There’s only about an hour and change until S2 premieres here on the east coast, and here are a few things to tide you over: What to expect, the ForceCast’s chat with Dave Filoni, and the first review.
Gearing up for the second season of The Clone Wars
Here’s some of the top picks out of the media build-up for Friday’s premiere of the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (8 PM EST/PST on Cartoon Network – 1 hour):
Some of the reports coming from The Clone Wars press event held at LucasFilm Animation:
- IGN gets geeky at Lucasfilm Animation with some interviews and exclusive clips – and asks Dave Filoni about Ahsoka’s whereabouts in Revenge of the Sith, while the voice crew discuss the benefits of recording together.
- UGO.com also gets in some time with the Wookiee Cookies and chats with Dave Filoni about the role of comedy in Star Wars.
- TVSquad apparently isn’t as nerdy, but proclaims that in the small field of action shows, SW:TCW might just be the best and highlights the darker themes and greater threats coming this season.
- Putting a completely different spin on the event, the San Francisco ABC affiliate points out non-geeky angles, such as Ashley Eckstein’s husband, second baseman for the Padres, and also hypes a bit more on the upcoming Republic Heroes game.
Meanwhile, Geekdad at Wired talks up what the new season means in his household, and mentions that Seth Green will be doing the voice of Cad Bane’s droid, Todo 360.
And of course, StarWars.com gets busy:
- The Clone Wars web comic for season 2 will form a longer story instead of the episode lead-in comics that were made for season 1. “Act on Instinct”, written by the Internet’s Pablo Hidalgo, will unfold weekly, and will bring in new faces, like Padawan Tyzen Xebec.
- In a video, voice actor Dee Bradley Baker talks about the clones as the heroes the audience can relate to in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as gives examples of how he can turn characters with supposedly identical voices into distinct individuals.
- There’s some nifty screenshots from The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes video game, coming out on October 6.
- Episode Guide placeholders are now up for the season premiere double-feature of episodes (“Holocron Heist” and “Cargo of Doom“). Is the latter’s message of “Overconfidence is the most dangerous form of carelessness.” an issue for Cad Bane or for Anakin?
EUbits: This week in Mara, Filoni will speak, Rostoni schedules, Irvine hints, Bohnhoff on philosophy
Namesake corner. Mara Jade is one of Crave’s ten female characters that would kick your face in. Uhh, thanks? I think. Also, apparently the Galaxies trading card game has another Mara card, yet again with art that I don’t totally hate (fourth row here, in wallpaper size and everything. Despite smearing their first offering with an April Fools, I don’t dislike it. One just gets a bit tired of the leather jumpsuit T&A, though it does come in handy for mocking up a cover for the faux smut.)
The Clone Wars. Dave Filoni will be appearing on tonight’s ForceCast Live.
Upcoming. Sue Rostoni confirms that Kemp’s Crosscurrent sequel will get a June 2011 release, pushing the Reaves/Bohnhoff holostar novel up to March. And Alex Irvine drops a few hints about what to expect from his Nomi Sunrider novel. And some people say there are too many big 3 novels…
The blogside. Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff looks at Star Wars as philosophy. (Psst… Googling ‘Midichlorian Rhapsody’ brings up this, filk fans.)
Wait, what? At first I was just rolling my eyes at a visual dictionary for LEGO Star Wars, but now it’s getting the most extensive string of bookstore events yet. Boggling. Well, I guess the kids like it.
Video: More Clone Wars clips, interviews
The first two are straight-up clips, quality time with Jocasta Nu and another Bane bit. (Is there any part of the premiere that we haven’t seen a bit of yet?) The third is a peek at the animation with Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter, Catherine Taber and Dave Filoni.
Prepping for S2 of The Clone Wars
There was a press junket for The Clone Wars season 2 in California today. They posted a new trailer yesterday, but StarWars.com was tweeting fast and furiously from the event, giving us a peek at some of the themed foodstuffs (Gungan salad, roast bantha) a costumed Cad Bane, and a preview or two. (More photos – and not the cell phone kind – here.) Oh, and a brand new interview with George Lucas and Dave Filoni.
