the Star Wars lore went and how many people were just as into it as I was. I was a hardcore lurker for a while, editing a handful of articles and scrolling through the Discussions feed. I didn't have any social media so creating an account felt like a huge leap forward that I wasn't sure I was prepared for. However, there were so many instances where I wanted to join a conversation or answer a question that it wasn't long before I was seriously considering creating an account.
This all came to a head in the August of 2020, when the OG Meme of the Week thread was made. I finally gave in and made my first post, a self-made meme that I'm honestly pretty embarrassed of in hindsight. Luckily, everybody was so kind and welcoming that I knew I had finally found my people. The rest, as they say, is history!
What is your Star Wars journey? Have you always been a fan?
Heck yeah I've always been a fan! My dad grew up with the original trilogy so it's always been present in my life in some form. From playing with my dad's old action figures at my grandparent's house, to getting the OG Death Star LEGO set for Christmas, to watching The Clone Wars on Netflix back in the day, Star Wars is something I have always loved and have been a fan of.
However, my true "obsession," where I began to take the lore more seriously, didn't fully begin until 2019, around when the first teaser trailer for The Rise of Skywalker dropped. This was also around the same time when I first discovered the official Star Wars app and website. I began learning about the niche characters in the background, the symbolism at play in every scene, and the magnificent worldbuilding embedded in the franchise. My eyes were opened to the larger galaxy and they could never be closed again.
After that came seeing TROS on opening night, reading the books and comics, discovering the Wook, and (finally!) going to Galaxy's Edge in 2022. My excitement for new projects may have waned in recent years, but I don't think I will ever give up loving Star Wars. It's such a big part of my life and there's still so much more for me to discover. The Expanded Universe alone is an untapped treasure trove of stories! So while that's my "Star Wars journey" thus far, I would consider it a work in progress.
What is the story behind your username? What makes R2-D2 so special to you?
I've always had a fondness for R2. I liked him growing up, but it was only when I got older when I realized how based he actually was. He's essentially an adorable garbage can who saved countless lives throughout the years he was in service, and yet he received little to no credit for any of it. He's also genuinely hilarious. I laugh out loud every time I watch the scene in ANH when Leia's message is first shown, and Luke asks to play back the whole message and R2's like, "what message?" Comedy gold.
Needless to say, something about that stuck with me, and was the first thing that came to mind when I had to choose a username for Fandom. And now, "Artoo" has sort of become my online persona, which is pretty cool!
Ya man, R2 just kind of hangs out with his friends who are always in dangerous situations and does not hesitate to put himself on the line for them. A really admirable and wholesome character, and I think something about him represents you well.
What are a few of your favorite posts/projects that you have come across here on the Wook?
Oh man, where to start! I could list off so many, but I'll do my best to narrow them down.
The first and possibly biggest project is Operation Skyhook, run by @Spooder-Man777. For those unfamiliar, this is a forum-wide project dedicated to creating open discussions for all Star Wars media. When it first launched, I was completely entranced by it, probably due to my knack for organization. It was a daunting task, but it was really fun and seeing the community come together to achieve a common goal was super rewarding. Spooder and @Givinname did an amazing job running it, and I hope more people will take up the job!
Another project that really stuck out to me is @Jo282ey's Rebels Rewind series. One of the most impressive and thorough projects I've ever had the pleasure of reading on this forum. Every entry was so genuine and complex. Jo282ey's love for Star Wars shined through every word and made reading each entry an absolute blast. The series was unfortunately left unfinished, but I highly recommend checking it out.
The third project is @Master Coleman Fisto's community ranking of the Star Wars films. Great example of polls done right. A carefully crafted, fine-tuned analysis, presented in an easy-to-understood format. Lots of interesting results as well!
The fourth and final project that I just couldn't help myself from mentioning is your very own Drawing Wookieepedian's Profile Pics series! I cannot tell you how honored I was to see my picture in that first entry. The following drawings were really well done too and filled with personality! @Aragorn Skywalker Of House Stark's entry has always been one of my favorites. Such a simple idea for a series, but it brought the community together in some awesome ways, which should be the goal of any Wook project. Great work dude!
Lastly, I have to mention a singular post that has stuck in my mind ever since I read it, and that was @Ajjviolin96's The Rise of A.I. This was one of the first posts I read as a new user on Wookieepedia, I vividly remember seeing it pop up in the feed. I don't know what I was expecting, but this thing absolutely blew my mind. The epic potential of the Wook was clear to me for the first time as I scrolled through one of the best essays I've ever read. Not only is it carefully researched and endlessly thought-provoking, but it's also more prevalent today than when it was written. Passion is what drives people to create art on this website and Ajj's passion for the subject matter was clear as day in that essay. Ajj, if you read this interview one day, I just want to say thank you. Your work continues to inspire me.
I love your choices, and I'm honored that you enjoyed the pfp series so much, man! As you know, it was inspired by your fantastic Wookieepedian interviews that I enjoyed reading so much, and, kind of come full circle, I'm glad I get to do yours.
Segwaying into my next question somewhat nicely, of your many contributions to the discussions side of the wook (handbooks, origami creations, essays, etc), which are you the most proud of and why?
The handbooks, open discussions, and permanent threads took up most of my time in my Wook heyday I'm afraid. While I am proud of those projects, in the long run I feel like my best ideas were pushed to the side and left unfinished in favor of Skyhook. It's hard for me to sit down and write for long periods of time, so while it was easy to whip out a handbook in a few minutes, a well-crafted, thought-provoking essay was always just out of my reach.
However, I have come close to that goal a few times. In my experience, my best posts have always been the ones with the most passion behind them. One of the most prevalent examples in my eyes is my Galaxy's Edge review, which I had in mind before we had even left for the airport. Everything I learned or observed about Galaxy's Edge during the trip, I put in that review. Effort backed by passion. I didn't worry about it being structured perfectly or written in the most elegant way, I just... wrote. And it's now probably become my favorite post I've ever made!
In a similar vein, another one of my favorites is the one about Rio Durant, simply because of how innocent and simple it is. I watched Solo. I noticed that I really enjoyed Rio as a character. I made a lil' appreciation post about him. That's it! Whenever I hear people mention how they can't think of anything to write on these forums, I always tell them to watch a Star Wars movie and write about something new that stuck out to them. No matter how many times I've seen those movies, I'm always finding new things!
Lastly, I have to mention my first, but longest-running, series: The New Holocron. This was a passion project of mine where I kept a running list of everything included in the Star Wars Canon universe, from movies, to books, to comics, to games. Making lists is one of my favorite activities (I have over 350 in my Notes app!), so it was an absolute blast doing research for this series back in the day. It even inspired a Legends version! Unfortunately, as time went on and my activity on here decreased, I quietly discontinued the 'Cron. Its usefulness had worn thin and it had become much too taxing, but I'm glad I kept it going when I did-- it kept me coming back to the Wook every month!
There are a few more that I'm fond of, but I've gloated long enough lol. Check out the bottom of my personal archive if you're interested.
What is your all time favorite Star Wars lego set and why?
There's a room in my house solely dedicated to Legos (yes I call them Legos, not LEGO), so this is a tough decision for me! With that being said, it's gotta be the original Death Star from 2008. I vividly remember when my brother and I got it for Christmas one year. We were both super young at the time, and yet we built the whole thing in just a couple of days and absolutely loved it. That set remained relevant throughout my entire childhood and acted as a cornerstone for tons of Lego stories and battles for me and my friends. It's been broken, dropped, and torn apart, yet it always finds a way to get rebuilt.
Nostalgia aside, it's just an extremely well-designed set. Insane character roster, amazing attention to detail, and an absolute blast to build (which is rarer than you think). Few sets invite the builder in the way Death Star does due to its size and sheer number of unique sections. There also hadn't really been a Star Wars set at Death Star's level of scale and playability when it released, so it holds an important role in ushering in a new, ambitious era for Lego as a company.
There are bigger and more impressive Star Wars Lego sets out there, but the OG Death Star is a classic and my undisputed favorite.
How has Star Wars in particular fostered your passion for creating stories?
Star Wars is partially responsible for my love of filmmaking. I've always loved watching movies, but Star Wars was definitely a huge factor in my decision to pursue moviemaking as a career. It was a constant inspiration for what I was capable of. As the Sequels were releasing, I saw firsthand the process in which movies were made, promoted, and written. I fell in love with the world of filmmaking and knew that this was something I wanted to pursue. Even as a kid, I found myself blown away watching behind-the-scenes featurettes and reading articles about the original trilogy. George Lucas was just a man with a story he wanted to tell, and that spark was what spawned STAR WARS, how cool is that! The artistry at play in his films continues to inspire me, and as an aspiring filmmaker, I have him to thank for paving my journey forward.
Oh, and also the insanely-detailed Lego Star Wars stories my friends and I made growing up. Those also helped lol.
