Posts

Posted on

LEGO Star Wars special premieres July 22

File this one under the ‘so not for me.’

Lucasfilm/LEGO/The Cartoon Network have a press release today detailing The Padawan Menace, a standalone TV special that will premiere Friday, July 22.

Tour guide Master Yoda leads a group of rambunctious Jedi younglings through Senate chambers when he senses a disturbance in the Force. Summoned to help save the Republic, he discovers that one of the younglings secretly boarded his ship…and has a taste for adventure! Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 are put in charge of the boisterous group and find themselves in over their heads. As the evil Sith prepare to wreak havoc, it’s up to Yoda and the droids to ensure that their young charges aren’t torn to bricks!

No doubt the kids will love it.

Posted on

Heads up: Star Wars events at SDCC, Dragon*Con

If you’re attending both or either of the big summer genre cons – San Diego Comic Con later this month, or Atlanta’s Dragon*Con in September – than you’re in luck today. SDCC has released their Thursday (July 21) schedule, and Dragon*Con’s Star Wars track has their own tentative listings up.

With no big Hall H Star Wars presentation planned, there are several events planned for Thursday: A Kinect Star Wars Panel for the gamers, Dark Horses’ fall publishing highlights, The Old Republic MMO, and a Clone Wars S4 preview with Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo.

(I suspect we’ll see at least one dedicated Expanded Universe panel at some point – We do know that both Timothy Zahn and Del Rey’s Shelly Shapiro will be in attendance. However, the Clone Wars panel being on Thursday leads me to suspect there won’t an official Star Wars day this year. )

Among several panels focusing on female fandom is one sponsored by Her Universe, titled ‘What Women Want in Their Female Sci-Fi Heroes.’ Panelists include Ashley Eckstein, Dave Filoni, Betsy Mitchell and comic writer Gail Simone.

Bowing out the day are the ever-present Star Wars Fan Movie Awards. Mark Hamill will also be present, although for Thursday he’s sitting on a panel for Batman: Arkham City.

Meanwhile, the more fandom-oriented Star Wars track at Dragon*Con has a tentative schedule up. They’re not lacking in stars – Carrie Fisher, Gary Kurtz, Ashley Eckstein, and Temuera Morrison will be in attendance, as well as several authors.

Of special interest: A panel on Star Wars myth and philosophy with Timothy Zahn and Gary Kurtz, one dedicated to Heir to the Empire, and the ever-popular (and over-18 only) Adult Themes panel!

Posted on

Doing good: Princess Leah hanging in there

With coverage on Today, little Princess Leah Esquenazi is getting a lot more attention than just from Star Wars fans.

What started as word of mouth with Star Wars fans through a Facebook page and other online presences like the 501st, Artoo-Katee and even Steve Sansweet, has turned into nearly $20,000, a fundraiser raffle and lots of guesses to try and help this little baby with the mysterious illness that is affecting her muscles and breathing.

Her family is keeping everyone updated through a blog and are trying to stay positive.

If you are so inclined to help the family with a donation, there is a donation function on the web page.

Posted on

New book will explore connections between Star Wars and history

Publisher John Wiley & Sons is compliling a book that will explore parallels between world history and the movies, the New York Times reports.

“George Lucas is a history buff, and his fascination with history greatly influenced the plot and themes explored in the Star Wars universe,” Connie Santisteban, associate editor for general interest books at Wiley, wrote in an e-mail. “Being able to work closely with Mr. Lucas on this and other books will give fans an inside look at the real science, history and political science that informed ‘Star Wars’ while also providing readers with an educational tool.”

The book is being compiled by history professors Nancy Reagin and Janice Liedl, who have done books in the same vein about Harry Potter and Twilight. (I wonder if it goes anything like this. Minus the snark and animated GIFs, naturally.) The book even has Lucasfilm’s blessing, says a spokewoman, including Lucas’ “notes and input.”

Wiley will also produce additional books focusing on “science and politics within the Star Wars saga.”

Posted on

Wacky merchandise du jour: Artoo Operation

Select members of Club Jade have long been creating custom Star Wars board games – it’s why we have a Games Night at every JadeCon – but no one has yet approached the game of Operation… But now there’s going to be an official version. Alas, perhaps in deference to the youthful audience, the ‘victims’ are droids. A lost opportunity!

Someday, we hope, some brave Wild Karrde or Star Lady will find it in them to create the game as it should be: With Extra Crispy Anakin Skywalker. Consider the gauntlet dropped.