The Clone Wars: TFN talks to Filoni and Gilroy

Dave Filoni and Henry Gilroy answer fan questions on The Clone Wars over at TheForce.net. A lot of interesting tidbits on the show, its relation to the EU, George’s involvement and other food for thought, like Gilroy’s comments on the unique challenges of writing a digital show:

It wasn’t really an issue of balance. When I wrote the first episode, I wished I could have used the entire Jedi Council, but because we were just building the studio, the only characters I had available were Anakin, Obi-Wan and Yoda. Mace wasn’t originally in the movie story, because he wasn’t built yet, he was added way later. This was the incredible challenge as the head writer, I was tasked with writing Star Wars and making it feel as big as Star Wars, but only allowed to build ONE new character per episode (I started with 9 — can you name them?). So Luminara and Kit showed up at the very first chance I could put them in the show.

Oh, and there’s also something in there about George and the Wookieepedia. Yes, seriously.

In other interview news, EUC has one with The Force Unleashed’s Sam Witwer, and is taking questions for Matt Stover.

Awarding the Waru: The wackiest Expanded Universe happening of 2008

I originally meant to do a big year-end poll on the year’s EU offerings, but time flies, so we’re just going to have to settle for this: The The Crystal Star Memorial Award for Expanded Universe wackiness, aka the Waru. This award is given to the one Expanded Universe event (both in-universe and without count) that made you go ‘What?’ The one event that most shocked, confused, or even amused you in a deeply sarcastic way. Think hard. Award ironically. Continue reading “Awarding the Waru: The wackiest Expanded Universe happening of 2008”

EUbits: Stover, Miller & Karpyshyn interviews; Books on sale; awards; contests; previews

Interviews: Matthew Stover talks to SWBooks about Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, while John Jackson Miller discusses the Knights of the Old Republic comics at IGN. And finally, Drew Karpyshyn at Lightsabre.

Blood Oath delayed; Fate of the Jedi hints

Our first street date shuffle of the new contract! After a fan noticed that there was something awry with the book’s catalog listing, Sue Rostoni has confirmed that Elaine Cunningham’s Blood Oath has been moved back to a December release date.

The manuscript hasn’t been delivered yet — it just got to be too late to make the deadline, so we moved it. I feel badly because the story, as you know, takes place before OUTCAST so we wanted it to come out as close to OUTCAST as possible… but it didn’t happen.

Meanwhile, there’s a whole new schedule entry on Sue’s blog, with a few additional details about the 2009 books, including some minor Fate of the Jedi details.

Off to update our book release schedule

Deathtroopers are coming…

Joe Schreiber’s Star Wars horror novel now has a title and a time period… Deathtroopers, set just before A New Hope. It’s due out in November. (Thanks, Zee Zee!) Here’s what Schreiber had to say on his blog:

I had the time of my life on this one, I have to say. I’m doing the final edits now, and I’ve tried to make it into exactly the kind of book you’d want to read if you were a child of the 70s who grew up with the original Star Wars trilogy and really digs horror in the vein of The Shining and Alien, with a little dose of William Gibson mixed in.

Review: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia 2.0After going through practically every holiday since 1999 with some sort of “coffee table book” from the Star Wars franchise, you would think that I’d be mentally prepared for the weight associated with it.  Well, I was fooled again with the latest edition of The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.  I nearly dropped the blasted thing (all 12 pounds of it — I weighed it) when I tried to pick it up.

Still, this baby’s beautiful! Three hardcover volumes in a shell.  (Which is making it resemble, more and more The Encyclopedia Brittanica.)  That beautiful Empire red and black coloring.  Images subtly glowing out.  Each hardcover has its own different cover design. Each book has its own quote for the dedication page.  A lot of fun! Continue reading “Review: The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia