Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
Finally, a feast! For comic fans, anyway. In the shops on Wednesday is Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1 and the fourth printing of Star Wars #1.
And there are two collections as well: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison in hardcover and the trade paperback of Knight Errant: Escape – the series’ final (for now, anyway) storyline.
Today on Tor, Emily Asher-Perrin writes about Star Wars and the sequels and the Expanded Universe and generational differences and mostly, how the franchise is always changing along with the audience.
Those who saw it first in the theater will often remark how its title was initially just Star Wars—the “Episode IV: A New Hope” was added later, after the second film was released and one more was on its way. Children of the 90s had the Expanded Universe novels, which arrived just before the Special Edition was released. Those who were born in the 90s might have skipped the the original trilogy altogether, or watched the prequels first and then tracked back. And now that new films are coming, there is no telling how the new generation will see Star Wars, what it will mean to them, whether its history will be worth delving into.
This is a must-read and an important reminder: Star Wars is not a static thing, and it hasn’t been a static thing for decades now.
Comics. Remember how Entertainment Weekly was supposed to break some ‘interesting’ Star Wars news? And then we heard it out of WonderCon instead? Well, their article on The Star Wars has finally shown up… And Dark Horse’s Randy Stradley is, let’s say, less than impressed with the end result.
There are two other recent, less wrath-inducing interviews with Stradley on Newsarama and Jedi Journals.
The blogside. Two very different takes on the EU/EpVII issue: Newsarama’s Lucas Siegel takes a thoughtful approach, while io9’s Rob Bricken fans the angry paranoia flames. In another direction, Bria’s Waru Express has reached the New Jedi Order.
Interviews. EUCantina talks to Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff.
Flashback. Blogger Rologutwein is creating Star Wars roleplaying modules – based on other films – in the style of the old West End Games. Here’s his covers, and one of the interiors.
Randomly… Tosche Station’s Emily has a recipe for Corellian ryshcate.
Just a reminder that today is “A Book Bomb for Ben” Wednesday, to raise funds for the medical expenses for Ben Wolverton, the son of Star Wars author Dave Wolverton. Check out the Help Ben website or the Facebook event for more links on where to get Dave Wolverton’s latest books (under his fantasy pen name David Farland : Nightingale, a young adult fantasy, or Million Dollar Outlines, a writer’s guide. Sixteen year old Ben is in a coma after a recent accident so if you’d like to help out, buy a book, spread the word, or donate directly.
Ben Wolverton, the teenaged son of Star Wars author Dave Wolverton, was recently in an accident and is currently in a coma. As you may know, many authors don’t have the health care coverage of an employer-based insurance, and the Wolverton family could use a boost to help with Ben’s medical care. His website is calling for a book bomb on Wednesday, April 10 – basically a big one-day drive for book sales.
Check out their Facebook event, A Book Bomb for Ben, to get links to buy Wolverton’s award-winning 2011 young adult fantasy novel, Nightingale (written under his pen name for his fantasy books, David Farland), or his guide for writers, Million Dollar Outlines. Or you can donate money directly to Ben’s recovery. And help spread the word!
As David Farland, Wolverton has written the fantasy series, The Runelords, and has started the Nightingale series. In the Star Wars sandbox, Wolverton is best known for introducing the witches of Dathomir in The Courtship of Princess Leia, while also penning The Rising Force, the first in Scholastic’s Jedi Apprentice series, and several of the books in the Scholastic Episode I Adventures and Star Wars Missions gamebook series, and short stories in each of the three original trilogy Tales anthologies.
It’s another one-comic week with Brian Wood’s Star Wars #4 our only new arrival.
Our next novel, due in May, will be Tim Lebbon’s Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void. However, we do have one schedule change to note: William Shakespeare’s Star Wars has moved up from August 6 to July 2.
On Friday afternoon, Dark Horse hosted a Twitter chat with the writers of two of their most recent Star Wars comics series, Brian Wood of the top-selling new Star Wars ongoing series, and the team of Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman of the new Star Wars: Legacy (Volume 2) series.
With Brian Wood’s series that has been flying off the shelves since its premiere in January (the 4th printing of Issue #1 comes out on April 17, while Issue #4 comes out April 10), there were a lot of questions about the focus on Leia. Bechko and Hardman discussed Legacy’s new protagonist, Ania Solo, and gave a few hints for what’s in store for the series, which had its first issue on March 20. I’ve got the highlights of the conversation at #SWComicsChat below, and even have a handful of questions of my own.
Wednesday, it was announced that Disney is closing down LucasArts, the video game division of Lucasfilm. This news did not come as a surprise to me, nor likely to many who follow the storied company closely. In the process, an estimated 150 employees have been laid off, including friends and former colleagues of mine. To they who worked very hard everyday to bring interactive Star Wars entertainment to the fans, we wish the best of luck.
Like every aspect of Star Wars fandom, the pros and cons of this move will be hotly discussed and contested among fans, and perhaps I will join you when the wound has healed somewhat.
Meanwhile, for those who lament that they will never see cancelled LucasArts projects Star Wars: 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault, might I suggest that you may one day have a rescuer in Dark Horse Comics?
Continue reading “Could Dark Horse rescue 1313 and First Assault?”
Join several of Dark Horse Comics’ writers for a live twitter chat, on Friday, April 5th at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT.
Brian Wood (@brianwood), writer of the new ongoing Star Wars series, and the team of Corinna Bechko (@corinnabechko) and Gabriel Hardman (@gabrielhardman), of the new Legacy series featuring Ania Solo, will be on hand to chat with comics fans using hashtag #SWComicsChat. Plus Dark Horse will be giving away some cool swag to a few lucky participants!
Need 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.