It’s the question I get more frequently than any other. Of all the Star Wars characters and species, why them? Why the Neimoidians? Why not Wookiees or Trandoshans or Mandalorians or something “cooler”? It seems most people even find the Geonosians a more acceptable answer than the Neimoidians. It’s not a bad question, nor is it a question that I’m afraid to answer…it’s just the sheer LENGTH of the answer I have to give. Why I love Neimoidians so much can’t just be summed up in a couple of sentences and come even close to doing the story justice; it’s a story that spans from my early childhood, through my school years, to now, when I can legally drink in all countries that haven’t outlawed it.

Please note, this is VERY LONG. If you’re willing to take it on, I think you might find it quite interesting, but this is truly the absolute best answer I can give to this question. If you want a slightly more truncated answer, you can skip to the end.
In many ways, this story begins on the day I first saw Star Wars. I was four years old and we were living in Belgium at the time, and I wanted to watch a film. I remember vividly my parents looking at each other and my mother asking my father “do you think she’s old enough to watch that?” They returned with a video of Star Wars Episode IV. Now, having been force-fed Disney, and living off of a combination of Nick Jr. tapes sent by my grandmother, and BBC News, what started playing was unlike anything I’d ever seen, or would ever see. Being so young, I didn’t quite grasp the full gravity of Princess Leia’s situation in the beginning, or the depth of Obi-Wan Kenobi…all I knew was that what I was watching was pure gold. It was at the Cantina scene that my tiny brain fully realised that my parents had graced me with something truly special. I also remember, vividly, that of all the characters I saw in the Cantina, I liked the two Duros, Ellorrs Madak and Chachi DeMaal, the best.
Now, in all fairness, I didn’t actually realise the Duros and Neimoidians were related until much later in my life; however, I find it worth mentioning that, even back then, something in my brain picked them out. Long story short, I went to bed that night, had ONE dream involving C-3PO, a skateboard, and a pretty dress, and I woke up the following morning a changed person and a Star Wars fan for life. Fast-forward a few years. I’m seven years old, I’m living in England, and it’s the dawn of a new era: Episode I has just been released. I saw it for the first time with my grandmother while on holiday in California. I was well-versed in the Original Trilogy by this point. I daresay, I even had parts of Return of the Jedi memorised. Suffice it to say, Episode I seemed a little different to me. BUT, I knew it would be – it was a different age, a different place, a different time, and it was about Darth Vader as a little boy. I loved it. I loved every single minute of it. What really stood out to me, of course…were the Neimoidians. There was a part of me that kept trying to work my head around them: what were they? Who were they? Why are they so different? Haha, I love the way they talk! I never felt any sort of animosity or hatred towards them. In fact, I even felt a little sorry for them at the end. I didn’t give them too much extra thought, though, as I was too preoccupied with my love of Jar Jar. Yes, you did read that correctly. I’ve always loved Jar Jar, end of story!
I started third grade when we returned to England after the summer, and saw Episode I at least five times in the cinema, including once on my eighth birthday. Star Wars was EVERYWHERE, as one might guess. Toys R Us had two entire aisles of it (and I was often the only girl there), Walkers crisps had these Episode I-themed scratch cards (they never released a Neimoidian one, but I somehow managed to keep a Sebulba, all these years), and, probably most significantly for me, our third grade class had several Star Wars books for us to read during free time. There was always a mad scramble for the Episode I Visual Dictionary and the best chair. At this point, I actually spent more time looking at Queen Amidala’s costumes than anything else; however, I did always stop and linger on the Neimoidian page. This was when I learned what they were (although, I missed the second “i” in “Neimoidian”, and called them “Nee-eh-moh-dee-ans” for about five years (fyi, it’s pronounced “Neh-MOY-dee-an”)), and their names. It’s funny how a child’s mind works, because even then, I thought that “Nute Gunray” and “Rune Haako” sounded like they “go together.”
Now, Star Wars happened to coincide almost perfectly with the rise of Pokemon, in the western world. I literally just came into school one day to find everyone playing with these cards, that weren’t there yesterday…or so it seemed. This was, of course, before the whole card controversy gripped the UK, and the cards were banned from schools. Ahh…simpler times. Either way, it didn’t take too long (actually, all it really took was one look at a Squirtle card, and my love of turtles, which is as profound as my love of Neimoidians) for my then-best friend and I to fall into Pokemon as well. While never truly forgotten, Star Was was slowly phased out by the rise of Pokemon. Admittedly, I eventually turned all-Pokemon (a love which continues to this day); however, one of my funniest memories during the first co-existence of Star Wars and Pokemon, in my life, was a comic I made.

