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So, our guest commentators (below) both saw the same resemblance we did. We're glad we played it up for all it was worth!
On a roleplaying front, this is actually a useful trick to give your incidental NPCs some personality and make them more memorable to your players. One tip often seen when creating "flavour" NPCs that the heroes might only interact with briefly is to write two or three words to describe their personality. Such as: "sly, greedy"; or "honourable, forthright, bombastic"; or "quick to laugh, ribald".
From these notes you can get a quick flavour of the character and then use your roleplaying skills to bring them to life in a way that is more powerful and memorable than just another vanilla shopkeeper.
But another great method is to simply write down the name of a character from film, TV, or literature that you are familiar with. This can often encapsulate a lot of personality and nuance, and even speech mannerisms and gestures. Often it doesn't matter if your players recognise the character - just say "Yeah, he's a bit like that" to disguise the fact that you're copying him completely. It'll definitely make them easy for your players to remember. And if they don't recognise the character that's fine too. The detail you have and the consistency with which you can recreate the same shopkeeper next time they're in town will add depth to their game.
Hagrid at 10 o'clock!
Hmm... 11 o'clock?
For the reader he's somewhere between 10 and 11, for Cassian he's dead ahead at 12...
But I digress.
It's Hagrid! In space! (Or, preferably, "Hagrid in Spaaace!" as in the pigs.)
I find this particularly fulfilling because before I had read a single line of his dialogue, I saw that dude and thought "oh hey, that's Hagrid".
Also notable in this strip is an NPC reversal that rarely happens. Typical PC behaviour involves going around town asking about where to find things (such as pets). The assumption being that this random person will clearly know everything about this town.
Well, what if people kept coming up to you asking you where to find the baker with the rat problem, or the wizard who's lost his ring, or the best place to buy some healing scrolls. Wouldn't that be annoying? And isn't it rather presumptuous of this person to think you even live in this godforsaken place?
It ain't easy being an NPC.
Thankfully we can count on Space Hagrid to keep them PCs honest.
— aurilee
When I first saw panel two, I was thinking, Hagrid. As I read the text in panel two, I was certain, Hagrid. As I read the rest of the comic, pure Hagrid.
My understanding is that the person that played Hagrid was only a little taller than normal, with camera tricks doing all of the effects to make him look tall. This scene looks like those camera tricks are missing.
I'm just going to assume that Wu do and local Roma (Boley, Dragon Dictate really does horrible on new words and hasn't seen before, or maybe my mic is just dying, this sentence is really bad)...
I'm just going to assume that woodoo and logra are "Real" creatures in the Star Wars universe. Have the Comic Irregulars had to add anything to the universe yet? Well, other than the campaign MacGuffin.
— Keybounce
Transcript
Cassian: As much as I disliked those guys, we need to find them again.
Cassian: I look around for them.
GM: Somehow, they've melted into the crowd.
GM: You do notice a tall hairy man nearby, and a monk sitting over the other side of the street.
Cassian: Bria, you go talk to the monk. See if he's spotted the thugs. I'll talk to this guy.
Hairy Guy: Ah, yeh look like a man who knows Jedha. I 'spect you can direc' me to a pet shop?
Cassian: Um, did you say a pet shop?
Hairy Guy: Yeh see, I'm tryin' ter locate a loyal woodoo or womp rat. Mebbe even a friendly logra.
Cassian: Actually, I wanted to ask you—
Hairy Guy: Stric'ly for business purposes, yeh unnerstand.
Cassian: Business? Like... smuggling?
Hairy Guy: What? Smugglin'?! No, never crossed me mind! Well, mebbe once...
{beat}
Hairy Guy: I shouldn' have told yeh that!
Hairy Guy: Righto, I'll be off then.