I think that’s super cool how you love and enjoy film so much; I bet you’re great at it! Do you have anything in the works currently? How can your loyal subjects follow your projects? (Definitely not just asking for myself ;)
I'm currently studying film at a university, so most of the projects I'm working on, especially short films, are connected to that. I don't post any of it to social media and, to be frank, I'm not sure if I'm ready to link my film work to my Fandom persona. Digital footprints are very real and anything I share could lead to personal information about myself that I would rather keep hidden for now. Maybe if I make it big enough I'll reveal more about my life IRL, but we'll see lol.
I totally understand, man! No worries at all. If you ever do decide to share your masterpieces, though, I would of course love to know. Dare I say, you're one of the most bombad dudes I have met on the internet, and I would love to support your work in any way I can. So, put me on the list!
Continuing with my next question to thou art, why do you think people love stories (in general) so much?
There's an interesting two-sided coin when it comes to stories. On one hand, it's probably the strongest form of escapism. People love to take their mind off of the real world by getting swept up in fantastical worlds with unique characters. On the other hand, people love stories because oftentimes they see a part of themselves in them. There's a sense of empathy and relatability that makes for some of the best stories out there, because at their core, stories are a reflection of the human experience. They're a fundamental human trait that have shaped our world for thousands of years. Even among the very first people on Earth, stories were being told.
I guess what I'm getting at is, storytelling is intrinsically connected to humanity. It allows us to escape the real world while also being a reflection of the real world.
What is your favorite story (Star Wars or not) and why?
Besides the Bible? Haha!
In the realm of fiction, one of my absolute favorite stories of all time is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I read it for the first time in high school and was instantly hooked, not only by the narrative, but by how vastly different it was to the green monster that has been immortalized in pop culture. Shelley's story is a lot more grounded and tragic, not to mention beautifully written and dripping with imagery. The themes about playing God and what it means to be human have remained in my mind ever since I closed the book, and the fact that she was only 18 when she wrote it has been a major source of inspiration for me as I've pursued my creative dreams. I highly recommend it!
As for stories specifically in Star Wars... this might be a basic answer, but I just can't get enough of the fall of the Jedi/rise of the Empire dynamic found in Revenge of the Sith and its supplemental material. George Lucas is so good at rich storytelling, i.e. stories that can be endlessly dissected and studied. Although I've seen it many times, to this day I still discover new details in the ROTS era. So many incredible themes at play; the silent but dangerous corruption of the Jedi, the birth of a dictatorship with the Empire, the tragic character of Anakin Skywalker, the list goes on. Not to mention the hundreds of visual parallels between the prequel and original trilogies (the way Anakin's turn to the dark side in ROTS mirrors his redemption in ROTJ is one of my favorite details in all of fiction). It's an iconic era for a reason, and while ROTS itself may not be perfect, the story it tells is dang near close to perfection.
Funny you mention that! I was just telling the Lord the other day how incredible it is that the greatest story ever told just so happens to be the most real out of any! Anyways, I'll have to keep Frankenstein in mind if I'm ever in the mood for a book; it sounds awesome! And you can imagine the proud tears in my eyes when you said Revenge of the Sith!
What is your advice to future generations of Wookieepedians?
Engage in the community. I've seen the Wook go through many changes; some good, some bad. But what's been consistently true is that the community is the strongest when people interact with it, actively striving to make it the best that it can be. People like Spooder, Ajj, Giv, Jade, and many others took the next step to turn this silly Star Wars discussion forum into something truly special. I know it can seem like a big commitment (trust me, I've been there lol), but not every act of community engagement needs to be Operation Skyhook-level! Even a well-written comment can go a long way in building a solid conversation.
Be passionate. Be an example. Be the change you want to see. Because whether you realize it or not (or whether you believe it or not), you have the power.
And finally, do you foresee leaving the Wook in the future? Regardless, what would you like to be remembered here for/as?
It's no secret that my time on the Wook has dwindled since around 2023. This is for many reasons, but mainly, I've just grown up since then and have different priorities in life. But, as a wise Jedi once said, "no one's ever really gone." I'm always lurking, and will retain some sort of presence on these forums for the foreseeable future.
As for the second question... I guess I would want to be remembered as a solid guy who loves R2 and impacted Discussions in a positive way. At the end of the day though, it's not really about me. As long as Wookieepedia continues to be a welcoming place for fans to gather and express their shared love for Star Wars, then I'm happy.
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All the interviews in one place:
As is tradtion at the end of these interviews, we request that you not ask to be interviewed. That is for Artoo to decide as he finds the inspiration, so please do not pressure him. As for me, this was a one-time step in. After talk in the comments of interview #14, I really felt like it was time for Artoo to have an interview of his own, and I decided that I wanted to be the one to do it. It was a joy, so thank you once more for letting me, Artoo, and thank you all for reading! MTFBWYA.