Our third grade class, despite being one of my least-favourite school years for numerous gastrointestinal reasons, was actually extremely well-equipped with all sorts of creative supplies, books, etc. Among these, were sheets of “comic paper” – A4 pieces of paper with squares and rectangles of varying sizes, arranged in a comic-like format. It was actually a very good idea, and it encouraged us to be creative AND write. I spent a good three or four days labouring over one comic in which I retold the story of Episode I…with everyone cast as a Pokemon character. I remember Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were Raichu and Pikachu, respectively, Anakin was a Caterpie, Padme was a Butterfree…and Nute and Rune were Starmie and Staryu. I have NO idea why I chose those two particular Pokemon; perhaps the jewels in their centres, or their arms reminded me of the Neimoidian hats… As I said, before, after that point, Pokemon and video games more or less dominated my life. I still liked Star Wars, and would watch it from time to time, but I was never more than a casual fan. I moved to Israel when I was 9, and, the following year, Star Wars Episode II came out. Again, I loved it. I especially loved Yoda suddenly being all badass; however, it never really developed past that. The first animated Clone Wars series came on Cartoon Network the year after that…and I actually recall changing the channel, because it interrupted Dexter’s Lab or Ed, Edd n Eddy. The next, and possibly biggest, significant event didn’t occur until my final year of Israel.
I was thirteen at the time, and in eighth grade. I was having, at the time, the greatest year of my life. Israel, as a whole, was a far cry from the misery, which I shan’t elaborate, I had in England; it was heaven, and I’m sure this contributed greatly to the following event. I was in an after-school sewing class (a choice which greatly benefited me down the line), and waiting for help on one of my projects. The class took place in my old seventh grade classroom, which had a shelf full of books off to one side. I’d never paid much attention to them the previous year, but I thought to pick up a book and read a little while I was waiting. Now, I have to say, at this point, I was NEARLY of the opinion that Star Wars was “stupid;” however, among the book choices was Tales from Jabba’s Palace. I was curious, and very aware that I had a lengthy history with Star Wars as a child; I picked it up, and for reasons I will never fully comprehend, other than perhaps the existence of crazy prepubescent hormones, I noticed, of all the characters, Bib Fortuna on the cover.

(bear with me, I’m getting to the Neimoidians part)

I was very secretive about the whole ordeal, as, I had it in my mind that there was shame in being caught with a Star Wars book; however, I skimmed through the chapter containing his story briefly, before it was my turn to receive help. After the class, and for the entire following week, I could not get Fortuna out of my mind. It was different, it was new, but familiar at the same time…and I liked it! I resigned myself to read his chapter in the next class; in the meantime, I did the best I could to find out about him, and his species. This was, of course, before I knew about Wookieepedia, or anything like that. I shyly dug out my old Original Trilogy Visual Dictionary, which I hadn’t touched since I was eight, and went from there; when I moved my search online, I recall the first time I searched for “Twi’lek” on Google, I spent a good ten minutes working up the courage to click “search.” As Christmas break fell upon me, this obsession fell into an obsession with Mas Amedda (who remains my favourite non-Neimoidian character to this day) and Chagrians. Midway through Christmas Break, I was, unapologetically, a Star Wars fan, in a way I had never been before. I absorbed facts like a sponge, I re-watched all the films, noting every little background detail and character, then searching desperately to find their name. The new year, however, brought something else: Neimoidians.
It began as some simple research on StarWars.com; however, I won’t deny being slightly attracted to Nute Gunray for a short time. That worried me a little. I thought, at that point, my hormones were out of control, and I was desperate to do something about it. It was “not normal” to be attracted to a Neimoidian. This was when I made my first major observation: Nute Gunray and Rune Haako were ALWAYS together. So I concluded what any thirteen-year-old girl would: they were “obviously” gay with each other. It was just an immature observation; however, it led into a full-on fascination with Neimoidians. At the time, they were second to Chagrians, but I was no less enamoured with them. It was also the first time I used scientific deduction in relation to Star Wars. I thought their large eyes and green skin were indicative of a dark planet. Sure enough, when I researched Neimoidia, it was considerably darker, and with greater gravity than Duro.
I’ve always thought my “obsessions” had great timing, because this return to Star Wars coincided exactly with the hype leading up to Episode III. I remember one day, my mother called from the USA to tell me that she’d seen a commercial for Episode III. When my dad came to get the phone from me afterwards, I literally danced and jumped around him in excitement. We were going to see more of Nute and Rune!…Among other things.
I moved from Israel in June 2005. My parents were divorcing, and life as I knew it was going to end, violently. It remains one of the worst things that has ever happened to me. Star Wars followed me out to Colorado but, honestly, it just wasn’t the same. I began collecting, I drew (sort of), and I became the president of my high school’s Star Wars club. My mother even took me to Celebration IV in 2007, as a reward for keeping straight A’s for three years. But the “feeling” I’d had in Israel was just gone. Even watching Episode III, despite being amazing, for the first time didn’t have the spark and joy I’d felt before. The four years I spent in Colorado were a very difficult four years. My home life, at the time, was atrocious, I was bullied at school, and I won’t deny that the violent storms that are commonplace in Coloradan summers wreaked havoc on my blood pressure. I coped the best I could. Academically, I buried myself in work, determined to keep straight A’s, and, personally, I floated from one thing to another, and, as with before, eventually Star Wars took a back seat. I still bought the figures for my collection, but I was a robot while I did it. It was for completion’s sake, not pleasure. It was in my final year there that The Clone Wars began. I’m ashamed to say, I skipped the premiere in favour of another show. I did, however, manage to catch bits of a couple of episodes, by accident.

