We're a little late reporting on the latest addition to StarWars.com's archived coverage of the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, but we figured better late than never, especially when the subject matter involves the #1 bounty hunter in the galaxy. This time around Pete Vilmur takes a look back the design origins of Boba Fett's slick ride Slave I and shares some words from Industrial Light & Magic's Nilo Rodis-Jamero and Lorne Peterson who were largely responsible for its creation.

"Inspired by a satellite dish and incorporating parts from a Porsche sports car, the ship that would ultimately be driven by Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back is definitely one of the more distinctive designs to emerge from the Star Wars galaxy.

While little is known about the actual origins of Fett's ride of choice, we do know a bit about its real-world inception -- designed by ILMer Nilo Rodis-Jamero and built by Lorne Peterson and Ease Owyeung, Slave I wasn't actually inspired by the shape of a street lamp, a myth stubbornly clung to by fans for years. Also lost to the recesses of time are these little-known facts: Slave I's unusual vertical flight orientation actually changed during development, and the pig-like Ugnaughts of Cloud City were recruited at one point to act as Slave I's crew."

Head on over to StarWars.com for the full article and some pre-production pics as well.