Season 2 will debut with two episodes – ‘Holocron Heist’ and ‘Cargo of Doom’ – Friday, October 2 on Cartoon Network. Expect a lot more press coverage in the next couple of weeks… We’ll do our best to keep up. Meanwhile, you can answer our latest poll:
[poll id=”61″]
Continuing profiles of The Empire Muggs Back
StarWars.com has continued putting out profiles of the customized Mighty Muggs from SDCC, so here’s what’s gone up since I last blogged them: Dave Filoni, JAKe, Michael Possert, Nicole Falk, Spencer L. Brinkerhoff III, Chris Rabilwongse, Frank Duran, Camilla d’Errico, Kyle Newman and Jaime King.
The Muggs are are still on auction to raise funds for Make-A-Wish. The bids range from $900 (!!) to $60 tonight, and they’re only going to go up! (It ends Friday.)
SDCC ’09: Saturday morning Star Wars news roundup
James sent in these photos from the Spectacular. Note the hatless Filoni. We’ve got a few hours to go on the G4 broadcast, but from what we heard last night I’m recommending copious use of the DVR. Below, the return of the hat, plus The Clone Wars voice actors.
And now, your morning news updates:
- Sounds like the Fan Movie Challenge Awards were anything but a disappointment: My favorite, Star Wars Retold, was the George Lucas Selects! Other winners include Saber, Family Dysfunction, Star Sports Theatrical Trailer, Star Wars in a Notebook and Star Wars Cinemagic. Check them out at Atom.
- The reports from The Clone Wars design and The Old Republic panels.
- And for those of you who like to check out girls in Slave Leia getup, StarWars.com provides.
Still no Fate of the Jedi panel writeups from anyone… It also seems odd that The Clone Wars footage isn’t up yet, but I’m hopeful it’ll be there eventually. UPDATE: The teaser went up just after the G4 broadcast. Duh.
SDCC ’09 roundup: Star Wars Day in the afternoon
Fine, I cave: I’ll be updating this throughout the afternoon/evening, at least until the Spectacular… Unless something huge breaks!
The sun says hello. Afternoon for me, anyway: All this was morning for California, and you can tell because StarWars.com has snapshots from the Fan Club Breakfast, and more from TFN. (5:20e)
All the wonderful toys. They also have Hasbro’s presentation. The Comic Packs are mostly things we’ve already seen, but I think the Exar Kun and Ulic Qel Droma are new. Walmart is getting an exclusive Corran Horn/Whistler and Rouge Squadron #1 two-pack (Dllr Nep and Plourr Ilo?) while Target will have a Wedge with X-Wing.
But the biggest news in here for us is that they’re adding Jacen and Jaina Solo to the Droid Factory line in 2010! Meanwhile, future Comic Packs will include Legacy’s Delia Blue/Darth Nihl and KOTOR’s Jarael/Rohlan Dyre. (5:20e)
Something something in 3-D. EU Cantina was tweeting live from The Clone Wars panel. Tidbits include S2 tone, comments on rogue Jedi and the unlikliness of a second movie. (5:20e)
Comic-Con Star Wars Spectacular: George Lucas answering questions?
As previously discussed and dissected for hints, this year’s Star Wars Spectacular panel at Comic-Con was going to be hosted by G4’s “Attack of the Show” crew: Kevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, and Blair Butler, and the panel will be broadcast live on G4 on Friday, July 24. The panel will include a live read of a new “The Clone Wars” script by the voice talent.
The announcement on starwars.com came with the opportunity for fans to submit videos to G4 to be shown during the presentation, either telling fan stories, or asking questions about The Clone Wars to the show’s creators, like Dave Filoni.
Word from someone working for G4 is that George Lucas may be answering some of the fans’ questions submitted by video – via pre-recorded video of his own.
So get those questions in, submitted through the G4 site. Key things to note for submitting videos: < 90 seconds long, < 150 MB, and use a white background!
Looking ahead at The Clone Wars with Dave Filoni and Ashley Eckstein
Two recent interviews with director Dave Filoni and voice actress Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka) hint at the second season of The Clone Wars. Filoni mostly talks about S1, of course, but there is a bit near the end about S2. And Eckstein says that Ahsoka will become “more and more like Anakin every day.”