Amazingly, these were episodes 8 and 14 of season one…featuring Nute Gunray and Lok Durd. In April of 2009, while watching Boomerang, I frequently saw a commercial for the Season 1 finale, featuring Cad Bane. In other words, EVERY SINGLE EXPOSURE I had to The Clone Wars had either a Neimoidian or a Duros.

There was, however, one time, I recall when Star Wars made an “interesting” re-appearance. It was in the Spring of 2008, and I went to spend Easter with my father in his first year in Estonia. For whatever reason, I had brought my Complete Visual Dictionary with me, and spent a considerable amount of time looking at the Neimoidians page…paying a considerable amount of attention to Lott Dod. He even made an appearance in a couple of my pictures. The episode was short-lived – only a matter of days; however, I find it interesting that, yet again, I had been drawn to the Neimoidians. In August of 2009, I moved from Colorado to Estonia, where my father was serving as British Ambassador, to spend my gap year before university. I won’t mince my words, I was very much a broken person by that point. On top of the 4 hellish years in Colorado, was the stress from moving, the daily multiple panic attacks I somehow developed, and the inability to eat or drink without my throat closing up. At that point, I was ready, for the first time in my life, to begin anew, and leave everything behind. I like to compare myself to being a computer who, overrun with viruses, was completely rebooted from scratch. Only the “core programs,” things like Pokemon, video games, turtles, airplanes, loves which would never die, remained, and everything superfluous was gone.

