Club Jade

As many readers may know or have noticed, I’m not big on The Clone Wars. It’s nothing personal, really: Just another facet of my apathy to the prequel era.

But one thing I do have surprisingly strong opinions on? The original Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars shorts. They aired on Cartoon Network (and online, via Hyperspace) in 2003-2005 between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and they were amazing. Little bite-sized bits of gorgeous, mostly dialogue-free animation that played up all the strengths of Star Wars… And it’s a damn, damn shame that they’ve been so buried, as Tartakovsky discuses in this HuffPo interview.

What would The Clone Wars be with his hand at the wheel? Did Lucas decide his take was too arty, too inaccessible? Was it less likely to sell toys? Did he want too much independence in storytelling? (Probably safe to say that the fanboy nitpicking was not a factor.) I’d have loved to seen a full-length series from him and his team, but I guess it’s just another one for the might-have-been file.

This list by Pablo is actually from a few years back, but it got a bit of a spiff-up for the new format, and what the hell — it is Halloween, and the internet has the collective memory of a goldfish for stuff like this. (Not you, Wookieepedia.) Have at it, kids.

Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of the Clone Wars cartoon (not that one, the first one), spoke at Rhode Island School of Design this past weekend.

Club Jader (and some-day-Pulitzer Prize winner), Caroline Sedano, attended and wrote up this great summary of the event for The Brown Daily Herald.

Club Jade wishes to note that we aren’t the least bit biased about the shining examples of Star Wars reporting done by its members.

Just in time for Life Day!  The official Star Wars blog gives a heads up that there are a bunch of Clone Wars figures up for auction and signed by Lucasfilm staffers to benefit The Heiffer Foundation.

Not only will it grab you a nifty little collection of figures, but a cow.  You could buy a cow, people.

If you’ve been dying to hear more about The Clone Wars game (or just a The Clone Wars game) it’s your lucky day: IGN has an interview with LucasArts’ Feargus Carroll, and we learn the game’s name (The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance) and that it’s a Nintendo DS (handheld) exclusive. And it involves Nightsisters. And Dooku.

But! There are two, and the other one is just The Clone Wars and for the Wii. Looks like just a basic dueler… Yes kids, you’re finally getting your Wii lightsaber game. Hoorah.

• Comics: Two more previews at DarkHorse.com: Legacy #23 and a Clone Wars photo comic. (That’s Tartakovsky Clone Wars – but can they call it a photo comic if there are no photos?)

• Gaming: Catch up with the latest The Force Unleashed and SoulCalibur IV news over at GameTrailers.com.
• Fandom: The TFN boards are wrapping up National RetCon Week.

• Sue Rostoni confirms that the Fury summary that appeared last week is indeed the real thing.
• Drew Karpyshyn revealed on his personal site that the manuscript for his December Bane sequel has been sent off to the powers that be.
• And for you Clone Wars/half naked Anakin fans, Rebelscum has posted pictures of the Hasbro figure inspired by Chapter 24 of the animated micro-series. They also have pics of Roron Corobb and Yoda with Kybuck.

I swear I’ve blogged this one before, but the Clone Wars additions are new… And quite impressive. (via)

RebelScum reports that among their rebooted Evolution will be three sets that contain EU figures – Evolution of the Jedi will have a NJO Luke Skywalker, Evolution of the Sith (#2?) contains Darths Bane and Nihilus, and Evolution of the Fetts will have a Mandalore figure. (Looks like KOTOR era, but I could be wrong.)

Also, expect to see the the HttE and ESB Infinities Comic two packs on shelves in August, and the X-Wing pack (Hobbie! Fel!) in November, with wave 5 following in December.

Also spotted at Hasbro: Yoda & Kybuck, shirtless Anakin from the (first) Clone Wars cartoons; Darth Revan and Darth Malak from the KOTOR games and pre-cyborg Grievous and a McQuarrie concept Chewbacca.

Imadra_blue ponders fan fiction and fandom thinking and the two great loves of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life. She also considers Anakin/Obi-Wan, canon, and believability, an issue Shoiryu has some thoughts on as well.

Pablo mocks the masses with 1977 Blog Titles. If you actually read blogs.starwars.com, this is hilarious. On a more serious note, annotations to week 3 of the Rookies webstrip. Paul joins in on the webstrip action with a update on Evasive Action #3.

Another interesting VIP blog: Dan Wallace on the never-published Clone Wars Sourcebook.

Rabidfangurl rants on fanfic and fandom. To which I say, hell yeah. Fangirl beatdown posse meets on Tuesday.

The Dark Moose considers Star Wars… with lawyers. Been there, done that.

Rive Caedo on returning to the roots of Star Wars. On a similar note, 101 Reasons Firefly is better than Star Wars! Funny because it’s true. Or not. Your choice.

Lazypadawan has a ‘fair and balanced’ review of Outbound Flight. It looks like she subscribes to the theory that every second Zahn character is a Mary Sue, but I found most of her points pretty on target. (I myself have harbored Suerific thoughts re: Thrawn and VOTF Mara, so to each their own.) EU fans may also be interested in Suzanne’s overview of the Dark Nest trilogy.