Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
I don’t know why Hasbro is doing a 4-figure The Last Command action figure set in 2024 – the book turned 30 last year – but here we are. The Black Series set (aka 6-inch figures) features Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Joruus C’baoth and Luuke from the book’s final confrontation.
Continue reading “Hasbro flashes back to the 90s with The Last Command action figure set”
I can’t believe I’m writing this post.
It is bathroom graffiti. Actual graffiti, not Imagineer-engineered and approved and applied graffiti. It is literal graffiti.
But let’s back up: A few days ago, someone on Reddit (our first sign) posted about something found written in a bathroom stall at Galaxy’s Edge….
Continue reading “No, graffiti did not make Mara Jade canon”
Entertainment Weekly is dropping the name “Mara Jade” again, this time in reference to The Mandalorian and Jon Favreau keeps things mostly diplomatic:
“I don’t want to talk about anything that might be fun for people to discover,” Favreau says. “We do have conversations. Part of what’s fun to see if we could merge the worlds of the original trilogy, the prequels, the sequels, The Clones [sic] Wars, and what’s been considered canon up to this point and what’s been considered part of Legends. I think this show offers an opportunity to bring in all those elements so no matter what your flavor of Star Wars ice cream you like there will be something to enjoy. But you’re asking the right questions.”
They also mention Thrawn, who of course has already been brought back, and while canon, currently resides in a plot limbo of Dave Filoni’s making. So him returning in The Mandalorian is somewhat possible – though, I suspect, unlikely. But never say never, particularly with Filoni involved in the show.
But Mara Jade, on the other hand… My own take on her coming to canon is only a little different than the last time something Mara-adjacent was unearthed – also involving Mandos, and at the hand of Dave Filoni, when her “Emperor’s Hand” title showed up on Rebels being used by… Some dude. (Sorry, Clone Wars fans. I can’t.) As I said then, she’s not a simple port, like Thrawn was.
Continue reading “Here we go again: Mara Jade, The Mandalorian, and some thoughts on canon”
A VERY iffy but extremely interesting Episode IX rumor has emerged this weekend, and it’s of particular interest to long-time readers of our site. This is SUPER SKETCHY information, from a Youtuber no less, but it’s also something I don’t feel I can ignore. Head under the cut for possible (or not, it’s that sketchy) spoilers, and some additional thoughts.
Yeah, we all heard it: “Emperor’s Hand” in Saturday night’s Rebels, ‘Legacy of Mandalore.’ The Hand in question is Gar Saxon, governor of Mandalore, a character who’s appeared on Rebels before.
So no, it’s not Mara Jade, the first and best known “Emperor’s Hand” in the no-longer-canon Star Wars Legends timeline. Per Dave Filoni himself, it was just a reference. He told ComicBook.com it’s “probably just a little sly nod to a character type.” Probably:
I think it would probably be meant more innocently, but the minute you say it I’m like, ‘Good grief.’ I know exactly where everyone’s going to go with that,” Filoni told us with a laugh. “I know, with the hopefulness of it all, but I wouldn’t dwell too much on that. It’s more of a generic reference to that type of character that exhibits in history of the world, like the emperor has a hand, there’s someone who’s always sitting at the right hand that’s gained great power.”
Yeah, Filoni could be playing games. But I’m willing to take the comments at face value for now… Even though giving the title to both a man and a Mandalorian seems particularly tone-deaf.
But the fact is, I’ve been rather wary of Mara returning to canon and would prefer it not be on Rebels – if at all. (Rebels is fine for what it is, but it just doesn’t do it for me. Take all the Thrawn you like, but I’m selfish and want more for Mara.)
But, you know… It’s complicated. Continue reading “The term “Emperor’s Hand” is canon again. Should Mara Jade follow? (I’m not so sure.)”
The Star Wars Fan Figure vote finalists are in, and it’s a Legends-heavy field this year: Jaina Solo, The Force Unleashed’s Starkiller, Darth Talon from the Legacy comics and even our own namesake Mara Jade. Rounding out the choices are The Clone Wars’ Captain Rex and bounty hunter Dengar.
(Were certain Legends zealots doing some targeted ballot-stuffing to ensure this outcome? Oh, definitely. Yet in the grand scheme of things, they clearly followed the rules, and there’s no malice to be done here. An action figure hurts no one, so let them have their fun.)