I loved Estonia, and I do to this day; and, like Israel, I’m certain the sheer magnitude of joy I felt while being there contributed to what was to come. On December 30 2009, I travelled back to Colorado to spend new years with my mother. For the first time, in what felt like eternities, everything was going right, and I was in an incredibly great state of mind. The first sign of what was to come, however, I think was an advert on Cartoon Network (they were having a Looney Toons New Years marathon) for a Clone Wars marathon featuring General Grievous. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but looking back, it almost seems like a forerunner.
A week and a half later, I woke up one morning, and for no apparent reason, went to Wookieepedia for the first time in what was probably months, and looked at updates. I saw that there had been many on Lott Dod’s page, including that he had been in a Clone Wars episode, and now had a palace. My interest was piqued, but I didn’t give it too much more thought. The following day, I started looking at SNES sprites on a website I had saved. I paid special attention to those from the Super Return of the Jedi game. This led me back to Wookieepedia, again. I did my research, and suddenly felt like playing Star Wars Battlefront…again, for the first time in months. In fact, I even went over to a friend’s house that night, and insisted we play Battlefront. The following day, however, was when things kicked into high gear. I began searching for different Neimoidians online, and returned to some websites I hadn’t seen in years. I even re-watched Episodes IV and V on my iPod! Most significantly however…I drew. I drew my first semi-serious attempt at a Neimoidian, namely Lott Dod.
It was all about Neimoidians. For whatever reason, I just found myself completely enamoured with them. I watched my first full episode of Clone Wars, “Senate Spy,” and adored it! I fell in love with the series, there and then. Lott Dod was amazing…and, between the formalities, the fancy dinner, the drinks, everything, it was like looking into my own world of diplomacy, back home in Estonia. Fueled by the joy I had from finding a Cad Bane figure, I began buying Star Wars again, but, not from a desire to have a complete collection. By being selective about my figures, I felt more attached to them. At home, online, I saved every picture I could, every piece of information. It was the most amount of happiness I’d felt in ages, and it was then that I realised something. This was EXACTLY like what happened in Israel, five years prior; in fact, this almost felt like a continuation of it. This was my second chance; a second rebirth to get things right, and it was all thanks to Neimoidians, and, especially, to Lott Dod. When I got back to Estonia, things only escalated. I began to draw poses, angles, on paper that I could never do previously. I felt motivated, and Neimoidans felt so special. No one else loved them like I did and still do…it was almost like having them to myself. I began to re-explore, just for old-times sakes, my “Gunray/Haako” obsession…only to find just how complex their relationship truly was, but also that there may even be some canon evidence to support it as something “more” than just a business relationship. This led to my first groundbreaking piece of art. Put simply, I was tired of waiting for someone else to draw some Gunraako…so I had to do it! Back then, it took me literal days to get a piece of art done. I spent ages trying to get the poses right, and trying the colour schemes I liked best. What I ended up with was not my greatest work ever…but it was my first proper work of Neimoidians. Above all, it cemented within me the idea that “yes! I CAN do this. I CAN draw Neimoidians, if I really put myself and my heart into it!” And, art-wise, it just went from there. If I got an idea or was inspired, it was no longer a matter of waiting for someone else to live my ideas; I could do it, and I would! When I drew, and continue to draw, I genuinely put my soul into it; my drawings are well and truly heartfelt, because of the immense amount of love I feel for the subjects. It had been my dream for the longest time to inspire people with my art and to make them happy, even though I “knew” it could never be done, and my art just couldn’t be good enough. But Neimoidians seemed to change that. I’ve been told several times that “I don’t know why, but your art is so inspiring!” – it was the best thing I could possibly be told. Even if it wasn’t apparent in the picture itself, even if the picture wasn’t amazing, I wanted to put so much emotion and feeling and soul into my artwork, that you could actually feel it when you looked at my art.
The remainder of my year in Estonia was all about Neimoidians. They made their way into everything from my writing to my art to even my cooking! My best friend and family certainly heard a lot about them; however, I have no doubt within my mind that my amazing year in Estonia was made even more so thanks to Neimoidians. For me, the two are now inextricably linked. And, with something constantly giving me motivation and inspiration, my art improved tenfold. It improved more that year than in the entire five years prior. From a health standpoint, whenever I felt a panic attack coming on in the car or out in public, I would put Clone Wars on my iPod, and it calmed me enough to let the attack subside. By the end of February 2010, the attacks stopped entirely. It was during this time that I began to take a scientific interest in Neimoidians. I began making deductions, based on the very minimal amout of information. I was astonished to discover that, as more information was released however, that a staggering number of my deductions became true!
I moved from Estonia in September 2010 to start university; another of the darkest days of my life, simply because of what was to follow. To put it bluntly, that first year was a cock-up from, literally, the moment I woke up, the day I was going to be leaving. Everything imaginable which could go wrong, did. I won’t go into detail, but what began as merely a loud and annoying next-door neighbour in my hall of residence soon turned into false accusations from the university, humiliation by the teaching staff, and one particularly nasty incident in which some cleaners burst into my room, stood over me as I was waking up (I wasn’t even dressed!), and began yanking appliances from the wall in my room. I kid you not. It was the darkest, lowest, most disgusting year of my life, in a university I didn’t even want to attend, having had my dignity, privacy, and any sort of contentment stripped from me. I think there are only two things that got me through that year: the grace of God, and Neimoidians.
They were my rock. They were the one little joy I had in that hell. Whether it was looking at the Neimoidian/Duros subcollection I had started before leaving Estonia, or drawing them in various comical or serious situations, they kept me going. Around the time of the incident involving the cleaning staff, there’s a massive increase in the number of pictures I did, simply because it gave me an escape. I would imagine them in their gilded halls and fortress-like spacecraft, and picture myself with them, away from it all. I know it must sound over the top to some, but I would imagine that at least one of my readers can relate to having something, especially something like Star Wars, be a light in a very real darkness. I just choose to focus my love on a certain species.

