Atascadero dad tricks kids into believing in Ewoks

October 12, 2011

Atascadero graphic designer Anthony Herrera likes to play a game called “Find the Ewok” with his daughter. So on a recent trip to Sequoia National Park, Herrera told her that Ewoks, made popular through the “Star Wars” movies, lived among the tall trees. Turns out that dad had a definite hand in making the figures appear. [Chronicle]

Herrera, 30, used Photoshop to insert the Ewoks into vacation photos and then showed them to his daughter.

“I told her I thought I saw something strange in a few pictures. We viewed them on the TV to get a larger image,” Herrera said. “You can imagine how surprised and excited she was when we discovered that we didn’t see any Ewoks, but they saw us, and had certainly taken an interest in her and her little brother.”

Herrera told his daughter that the bear-like creatures lived in the forest, which resembles their home planet of Endor.

It sent her imagination running wild, and she scoured every inch of the vast woodland for the elusive fictional characters.

The father, who also has a two-year-old son Tristan, said: “The rest of the trip, my daughter was set on finding an Ewok. We spent two days hiking through the park.

“Every shrub and bush that rustled convinced her that an Ewok must be near.

“I assured her that the Ewoks were very shy creatures and normally do not let anyone see them.”

The story has generated much publicity for Herrera, drawing the interest of newspapers from as far away as England.

It has also sparked a debate among readers as to whether or not Herrera is being a good dad by playing this trick on his daughter.

One reader wrote, “I hardly think parents need to lie to their children in order for them to find wonder and joy in the world. I mean, you can engage in imaginative play with your children without setting them up for what could be serious emotional trauma.”

How about you? Can you spot the Ewok?