Star Wars Story Talk: Unboxing Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie

Star Wars Story Talk: SW Art: Ralph McQuarrie

Since this couldn’t wait for the next regular episode of Star Wars Story Talk, we have a special bonus Unboxing Video as I open up the really awesome, and really hefty Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie two-volume collection from Abrams Books. This mammoth set is written by the trio of Brandon Alinger, author of Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy; Wade Lageose, graphic designer/artist; and David Mandel, art collector, author of Star Wars Artifact Edition and showrunner of HBO’s Veep. You can get the inside look over at StarWars.com, where the three authors were kind enough to answer some questions for me.
No Baby Jawa fun time this time around – just straight unboxing and page skimming madness! Continue reading “Star Wars Story Talk: Unboxing Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie”

Out this week: The Clone Wars S5 and complete series box set, Star Wars Art: Concept

The Clone Wars S5 box setThe Clone Wars fans are having a good couple days – we got some Rebels details Saturday, Friday Dave Filoni announced that The Clone Wars’ remaining episodes will be seen early next year, and tomorrow sees the release of season 5 and a complete series box set on Blu-ray and DVD.

If the cartoon isn’t your thing, Pacific Rim..! Wait, no, Star Wars Art: Concept is also dropping. There’s a deluxe version for the collectors.

Our next Star Wars release is something something bounty hunters from Daniel Wallace, Ryder Windham and Jason Fry on October 27th (a Sunday?) followed by a ‘reasonably priced’ version of Frames on the 29th.

(But seriously, Pacific Rim, guyspacific-rim500)

EUbits: Even more Essential Reader, Karpyshyn’s Bane bundled, more Star Wars Art coming

Nonfiction. Coverage of The Essential Reader’s Companion isn’t slowing down now that’s it’s out. Author Pablo Hidalgo wrote about what didn’t make the cut, and as well as talking toSuvudu, Jedi News and Jedi Journals. Tosche Station’s Brian reviewed the book, and NJOE asks if it’s right for you. If you have to ask…?

As for the books’ much talked-about art, Chris Trevas talked to Lightsaber Rattling, while Darren Tan and Chris Scalf have posted some on their DeviantArts, including Tan’s Allegiance piece above.

Star Wars Reads. Well, hopefully you have a good idea of what you’re doing tomorrow, but for today, the chat at GoodReads is on. Of particular interest may be Randy Stradley addressing continuity concerns people have been bringing up for Brian Wood’s Star Wars. Jason Fry, Ryder Windham, Jeffrey Brown and Timothy Zahn have answered fan questions so far. And on the Star Wars blog, Fry weighs in on his first Star Wars book.

Bundles. In a related matter, the two Essential Novel eBook bundles (10 for $63, and 4 for $8) are on sale now. And it looks like that’s not the last bundle we have coming: Knights Archive noticed a listing for Drew Karpyshyn’s The Darth Bane series, and it’s now live in the Random House catalog. The eBook bundle will be on sale November 5th for $18.99.

Art books. J.W. Rinzler blogged a bit about the release of Star Wars Art: Illustration, revealing that there are two more books coming in the series.

Out this week: The Essential Reader’s Companion

Coming Tuesday – and probably already on the way if you preordered one – will be Pablo Hidalgo’s Essential Reader’s Companion, perhaps the most anticipated Star Wars reference book of the year – or at least since Celebration VI. Pablo did interviews last week with FangirlBlog and Roqoo Depot for the occasion, while io9 featured some of the book’s art.

And speaking of art, you’ll also want to keep your eyes open for Star Wars Art: Illustration. Unlike Visions it contains a good amount of art that we’ve already seen, but since when has that stopped anyone from buying an art book?

Meanwhile, coming to comic shops on Wednesday is the second Clone Wars omnibus, The Enemy on all Sides, which collects collects Republic #54–#66 and #68, Jedi: Yoda, and General Grievous #1–#4. You may also find a second printing of the Rise of the Sith omnibus, which collects comics that lead into The Phantom Menace.

EUbits: Maul and Savage and the open road

Of course. There’s a Darth Maul comic coming. Darth Maul: Death Sentence #1 will launch July 25 and feature Maul and his brother Savage Opress roaming the galaxy in a beat-up light freighter and solving mysteries. Well, I made up the bit about the freighter. And the mysteries. Everything else is true! Sort of.

Confirmation, non-fiction. It’s not available yet, but Rancho Obi-wan has added the new Steve Sansweet book, Star Wars: The Ultimate Action Figure Collection: 35 Years of Characters. It’s co-authored by Anne Neumann and noted fan photographer Dan Curto.

Confirmation, fiction. Looks like they’re moving ahead with a third character guide. Expect a totally new different-looking Ben Skywalker!

Street date shuffle. Feel like some super minor schedule news? Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories has moved up a week, from July 31 to the 24th. Exciting!

Pretty. Knights Archive spotted the cover for Star Wars Art: Illustration on Amazon. There’s a Yoda on it: Bitches love Yoda.

Kids. Snark aside, Darth Vader and Son looks kind of cute. Sadly, we will never see a ‘Mommy and Me’ version of this, unless you count The Phantom Menace, and I wouldn’t. It’ll be out any minute now.

EUbits: Celebrating the ‘regular’ people, Apocalypse page count, peek at Stover’s Insider short

Listage. Lane over at Roqoo Depot gives the regular folks of the GFFA their due with his list of the top ten non-Force sensitive Expanded Universe characters.

Fate of the Jedi. Lightsaber Rattling reports on Troy Denning’s comments about the likely Apocalypse page count.

Short stories. Get a peek – though not a particularly readable one – at Matthew Stover’s Insider short story, ‘The Tenebrous Way.’

Interview. Writer John Ostrander talks Agent of the Empire with Nerd World News.

Artists. Five contributers to Star Wars Art: Comics share their thoughts on the franchise and comics at CBR.

Excerpts. Two more from Darth Plagueisa mini on Facebook, and a larger one at Random House’s online catalog.

Pretties.Concept art from Genndy Tartakovsky’s traditionally animated Clone Wars cartoon. It graced Cartoon Network in the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and I’m sad to hear that the DVDs have apparently gone out of print, because it was an amazing series of shorts.

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: Drew Karpyshyn takes on Darth Revan

Revan will be Karpyshyn’s Old Republic novel. The third novel tie-in to Bioware’s Old Republic MMO will feature the Sith Lord from Knights of the Old Republic, SWTOR.com announced today. Other characters from the KOTOR games, including Canderous, T3-M4, the Exile and Bastila Shan, will also appear.

Upcoming. Dan Wallace is currently working on an updated Essential Guide to Characters.

Art books. Abrams will follow up last year’s Star Wars Visions with Star Wars Art: Comics.

Interview. Sci-Fi block talks to comic writer Tom Taylor.

Opinion Lightsaber Rattling makes a point for Star Wars eBooks.