Return of the EU Debates: Does EU Violate GL's Vision of AGFFA or Not? (NO BLASTERS!)

Sturm,

My point exactly. I don't have to read. But I watch a thread that shows some promise and get sucked into another canon discussion. You hit the nail right on the head when you wrote:

"But if one wants to start the war again, punch up the "Canon - The Last Word" thread."

You and Skywalker_Kenobi need to settle your differences there. I promise that I won't read, 'cause "You didn't have to read it."

And I won't.

 

From The Official Site:

Steve Sansweet QUOTING Chris Cerasi:


Q: I'm really confused about canon. Is Star Wars Gamer canon? What about the Marvel series? Are they now considered "Infinities?"

While issues like these are often best left to each individual's "point of view", here's what LucasBooks' Chris Cerasi had to say...

There's been some confusion of late regarding the 'Infinities' symbol, and Star Wars Expanded Universe continuity in general. Terms like "canon" and "continuity" tend to get thrown around casually, which doesn't help at all.
When it comes to absolute canon, the real story of Star Wars, you must turn to the films themselves - and only the films. Even novelizations are interpretations of the film, and while they are largely true to George Lucas' vision (he works quite closely with the novel authors), the method in which they are written does allow for some minor differences. The novelizations are written concurrently with the film's production, so variations in detail do creep in from time to time. Nonetheless, they should be regarded as very accurate depictions of the fictional Star Wars movies.

The further one branches away from the movies, the more interpretation and speculation come into play. LucasBooks works diligently to keep the continuing Star Wars expanded universe cohesive and uniform, but stylistically, there is always room for variation. Not all artists draw Luke Skywalker the same way. Not all writers define the character in the same fashion. The particular attributes of individual media also come into play. A comic book interpretation of an event will likely have less dialogue or different pacing than a novel version. A video game has to take an interactive approach that favors gameplay. So too must card and roleplaying games ascribe certain characteristics to characters and events in order to make them playable.

The analogy is that every piece of published Star Wars fiction is a window into the 'real' Star Wars universe. Some windows are a bit foggier than others. Some are decidedly abstract. But each contains a nugget of truth to them. Like the great Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi said, 'many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view.'

Returning to the question at hand. Yes, Star Wars Gamer is part of continuity, though as game material, there is room for interpretation. Only specific articles marked with the 'Infinities' logo within the magazine should be considered out of continuity.

Fans of the old monthly Marvel Star Wars comic will be heartened to know that LucasBooks does indeed consider them part of continuity. Decades of retrospect haven't been kind to all the elements of the comic series, but the characters and events still hold weight and are referenced in newer material whenever possible.

In order to allow unlimited freedom of storytelling, the Infinities label has been placed on the anthology series, Star Wars Tales. This means that not only can the stories occur anywhere in the Star Wars timeline, but stories can happen outside continuity. Basically, if an event happens in Tales, it may not have necessarily happened in the rest of the expanded universe. For some stories, the distinction is largely inconsequential. For others, it's the only way they could exist (for example, there's a Darth Vader vs. Darth Maul comic coming soon).

 

Yes, but that quote is outdated, as it came out on August 17th. The Gamer quote was in Sept/Oct, which is clearly after August 17th.

 

Whatever.

People asked for it so I found it.

 

That quote has already been viewed and acknowledged. We know it exists. That doesn't change the fact that it is outdated and therefore wrong.

What Sturm and I were referring to in S_K's "phantom proof" was the TOS quote he claims was released only two weeks ago. No one, it seems, has been able to find that quote, and every time we request that S_K provide a link, he refuses.

 

Yeah, well, after going through page after page of moronic questions to the Jedi Council there, I gave up. Didn't find what J_K is referring to- in other words: bugger all, nada, zilch, zippo, not a bloody sausage.

 

I don't know why I'm still posting...

Okay Bib could you please give the exact quote from the Gamer magazine and the context of it please?

Just to end this horror.

 

Ai yai yai. Give me a minute and I'll find it.

Here you go:

LFL's new policy is from Oct/Nov. 2001. As summarized verbatim from Star Wars Gamer #6, it reads thus:
"According to Lucas Licensing Editor Sue Rostoni, "Canon refers to an authoritative list of books that the Lucas Licensing editors consider an authentic part of the official Star Wars history. Our goal is to present a continuous and unified history of the Star Wars galaxy, insofar as that history does not conflict with, or undermine the meaning of Mr. Lucas's Star Wars saga of films and screenplays." Things that Lucas Licensing does not consider official parts of the continuous Star Wars history show an Infinities logo or are contained in Star Wars Tales. Everything else is considered canon.