I transferred out of that university, and into my current one (which I love!) in September of 2011. What followed was a very…messed up year. I think I spent the first term in a state of perpetual confusion and panic. I was on the verge of losing Estonia for good, as my father’s posting was nearing its end, I was feeling rather lost in living by myself for the first time. In fact, at the beginning of that year, my equilibrium was more or less gone, due to the stress, and I spent three weeks feeling like I was walking, sitting, and laying down on jelly. And still…my Neimoidians were there. I began to put together a report of all my information and sources, in the hopes that, maybe, just maybe, one day, Lucasfilm may want some of my ideas. I also started a Tumblr blog dedicated to Neimoidians and Duros. I started to branch out during this time. I joined a growing Star Wars website, partially out of paranoia, and partially out of interest. I began making a bunch of Neimoidian-related posts, and put some of my art on display, and, very quickly became known as the “resident Neimoidian lover and expert.” This is when the “big stuff” started happening. Within less than a month of my joining, I was asked by Tim Veekhoven (Sompeetalay, in the Star Wars community), president of Teekay-421, the Belgian Star Wars fanclub, if I would be willing to do the back cover art of an upcoming magazine. I never even fathomed that my art could ever be good enough for publication, so I think I just about jumped off the walls in excitement at this. I prayed that this would be my chance to get my name out there, and to make something good come of this Neimoidian love. Things had actually come full circle: Belgium was where Star Wars began for me. Around this same time, however, I left Estonia for good, and all I could really do to cope was revise for my upcoming exams, focus on my Neimoidians, and just keep on moving forward. I still, after all, had Colorado: in many ways, the birthplace of this obsession. I decided that when I went back, I was going to start building a life-sized Neimoidian. It was an idea I had toyed with while I was still living in Estonia, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. As far as the magazine was concerned, I spent the following five months in a mild state of panic. The entire project was one big improvement process, and I went all out on the art, the sketches, the colouring, everything! Still, I always worried in the back of my mind “what if Tim doesn’t like it? What if he says it’s not good enough?” I had told everyone that some of my art was going to be published, after all. On the night I finally got everything put together, I emailed it off to him, feeling like I had just signed away my life. I got a response back in five minutes, telling me he was “totally in love with [my] art.” He later told me it was one of his favourite back covers ever, and I think I nearly cried.

My summer of 2012…interesting. It was supposed to be relaxing; however, between a wildfire, clearing up my grandparents’ house, slicing a 1/4-inch deep hole in my hand, placating my emetophobia in some unexpected and unavoidable situations, and my tablet breaking, relaxation was somewhat hard to accomplish. I got my Neimoidian put together, which certainly gave me a distraction. I also, unexpectedly, was published a second time. I had drawn up some Neimoidian anatomy charts, as a project I had wanted to do for a while, and, the day after posting them, I found them in a JediNews.co.uk article! Not long after that, I was asked if I wanted to appear as a guest on a podcast interview, to talk about Neimoidians and my art. That was broadcast live in October of that year, on TheForcebookFangirls podcast, and became its most listened-to show…by over 1000 hits. I later joined the show (which has since gone on hiatus) as a co-host.

2013 consisted mostly of branching out, now that I had a degree of certainty that both my Neimoidians and I would be well-received. I started up my Facebook again, using it as a sort of “Neimoidian” extension, got a Facebook page going for Neimoidians and Duros (found under my links, if you would like to join), and even managed to be featured on several websites for my art. I even did my first realism piece of Lott Dod, which I still sometimes find making the rounds on Tumblr and Facebook, from time to time. That summer, I joined two more podcasts: The Voice of the Republic (the UK’s largest Star Wars podcast), and Viva Mos Eisley, both of which are continuing to this day. Later in the year, through the podcast, I managed to speak to three Neimoidian actors, including Toby Longworth, which had long been a dream of mine, given that he (beautifully) voiced my favourite Star Wars charater AND Neimoidian, Lott Dod. I can safely say he is one of the nicest and friendliest Star Wars actors I have ever spoken to; it was truly one of the best moments in my life as a Star Wars fan. I also ended up being featured by Her Universe as fangirl of the day, which was a tremendous honour. Given how many people keep up with that, it was a massive opportunity to spread some more Neimoidian awareness and love. It was in the last few days of the year, however, that the best thing the could ever happen to a Star Wars fan ended up happening to me.

