Ray Wong Hates Jar Jar Binks
Ahead of the opening of “The Force Awakens” in December, Times Square is hosting an exhibition of all things Star Wars—including the superfan's models.
How did you get into Star Wars? I have always been fascinated by the characters of Star Wars. When I was 13, I watched the 1997 special edition of the remastered Star Wars films and fell in love. I started reading about them and did tons of research—that’s when I thought of making Star Wars characters into models.
Who’s your biggest Star Wars influence? My brother was a big influence on my Star Wars obsession. He is a die-hard Star Wars fan, too. It inspired him to be a director, while I was inspired to make models.
If you could be in Star Wars, who would you be? I would like to be a scout trooper: They are my favorite characters in Star Wars. I dressed up as one in a recent Disneyland Parade in July. Even though they are not featured much in the films, scout troopers are an important part of the Star Wars story.
Have you ever made a scout trooper model? Yes. I made my first scout trooper model when I entered the Hong Kong Model Competition in 1999.
Which of your creations are you most proud of? It has to be Clone Commander Bacara. It is special to me because it was the first Star Wars model I ever made. I was inspired to make my first set of clone troopers after watching the first Star Wars trilogy in 1997, and it took me a year and a half to make all 16 of them. Just like all my other models, I handmade every single one of the clone troopers.
Have you made models of any other characters? I make toy samples for 7-Eleven. In the past, I made Hello Kitty and Sailor Moon characters for them. A couple of years ago, I created a board game inspired by the famous Chinese legend, Journey to the West. The game, “Journey: Wrath of Demons” broke Hong Kong’s Kickstarter record when I developed it. I am also inspired to make models of people I admire. I made a model of Mother Teresa—I have great respect for the woman. It’s one of my best works.