“Star Wars – Episode VI: A New Hope”

©Lucasfilm Ltd./Courtesy Everett Collection Stag Statue

Few film and television properties have more passionate audiences than “Star Wars.” The George Lucas-created franchise is approaching its sixth decade of existence, but time hasn’t done anything to dull the enthusiasm of its fans. Every time it feels like you’ve seen it all, another “Star Wars” enthusiast finds a way to outdo themselves by crafting a lavish display of fandom that delicately toes the line between remarkably impressive and slightly concerning.

Case in point: “Pan Solo“, a new six-foot sculpture of Han Solo frozen in carbonite from the end of “Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” — made of bread — that was recently unveiled at One House Bakery in Benicia, California. The shot was recreated with meticulous detail, and a caption on the display reads “Our hero Pan Solo has been trapped in Levainite by the evil Java the Hut.”

The baked tribute to Harrison Ford is the handiwork of mother-daughter duo Catherine and Hanalee Pervin, who co-own the bakery.

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“People are just super interested by it, and you see people smelling it and poking it and they’re just like, ‘What is going on?’” Hanalee Pervan, the shop’s co-owner and head baker, said in an interview with the New York Times. “They kind of don’t believe you that it’s made out of dough.”

This is far from the first time that the talented artists at One House Bakery have crafted a carbohydrate-laden tribute to a pop culture icon. Their bread sculptures are an annual tradition, with past pastries honoring the works of George R.R. Martin (with “Game of Scones”) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (with the edible Alligator Loki tribute “Dough-ki”). But George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away remains their most frequent muse. In addition to “Pan Solo,” they previously honored characters from “The Mandalorian” with sculptures titled the “Pain-Dough-Lorian” and “Baby Dough-da.”

While the Pervans are passionate about both baking and genre films and TV shows, they ultimately keep making these statues because it gives them an excuse to keep hanging out.

“It’s a little quiet time for us to have together when she’s not the boss and I’m not the mom,” Catherine Pervan said. “It’s just us, hanging out and working together.”

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This Article is related to: Film and tagged Star Wars, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

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