The Clone Wars: Season Five finale screening at Lucasfilm

SWCW-S5-INVITE-6

On Friday night, Lucasfilm hosted a screening of the final season five arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for fans and the crew of the show and their families at their main campus in San Francisco. Combining the last four episodes (including the premiere of ‘To Catch a Jedi’ and ‘The Wrong Jedi’), the audience was treated to a special presentation of the story, and was followed up with a question and answer session with Dave Filoni, Ashley Eckstein and Matt Lanter, moderated by Pablo Hidalgo. Also in attendance were Sam Witwer, the voice of Darth Maul; and Charles Murray, who wrote the story arc.

R2-D2 at LFL screening with JawaAfter a quick intro from Dave Filoni and producer Cary Silver (with Filoni officially accepting Bonnie Burton into the 104th Wolf Pack), they got the show started. Similar to other screenings where they have shown an entire story arc, this version included some extra scenes that didn’t fit into the original episodes, and perhaps also helped to tie the whole story arc together. As a bonus treat, Dave announced that the opening had been made for the screening: which was having The Clone Wars logo enter with the Star Wars theme music as if it were a Star Wars movie. Also, classic Star Wars wipes were used between several scenes that I hadn’t noticed before.

My spoiler-free review of the episodes: Holy cow! This is some of the best this show has ever done – with story, with animation and sound, everything. There is really something to seeing this show on a big screen that makes it so much better than watching it on a TV. But even without the Lucasfilm theater experience, this story will blow you away. We’ve already seen a fantastic scene with Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano at the end of ‘The Jedi Who Knew Too Much’, where their relationship changes with Ahsoka asking her master to trust her as she leaps into the maw of Coruscant. That’s just the start of some great character bits, with Matt Lanter and Ashley Eckstein (and several others) bringing the characters to life in a powerful way. And there’s some awesome action. And some stuff I didn’t expect at all. I’m sure there’s only so many ways I can say that this is amazing, but it truly is.

Before the Q&A started, Pablo answered two important questions that might have been on people’s minds: No, they weren’t going to take any questions on Episode VII or other non-TCW topics, and there is no official announcement yet on if/when/how Season Six (and later seasons) will be broadcast or otherwise enjoyed by the public.

The Q&A obviously covered a lot of the key stuff from the story arc, so I won’t talk about it until after all the episodes have aired. If you’re looking for hints for what happens, go back to see my write-ups from the USO screening for some of the questions and answers from that – part I and part II. If you want something not spoilery, Dave Filoni talked about the influence of his pets on the show, and when asked if he got a motion picture budget to make a Clone Wars movie, he’d spend most of it on hockey pants or crew jackets with rocket packs. This screening was Matt Lanter’s first time seeing the completed episodes, and he was pretty amazed by the final results on screen.

Thanks to Lucasfilm for hosting such a fantastic event. After seeing this screening and the USO screening, I really believe that The Clone Wars is best seen on the big screen, and LFL should keep that in mind for the fans, and fans should seek out any opportunity to watch it cinematically – like at the next Celebration they attend?

Everybody loves @Bonniegrrl: Last week’s best #StarWars and #SWEU tweets

When the news broke Monday that Lucasfilm has laid off Bonnie Burton, the denizens of Twitter had plenty to say… And I’m only scratching the surface here.

More Bonnie love – plus all that other stuff we usually do – below the cut. Continue reading “Everybody loves @Bonniegrrl: Last week’s best #StarWars and #SWEU tweets”

Bonnie Burton laid off from Lucasfilm


Photo By Terri Hodges.

Bonnie Burton is no longer with Lucasfilm and StarWars.com. The company has laid her off, she announced today on Twitter.

Bonnie wrote content for the website and handled social media. She was hired in 2003, during the run-up to Revenge of the Sith, and has been an outspoken force for women in the fandom ever since.

We’re a little puzzled by this move on the part of Lucasfilm, but no one is doubting that Bonnie will land on her feet somewhere!

EUbits: Darth Plagueis retreats to January

Street date shuffle. The release of James Luceno’s Darth Plagueis has been pushed back from December 27 (read: still after Christmas) to January 10. No big; our ever-present Star Wars book release schedule has been updated.

Hintage. Lucasfilm editor J. W. Rinzler hints at future projects with DK on Twitter.

