Collecting and Casting “Greeblies,” AKA Universal Science Fiction Texture #starwars @SmugglerRoom

As many model makers, cosplayers, and tabletop sci-fi gamers know, “greeblies” (aka greeble and sometimes nurnies) are bits of junk and misc plastic model parts that are added to things like spaceship models and futuristic buildings to give them “science fiction texture.” You can make a simple model out of something like styrene or cardboard, cover it with random raised panels, glue on a bunch of greeblies, paint and weather, and you’ll have something that looks like it belongs in the real world (or the fantasy world you’re trying to evoke).

Greeblies are usually small parts, but if you’re building something life-size, you need greeble that’s scaled to match. The Smuggler’s Room is a Star Wars environment that a crazed fan, Brian Thompson, is building in his basement. In this video, Brian shows off his upscaled greeblie collection, talks about where he gets the parts, and then shows how he molds, casts, and turns them into wall panels for the Smuggler’s Room.

Here is a video of Adam Savage discussing the origins of greeblie and the hallowed “universal greeblie.”