FOR HIS television debut, California-based Fil-Am artist Randy Bantog has taken on a job close to his heart—designing characters for that “galaxy far, far away.”

The 27-year-old Randy, who finished his Illustration and Concept Design course at the Art Center College of Design over a year and a half ago, is one of the concept artists of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” a CGI animated TV series set in the fictional Star Wars galaxy.

The job was a dream come true for Randy, a fan of the George Lucas saga since he was a kid. “I watched the original (live action film) trilogy numerous times on video and, like every young boy, I wished I could be a Jedi Knight,” Randy told Inquirer in an e-mail interview. “When the prequels came out, I watched them in the theaters and then on DVD many times as well.”

Big thrill

But Randy points to the “Art of Star Wars” book series, released for episodes 1-3, as what really struck him as an artist. He learned how the Star Wars universe was developed, an aspect that had appealed to him more than the movies themselves.

So it was such a thrill when college buddy Jackson Sze, already part of the team of concept artists working on the series, called him and said an additional artist was needed. Randy gave it a try and was taken in.

Before his “Star Wars” stint, Randy created concept artwork for video game companies, including NC Soft and Pandemic, as well as for the Crisp Brand advertising agency. He also created original illustrations and taught figure drawing at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” a weekly TV series created by Lucasfilm Animation, begins as the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy and the Jedi Knights fight to maintain freedom and peace in the galaxy.

Pre-production started in 2005, right after the release of the film “Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.” Randy came in during the pre-production stage of Season Two.

Which characters did you design?
The characters that I’ve worked on so far will appear in Season Two. (He’s most proud of a bounty hunter.) I don’t want to spoil it for the fans by giving anything away here.

Did you approach the job any differently, given the existing characters?
I’m trying to stay faithful to what the artists before me have done, always checking to make sure I’m staying within the parameters of how something looks in the Star Wars universe.

What fascinates you about animation?
[It’s the] ability to capture the attention of an audience by telling a story in a uniquely visual way. An artist or group of artists can develop an original (you might call it stylized) language through which a viewer can see a fantastic world. Animation is great that way.

How do technological advances affect your work?
Advancements in technology allow artists to work faster and communicate more clearly. Learning new digital tools has made my workflow exponentially faster than if I had to work with traditional media.

The “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (all-new episodes) air Fridays 7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network. Encores on Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. The previous week’s episode airs Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m.