 

All right,

I just went to TOS and asked a question of the Jedi Council about what is or isn't "canon". I challenge all y'all fanboys to do the same. If we get enough people bugging LFL, maybe we'll get an answer that will keep the question off the boards for a few days. To quote Bluto:

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.....? Hell no! And it ain't over now! Who's with me?"

 

We could ask, but they may not post the question with answer. I get the sense that they like to have a lot of different questions for their Jedi Council things. It would be a little odd to answer another canon question after just 3 months.

More than anything, the TOS article was refering to the Marvel comics, I think.

 

What's funny is that S_K continually says that Sansweet is quoted in this TOS article, and because he his head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm, he himself is in a higher level of "canonity" than Sue Rostoni or Chris Cerasi. LOL. Yeah, silly...

But Sansweet doesn't even give the answer. He "turns to Chris Cerasi". Someone who is familiar with the Expanded Universe, and knows what he's talking about when it comes to continuity. All Sansweet has done is write the SW Encyclopedia. He's not on the same level. As it is, that point is moot.

Now, to quote the TOS article...

When it comes to absolute canon, the real story of Star Wars, you must turn to the films themselves - and only the films

This is true. The core of the Star Wars saga is the 6-part film series, the novelizations, and to a lesser extent, the radio dramas. I don't think that anyone here would argue against this. These are what I call "prime canon". This means that by watching, hearing and reading these sources, you can *definetly* use the information to successfully speculate on what is to come in Episodes II and III of the films. People did it for TPM and came through. In fact, the whole prologue to ANH is a full blueprint for the PT if you read it closely. You can see that Lucas is sticking to his original story outlines.

However, quoting this from the article, notice how it does not say "only the films". What it's implying is that, when it comes to "true canon", it is only the films. It does not say "only the films are canon". That would be going against what is said in Gamer issue 6.

The analogy is that every piece of published Star Wars fiction is a window into the 'real' Star Wars universe. Some windows are a bit foggier than others. Some are decidedly abstract.

That's a key line right there, that certainly applies to the various ways people are interpreting the Chosen One theory and Dark Empire.

Anyway, there's nothing in the TOS article that says "only the movies are canon". It's just "true canon". As in, you can use it to predict the next movies, and the movies are all you need to enjoy the SW saga to it's full extent.

So, sorry move-canonists, but it does nothing to invalidate Gamer. And S_K's phantom TOS article that's 2 weeks old, does not exist.

 

People. This is not about cannon. Cannon debates are Usless because it always comes down to what an Individual thinks and wants. You shouldn't try and force your ways on someone else. That leads to bad things. It is up to you what you want to have in your GFFA.

As for the topic... Even 'IF' the EU is not Cannon. Is it or insn't it?? doesn't matter. The fact is that it still will not violate GL's vision. A person can take the EU as a whole with the movies if they want to or just part of the EU with the movies. A person can just take the movies and ignore the EU. All will still get a whole lot of fun from the deal. It works well either way. The GL empire has done a good job of making that way.

It's not about what is "offical" cannon. (sorry I know some people do care a lot about cannon but I wish it wasn't such a big deal around here) Sorry but that's how I feel. There is no violation with the EU so it shouldn't matter if you accept it or not.

 

I have my own canon.

But this debate is about official canon - that which is supposed to be held in view by all SW fans, if they choose to take sides.

 

RRRRGAAGAGAGAGAGGGGGGRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!!

Gandalf Postmangler is ANGRY!!! He warned you that offtopicness would merit a smiting, and so you shall be smited!

[cuts off Sturm Antilles head, uses it to decorate spear]

[Runs though Bib Fortuna, Twi'lek, throws his body to the dogs]

[Pilliages thread]

Nothing can withstand the might and fury of an enraged vjiking!

 

*Dark-cloaked figure watches Gandalf_Postmangler's rampage with great interest. He looks over the thread, notices how it keeps getting knocked off-topic, and looks towards the thread hijackers*

Don't make me come in there...

 

But in some ways, this *is* the continuation of the canon thread.

Anyway...I never start this. Someone throws fuel onto a fire and I have to come in with Red 4 and put it out each time...I think that last nuetron bomb should hold back the Naz--, er, movie-canonists for now.

Signing off.

 

Looks like Gandalf is off his lithium and thorazine again.

 

We must inspire fear in evil! Quiet tales of hamsters are foolish, but a man and his hamster that tear evil limb from limb? That's scary!

(Right, Boo?)

 

Go for the eyes, Boo! Go for the eyes!

Yes, Gandalf, everything will be fine.

Someone hold him down so I can inject him.

 

I think I knocked the thread even further off-topic