As a followup to Star Wars Must Die, SF Signal gathered a number of science fiction pros and fans to ask if it really is time for Star Wars to go on hiatus?
This is a question that’s weighed on my mind on and off through the year, as I obligatorily blogged the two big Star Wars events that utterly fail to grab my personal interest. The Clone Wars? Meh both before and after. The Force Unleashed? Not even remotely tempted. It even came up in regards to the Expanded Universe during our Legacy of the Force discussion at JadeCon. Does the franchise need a break? Do we?
I know a lot of my personal fatigue with The Clone Wars is mostly a matter of apathy to the era, and bridge stories as a whole. (I wasn’t that thrilled with Shadows of the Empire back in the day, either.) And TFU is a game, and I’m not a gamer. (Of course, let’s not forget that The Force Unleashed was originally supposed to be the big event of 2007.) And then there’s the whole matter of actually blogging it all… It’s not that there’s nothing going on that I am actually interested in: It’s just that stuff is on the back burner for the franchise at the moment. (Or, at least as far as the EU goes – the eternal back burner? Red-headed stepchild to the more visual mediums? Hrm.)
I don’t think there’s too much to fear if Lucasfilm did pack up the Star Wars stuff for a few years. Do fans need a big event every year or two, like clockwork? Not really: We’d lose some to the brand new shiny fandoms wandering by (it happens anyway) but overall I think we’re big enough to survive a few years. It’s Lucasfilm that needs to keep the pendulum swinging and the big bucks coming in. $26,080,000 might not be record-breaking movie cash, and they might not even need it – but it sure helps to keep the paychecks rolling in. For now, anyway…
The trick for Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise this very moment is to keep a fine balance between keeping fans satisfied without gorging their appetites to the point of disgust… And that’s where I’m afraid that The Clone Wars theatrical release – and all the attendant spotlights and expectation-raising – may have been a mistake. It’s just too soon to tell if it’ll be a fatal one.
Fandom? Whatever happens, we’ll make our own way. (Hell, the thing in all this that I’m most excited about right now? A fanfic, literally one of the best I’ve read in years.) But it’s a two way street, and part of us does need them up and active, just as much as they need us bright-eyed and willing to spend. LFL has been particularly fandom savvy these last couple decades, so they’re well aware of this – we can just hope. And keep in mind that there’s far more going on here than just one person or group’s vision of the GFFA.
Good call!
SW Transformers figures? Please….
Concept action figures? Please….
The tat is getting silly.
Did I read that right? a good fanfic? I’ve been searching for good fic, but I’ve only found a handfull, so care to share it with the rest of the audience ? :)
I kind of feel like Star Wars already IS on hiatus. My surprising and profound lack of interest in the new material this year is actually starting to rejuvenate my Star Wars fandom, by leading me back to its roots, causing me to spend my fandom time and energy on the vintage years and vintage stuff. Digging out the books, magazines, toys, cards, etc. from 1977-1983 and rediscovering that era of innocence when the GFFA seemed so much bigger, even though it was smaller, if that makes sense. That stuff is so much fun!
I thought Simpsons stopped being funny at the end of the Clinton administration, but I didn’t exactly feel in the position to advocate it be taken away from everyone who did like it at the time.
ph
Elisa: Soon.
Pablo: Point. :|
Fans need hiatuses, not franchises. Trust me, I’ve done it, it works.
I think I agree with Stooge, here. I- being someone who enjoyed the Clone Wars and have never been so excited about a non-Japanese video game before in my life (I’m talking about The Force Unleashed, here)- am perfectly content with the franchise at the moment. On the other hand, I do think that the public in general may be getting a bit of an overload at the moment. My suggestion for Lucasfilm: once the Clone Wars series starts airing, relax the rest of the franchise for a bit. Release a few novels, and the odd video game or two, but save the big publicity stuff for when the live action series comes around. By keeping the franchise out of the limelight for a bit- still there, just not all over the place-, people won’t be too tired of Star Wars to retain interest.
I noticed all the SW toys when I was shopping at Wal-Mart today, and since I’m a little slow, this is when it hit me. They HAVE to do Big Events, or there can’t be merchandising tie-ins, which is what brings in the big $$$. So I don’t think they’re gonna stop anytime soon.
Pablo does indeed make a good point, and although I’m the person who brought up “maybe the story is done???” at JadeCon, it doesn’t particularly bother me that stuff keeps coming out. I don’t feel compelled to buy everything SW, and I’m okay going to the big new shiny fandoms, too, but SW will always be my first love, and will never really leave my heart, if they keep putting out new stuff that doesn’t interest me, or if they stop all together.