One of the best things about our studio is that our dogs are allowed to come to work with us. Nothing beats the enthusiastic acceptance a butt-moving tail wag or perfectly-timed nose nuzzle on your leg. When the going gets tough, we cuddle with a furry friend. Among the pack here is a canine celebrity in the human world who you might already know.
Bones Mello. He's a shy Italian Greyhound who is known more for his alter ego especially near Halloween...
Wait for it..
Ta da!
Bones the AT-AT.
An Internet phenomenon in 2011, he influenced many crafters to design something Star Wars-y to adorn their best friends - for better or worse. Maybe you saw his photo in the Cute Overload Calendar or in the official Star Wars Blog.
Bones's trajectory to stardom started when human Katie Mello, a Character Fabricator at LAIKA/house, decided to make her love of Star Wars tangible with an AT-AT costume. She made a foam dummy of Bones and started designing.
"The main body is a super-stretchy cotton/spandex, which I patterned for Bones using a shirt that he wears to keep warm. I also made a stretchy cowl to go over his head. I airbrushed this while it was on the costume dummy using airbrush paint."
You can find more about her process here and see how yogurt cups make the perfect mechanical feet.
Bones is not stranger to outfits. He loves them and since his frame is lean, he's happy to have the extra warmth. Everything is designed for his comfort.
"His friend and my co-worker Sara made him a custom racing jacket, just like a full-sized greyhound. Chris, an animator, knitted a special sweater and Jeanne, an armature expert, knitted him four custom leg warmers."
Two years later, we know fame never went to his head. Even today, you can find him napping below a desk in the Character Fabrication Department, in a lap at a crew meeting, or editing together a short animated film.
Sometimes he makes sweet, sweet music for Goldfish Crackers.
You can learn more about Bones on his Facebook page.