Tim Veekhoven, the same person who asked me to do the magazine cover, had joined the Star Wars Insider team as a contributor for the Rogues Gallery section, which identifies and names Star Wars character who had previously gone unnoticed, and, over the summer, had spoken to me about the possibility of doing a Neimoidian Rogues Gallery. In October, he was granted permission by Leland Chee, and he ended up consulting me on identifying different Neimoidians in the films. When the article was almost complete, I was contacted two days after Christmas by Sander De Lange (another author and friend of mine), who, with Tim’s permission, gave me a sneak preview.
They had named a Neimoidian after me.

To this day, I cannot believe it happened. I nearly cried when I saw the article. His name is Zill Kartay (the L and Z are reversed in my first name, and “Kartay” is a Neimoidainised version of my surname, which I took to using in late 2012), and he’s part of the Occupation Council that accompanied Nute Gunray and Rune Haako to Naboo (that’s his picture, top right; isn’t he adorable?!). I had to wait for the article to be released in order to break the news; however, one day after my winter exams had finished, in January 2014, the news broke when Yakface.com tweeted the article, and safe to say all hell broke loose, when posted about it on my Facebook and Tumblr pages. I swear, I’ve never been so spoiled before. The fanbase was amazingly supportive; I had fanart made for me, Colins Customs sent me a custom-made figure of him, and the Daily Dot even did an article (under links)! I was overwhelmed! I still am! It’s one thing to have a Star Wars character character named after me (that doesn’t happen to just anyone, and I’m in disbelief that it’s actually happened to me), but a Neimoidian at that! There is, quite literally, no greater honour that could have been given to me, and I’m forever grateful to Sander, Tim, and Kevin (for it was his idea to give the name).

It’s just seemed like one thing after another, all because I love Neimoidans! It’s put me in touch with some amazing people like Tim, Sander, Kevin, Joe Corroney, and Dan Grievous. I used to read Tim’s blog when I was thirteen, and I’ve loved Dan’s videos since 2010; however, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would talk to them, let alone do artwork for them, let alone have them on my Facebook or my email. I literally stop sometimes and just think “Oh my goodness. I’m actually talking with these people! I’m actually friends with these people!” And it just gives me so much joy and hope.

…all because of Neimoidians
In conclusion…
I didn’t mean for this to turn into a life story; however, that’s really what my love of Neimoidians is: a lifelong story.

So, why do I love Neimoidians (and Duros)? I think they are fascinating, from a scientific point of view; there’s a lot you can infer from the minimal amount of canon information. Some of their cultural customs, in particular, while different to humans, I actually think are better-grounded than similar human customs. Their child-rearing, in particular; let’s face it, Neimoidians will never have overpopulation and there’s never going to be unemployment, due to the high number of weaker survivors coming from the grub hatcheries. From an aesthetic point of view, I think they are stunningly beautiful. Their silky smooth green skin, their beautiful eyes, and their amazing symmetry! I’ve never really liked hair, and I think noses and ears are just plain ugly…from that perspective, Neimoidians are perfect! The Neimoidian form is just gorgeous, and their hands are a work of art. Put simply, I think they are incredibly attractive.

I love their sense of design. The flowing robes, the elaborate hats, the beautiful architecture, and the interesting ship designs. I love how their culture plays into everything, from everyday life and business, to their aforementioned spacecraft. In that respect, it actually reminds me quite a bit of Estonia and how prominent Estonian culture is in everyday life. I adore their accents and their manner of speech! Plus, I feel I can often relate to and understand their formalities, having grown up in the diplomatic community. It just all feels very familiar to me.

From a personal standpoint, they are a fantastic art subject, and have brought me endless inspiration and motivation. They’ve allowed me to improve my art to a point I never thought I would reach. I’ve met amazing people, and friends because of them, and from this, they’ve brought me fantastic opportunities, such as publications and an interview; I’m hoping one day, perhaps it may go as far as Lucasfilm. They’ve given me something I can feel alright about, and something I can feel like I belong in (hence the title of this site: Semper Neimoidiana – “Always a Neimoidian”). In no small way, they have seen me through the most difficult times in my life, and always provided a refuge I can return to.

I love Neimoidians, and I love Duros. From the very bottom of my heart and soul. I love them.