Mara won this a couple years back, and even the resulting figure was something of a disappointment, I don’t really feel tempted to vote for her again. (That Fan’s Choice was her third Hasbro figure, and every single one had to be wearing that silly catsuit, apparently.) Having three women in the finals might be unprecedented, but I don’t find any of the choices all that exciting. Vote as you will: The winner will be announced at Hasbro’s SDCC panel on Friday.
Grand Admiral Thrawn was revealed as a villain in Star Wars Rebels S3, and that’s not even the whole of it. Timothy Zahn – who gave his blessing to the Rebels version via video – is writing a canon Thrawn novel that’ll be out in April 2017.
The Rebels Thrawn is being voiced by Lars Mikkelsen, Mads Mikkelsen’s brother.
Thrawn, who originated in Zahn’s Heir to the Empire in 1991, is the first Legends character to make the jump to the new canon.
When asked if Mara Jade could be next, Filoni was fairly straightforward: “No, not likely.” (I am, for the record, more than okay with that.) Filoni also said that the ysalamiri aren’t making the leap to canon, although there are some visual nods to them in the production design of Thrawn’s introduction.
On his Facebook, Zahn said he’s just turned in the first draft of the novel.
The trailer also featured Wedge Antilles and a Force sensitive character named Bendu, who’s being voiced by Fourth Doctor Tom Baker. For more on everything else about Rebels S3, head to StarWars.com.
Two episodes were show (but not livestreamed) and you can read one review, with some spoilers, over at io9.
Filoni and Lucasfilm’s Kiri Hart talk about how the show makes Thrawn work on Sunday, comparing him to Vader as a villain: “We want to treat him like a big time villain, as much as Darth Vader,” Filoni said. “But on the strategic, military side of things.”
Watch the panel video under the cut. Continue reading “SWCE: Star Wars Rebels S3 to introduce Grand Admiral Thrawn; Timothy Zahn writing canon novel!”
Can you believe that I’ve now completed six whole months of #WearStarWarsEveryDay? That’s a different Star Wars apparel item worn every day for the past twenty-six weeks – 182 days of shirts, hats, costumes, outerwear, even a skirt and a pair of sweatpants. And there’s still more coming!
To mark the six month point, I decided to wear a week of just Her Universe clothing, as a way to highlight the different programs of Collateral Repair Project that help empower women, including their Hope Workshop and their programs funded by Dining For Women. And so we go a whole seven days, turning from the light side with Yoda and Ahsoka, and slipping to the dark side with Mara Jade and the Empire! One shirt is mine, and the High Commander Cardigan borrowed from Mrs. Jawa, and the rest are loaned by Margaret Mays (4 items) and Dunc! Plus we got a donation – Jennifer, one of our per-day pledgemakers, got her bimonthly donation in ahead of time! Clothing art by Tsuneo Sanda, Dave Filoni, Cat Staggs and Nathan Hamill. This review for Week 26 covers June 24 to June 30 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.
Thanks to everyone who has supported Wear Star Wars Every Day so far! There’s a lot of people who had donated to Collateral Repair Project, with more than $1,900 raised in the first six months, over $1,300 of which is via the GoFundMe. And each day I continue my project is another $4.65 donated by our pledge makers. I’d love to get that total up to $5.00 even (or higher!) for the second half of 2016. If you’d like to chip in at a dime a day or a quarter per day (or more), make your pledge at the per-day pledge form and you can choose whether to support the project for the entire year, or just start at the beginning of July. Or you can just make a one-time or monthly donation at GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016.
Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!
This past weekend, much of Club Jade was at our annual gathering at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, including yours truly. Here’s some of what we missed:
→ The second season of Rebels is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on August 30. The Blu-ray has a special feature of Dave Filoni reflecting on Ahsoka Tano’s showdown with Darth Vader.
→ Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, and Frank Marshall discuss getting J.J. Abrams on board for The Force Awakens, IX director Colin Trevorrow and more.
→ Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB has teamed up with VR startup Magic Leap to develop new Star Wars immersive content.
→ Chewbacca Mom Candace Payne now has her own (custom) action figure from Hasbro.
→ Writer Marjorie Liu talks to Amy Ratcliffe about her Han Solo comic.
→ The latest episode of Tor.com’s Rocket Talk podcast features Alexandra Petri, the Washington Post columnist who’s behind Emo Kylo Ren.
→ Disney World’s Hollywood Studios has a new nighttime Star Wars show.
→ Mara Jade fans: There’s a fanfic exchange for the character just starting on Tumblr, with several prompts still available.
It’s been almost 21 years of Club Jade, but all things must pass. In accordance with Star Wars canon, Club Jade is being renamed after a more worthy ginger. Behold Club Hux!