Out this week: Dawn of the Jedi, Legacy

StoryboardOut right now – I missed it last week – is Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy by J.W. Rinzler.

Meanwhile, Wednesday brings the conclusion of Dawn of the Jedi‘s second arc in Prisoner of Bogan #5 as well as Legacy #3.

Our forthcoming slate includes Aaron Allston’s X-Wing: Mercy Kill in paperback (June 25,) William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher (July 2) and Troy Denning’s Crucible (July 9.)

First look at the cover for Making of Return of the Jedi

Making of the Return of the Jedi

Entertainment Weekly has revealed the cover for J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, along with 5 ‘unseen’ pics that are probably not all that unseen if you’ve been paying any attention throughout the years. (Though I admit the shot with Harrison Ford and George Lucas is not quite as familiar as the others.)

The book’s release date has also moved up a week to October 1!

In more upcoming upcoming releases, Hollywood.com has an excerpt and a look at the cover art process for next week’s novel Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void.

EUbits: Pester Pablo on Friday!

Chat. Pablo Hidalgo will be chatting on the Star Wars Books Facebook page this Friday, where we’ll be sure to ask him all sorts of weird stuff about Episode VII. Or something.

Interviews. ScienceFiction.com talked to Timothy Zahn at Starfest, while Roqoo Depot catches up with Patricia A. Jackson, who wrote for the Star Wars Adventure Journal back in the day.

The blogside. On the official blog, Jennifer Heddle talks Star Wars storytelling hallmarks, while J.W. Rinzler discuses The Star Wars comic

Excerpts. The third and fourth excerpt from Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void

Review. Ania and Sauk are on the run, and we get a new awesome droid character in Legacy #2

Out this week: Vader’s Little Princess, new Legacy

Vader's Little PrincessOut Tuesday is Vader’s Little Princess, Jeffrey Brown’s followup to last year’s wildly popular Darth Vader and Son. Also out now from Chronicle is something I forgot to mention last week – the standalone hardcover edition of Daniel Wallace’s Book of Sith.

Both Brown and Wallace, along with Lucasfilm’s Johnathan Rinzler, will be chatting about Star Wars on May 1 at the Star Wars and Chronicle Books blogs. Submit your question(s) now!

Meanwhile, comic fans will have something waiting for them on Wednesday as well: Legacy #2.

Out this week: Dark Times’ Fire Carrier continues

Dark Times: Fire Carrier #3Need a read? Head to your local comic shop today to pick up Dark Times: Fire Carrier #3, our lone release this week.

If you don’t mind dropping a bit more than $2.99, the non-limited edition reasonably priced version of Star Wars: The Blue Prints came out yesterday.

There will be many comics between now and then, but if it’s novels you want, you’ll have to wait until May 7 for Tim Lebbon’s Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void. In the meantime, here’s a look at the finished jacket.

More on The Star Wars comic based on George Lucas’ original draft screenplay

The Star Wars comic - preview detail Rinzler Mayhew

As we reported earlier, Dark Horse Comics announced at the Star Wars comics panel at WonderCon a new title coming this fall: The Star Wars, based on George Lucas’ original 1974 screenplay. This eight-issue arc, written by J. W. Rinzler (of The Making Of Star Wars books) and Mike Mayhew will tell the Star Wars story as it was in the first drafts, and using imagery that first appeared in Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art. We’ve got a preview page to help get you excited for the series, starting in September: Continue reading “More on The Star Wars comic based on George Lucas’ original draft screenplay”

‘Interesting’ Star Wars publishing announcement coming to Entertainment Weekly

Lucasfilm executive editor J. W. Rinzler tweeted the above this morning, and it raises a lot of questions… Given Rinzler handles mostly nonfiction and art texts, my guess is a book on the company’s acquisition by Disney, or a new art book we haven’t heard of yet.

Of course, it could be pretty much anything up to and including the future of the Expanded Universe. (Not that that writing isn’t already on the wall. ) Personally, I think that topic may be a bit too obscure for a mainstream publication like Entertainment Weekly, but it’s certainly going to come up as we wait.

The next issue of EW is coming out tomorrow, but ‘near-future’ implies we’ll be waiting a bit longer. Hopefully not too long, because there’s little that sends fandom into a panic like announcing announcements.

EUbits: Making of Return of the Jedi coming in October

Ewoks behind the scenesUpcoming nonfiction. Guess what’s appeared on the Random House online catalog? It’s J. W. Rinzler’s Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, with a release date of October 8. In other Rinzler news, he’s announced that the next art book will be devoted to concept art. As someone who already owns all six concept art books devoted to the films, I hope we’ll get to see something new from the actual movies… If it comes out next year, would it be too early to hope for an Episode VII peek?

The blogside. Tor’s Ryan Britt looks at how Heir to the Empire turned Star Wars into science fiction. Lucasfilm’s Jennifer Heddle discusses balancing between work and being a fan. And Tosche Station’s Bria visits two extremes of the EU with The Crystal Star and Starfighters of Adumar.

Conventions. Dark Horse had a panel at Emerald City Comicon yesterday, and Amy Ratcliffe was kind enough to live-tweet it for those of us playing at home. While there was no breaking Star Wars news, there were a few insights into Star Wars and Legacy comics.

Short stories. Del Rey’s Frank Parisi reveals that John Ostrander has an Insider story coming up, ‘Eruption,’ with cover art by Jan Duursema. (It’ll also appear in the hardcover of Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void.) A Jason Fry story featuring a Clone Wars character was also recently greenlit. He also hints at something we’ll be seeing in Miller’s Kenobi.

The Last Jedi. Author Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff talks to NJOE (with Del Rey’s Shelly Shapiro) and TFN.

Gaming. We don’t even try to cover gaming anymore – trust me, it’s for the best – but if you’re curious about the (rumored) fate of 1313, well, here’s the word on the street.