Excerpts. Fans longing for the return of Diet Han (just one calorie!) will love the latest Shadow Games mini-excerpt.

New York ComicCon. Del Rey will have Drew Karpyshyn and Bonnie Burton at their Star Wars booth. NYCC runs Oct. 13 – 16.

Interviews. Amazon’s Omnivoracious blog interviews Paul S. Kemp, while the official blog talks to Carlos Garzón about Star Wars Art: Comics.

EUbits: New Heir to the Empire goes topless

In the, err, cardboard. Del Rey’s Erich Schoeneweiss treats us to a look at a just-printed copy of the Heir to the Empire: 20th Anniversary edition under the jacket. I still wish they’d gone with brand-new art, but making the original black and white does make it slightly less horrible. Slightly.

Listage. The Star Wars Report has ten Expanded Universe characters who could be in The Clone Wars. Some of you may hate the very concept, but hey: That’s what you get for reading prequel EU in George’s driveway. And hey: It means greater possibility for action figures! Just ask Quinlan Vos.

Giveaway. Paul S. Kemp is giving away two unbound galleys of his October paperback, Riptide.

Preview. Another look at The Blueprints from Laurel Woods at MTV. She also has an interview with Bonnie Burton.

Win lunch with Tim Zahn at Comic-Con! More con author signings posted…

Del Rey, via suvudu.com, is hosting a contest for a chance to win lunch with Timothy Zahn and editor Shelly Shapiro on July 23 in San Diego. What’s better than some ysalamiri tacos? Contest deadline is this Thursday, and is open to anyone who is going to be in San Diego during Comic-Con.

Also, Del Rey released their schedule of author signings (and related panels) via Star Wars Books on facebook – RSVP for each event:

Signings (and free book giveaways) at the Del Rey booth 2913-D in Star Wars Pavilion:

  • John Jackson Miller (Knight Errant): Thursday, 2:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Timothy Zahn (Choices of One, Heir to the Empire – 20th Anniversary Edition): Friday, 2:30pm – 4:00pm and Saturday, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
  • Joe Schreiber (Death Troopers, Red Harvest): Saturday, 11:00 am to noon
  • Drew Karpyshyn (Darth Bane trilogy, The Old Republic: Revan) Saturday, 12:00pm to 1:00pm (with artist Chris Trevas) – Revan mask giveaway.
  • Bonnie Burton (Star Wars Craft Book): Saturday, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Del Rey has also posted events for their related Comic-Con panels:
Continue reading “Win lunch with Tim Zahn at Comic-Con! More con author signings posted…”

Looking ahead to San Diego Comic-Con 2011

Still more than a month out, and news about Comic-Con 2011 in San Diego is starting up. The New York Times examines to see how studios are reassessing the role of Comic-Con in promoting their upcoming films and TV shows – some studios are pulling back on movie offerings after realizing that big con buzz doesn’t always equal box office gold (lookin’ at you, Scott Pilgrim & Tron: Legacy). Other Comic-Con tidbits announced:

  • Yes, there will be a Twilight panel from Summit, to promote Breaking Dawn – Part 1. This probably means that the next Twilight-free Comic-Con won’t be until 2013. Cross your fingers.
  • Jon Favreau has announced that the world premiere of Cowboys and Aliens will be at Comic-Con, to thank the fans who have supported him.

Meanwhile, Bonnie Burton (author of The Star Wars Craft Book and other Star Wars awesomeness) will be on a panel entitled “Oh, You Sexy Geek!” Looking at sexiness, geekiness, and fangirls and – boys – including “What is up with all the Slave Leias?” Moderated by Action Flick Chick Katrina Hill, the panel will also include Top Model and Star Wars fan Adrienne Curry, Team Unicorn’s Clare Grant, and Clare Kramer, Kiala Kazebee, Jill Pantozzi, Jen Stuller and Chris Gore.

EUbits: Interviews with Bonnie Burton and Paul Kemp

Interviews Bonnie’s been doing the rounds for her craft book with interviews at Geekdad and TFN. The book also got favorable reviews on TFN, Geekdad, and iGeektrooper.

Meanwhile, Deceived author Paul S. Kemp has appeared on podcasts from SF Signal and (along with John Jackson Miller) the ForceCast’s Jedi Journals.

