Saw this thing over on Flavorwire and it got me thinking about some other things. So I’m gonna tell you about everything. First, here’s a sweet diagram of an AT-AT from a book of Star Wars cross sections. I always used to love these as a kid. Thing is, whenever I think of what’s inside the robots I just picture all the other little Star Wars figurines I owned packed inside them, because all my carrying cases were the ones modeled after the bigger units.

Remember those? The Death Star one was my prize possession for sure. Pack all my different Bossk figurines in there and whatnot. Youth swag. Anyway, this extremely detailed model of the inner workings of one of the Empire’s most awesome yet woefully inefficient battlers is nerdgasm inducing to say the least. I mean, look at those cogs. Them’s some heady cogs yo.

This got me remembering the cross section manuals I had as a kid, so I dug a few of them up. So sweet. I apologize for the crappy pictures. My camera game is not on lock. But seriously, these things are awesome. I got one for the Rebellion and one Imperial one. There’s a third somewhere, but I can’t remember what it is. Gosh, I could look through these forever. Seriously it breaks down stuff you never even realized you desperately wanted to know.

Including the diameter of the Death Star, the variable wing deployment angles on the X-Wing’s, and my personal favorite, the minutiae of Lord Vader’s life support system. I had always wondered what every little light and switch and valve on his chestplate/mask did. And this book has all the answers. Body heat dispersion vents! Durasteel Coating! Respiratory sensor matrix! So satisfying.

- Whole Milk