Tour. DK is sending out some of their authors and artists, along with The Clone Wars’ Ashley Eckstein, on an east coast tour throughout May. Ryder Windham, Chris Reiff, Chris Trevas, and Jason Fry will be making appearances.

This place can get a little rough. Looking for a new forum home now that the ones on StarWars.com are going away? EU Cantina has revamped their boards, and even TFN’s Lit has a welcome thread.

Rancho Obi-Wan. A look inside Steve Sansweet’s library.

Craft-athlon: Who’s made of win?!

We are pleased to announce the winners of the first ever Club Jade Craft-athlon! After judging the five craft-making events individually, our panel of judges has scored up all the entrants and have awards lined up for the top Star Wars craft makers who dared to face our challenge.

Our grand prize winner is Michelle Brzozowski. Not only did her Red Leader X-wing take the top place in the Recycled Designs competition, her creative Cloud Car made from sweet potatoes and avocados took the cake in the Food for Thought event, and she entered all five events, making her an all-around craft-athlete! Michelle wins the grand prize pack from Del Rey: a copy of Bonnie Burton’s The Star Wars Craft Book and a copy of the three-volume The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia with a bookplate signed by all six writers. Way to go, Michelle!

In second place is Kitty Lewis. Her Darth Lolita Goth Arm Warmers swept away the judges in the Vader’s Custom Tee event, and her adorable Kit Fisto tied for the top rank in the Paper Bag Puppet event. Additionally, she submitted entries in two other events. Our second place prize from Del Rey is a copy of the new craft guide and three hardcover novels in the Fate of the Jedi series: Abyss, Backlash, and Allies, each signed by its author: Troy Denning, Aaron Allston, and Christie Golden. Great job, Kitty!

Third place goes to the team of Dajuan and Doug Kinney, who showed off their crafting prowess in all five events, making them all-around craft-athletes. Their cute Salacious Crumb puppet won the hearts of the judges and their tauntaun cake had some amazing detail. For achieving third place, we have a copy of The Star Wars Craft Book and a paperback copy of The Force Unleashed, signed by author Sean Williams. Congratulations, Doug and Dajuan!

Our final prizes from Del Rey, copies of The Star Wars Craft Book will be awarded to our other single event winners: Reynalyn Camoras, whose Mother Talzin won the Star Wars Roll Model event and Tommy Garcia, whose Boba Fett puppet complete with jet packs tied for the top spot in the Paper Bag Puppet round. Good work, Reynalyn and Tommy.

Relive the contest with all the different event entries on our blog. If you want to see all the entries in their full amazing creative glory, check out our online photo album, which show different views of some of the entries as well as in-progress shots.

Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to Del Rey for supporting the Club Jade Craft-athlon! Some of our events were inspired by The Star Wars Craft Book, so if you are looking for different ways to re-use an old Star Wars tee shirt, or want to make an AT-AT herb garden, Chewbacca sock puppet, R2-D2 Crocheted Beanie, Jabba the Hutt Body Pillow, or twelve parsecs worth of other cool crafts, check out Bonnie Burton’s new craftastic book.

Craft-athlon: The Emperor’s New Clothes

And now the results from the final event in the Club Jade Craft-athlon: “Vader’s Custom Tee,” in which participants took a Star Wars apparel item and re-purposed it into a new creation. While most of our entries used a t-shirt as their base design material, our winner, Kitty Lewis, went down to the feet to turn two pairs of Darth Vader socks into “Darth Lolita Goth Arm Warmers.”

To accompany Vader’s socks, we had a squadron of tee-fighters closing in fast. Transforming the shirt off their backs into something new, we had an oversized Hoth bib from Dajuan & Doug Kinney (maybe for use when eating their Tauntaun cake?), the Sweet Dreams Sith pillow from Michelle Brzozowski, and a Lego Original Trilogy round poster from Nancy Lutz. Great work everyone!

And now with the Craft-athlon events complete, keep an eye out for our awarding of the fabulous prizes from Del Rey, live from the Massassi Throne Room on Yavin IV. Who will win the grand prize of a signed version of the Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia and Bonnie Burton’s The Star Wars Craft Book? Will Chewbacca get a medal for his crafting achievements finally?