why do you hate EU?

The EU books provide a tidy profit, which he then funnels back into LFL so he can continue to make movies.

This is one point that I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with, as in every major studio enterprise, be it Lucasfilm, or Paramount, or Warner Brothers, the revenues provided by print licensing are positively minuscule when compared with sales generated by toys and the like.

This is why you see far more Star Wars toys on sale everywhere, and only a few venues carrying the printed wares, in any given community. It's simply more lucrative for a licensee to produce toy product than it is for them to sell -- and this comes from industry quotes -- on the average, three to four times fewer product in the print-wares arena. That's the ratio that their accountants look at...simple market finance.

So, if George really were in need of generating massive donkeycarts full of cash to fuel his filmmaking enterprises, he'd switch over full-scale to toy production, and coast off of the toy likenesses of the movie characters for the next forty years, not even worrying about the novels and such. At best, he'd be selling them at an almost pure loss. Therefore, he must have some far larger creative interest in allowing the printed works to exist, rather than simply exploiting them for the (nonexistent) wampum. Which has been demonstrated.

 

But he is the company, and the company is him. They are one and the same. It it called Lucasfilm Ltd. after all.

He owns the company. He puts his profits back into the company, which (his words) makes just enough to keep going.

 

So what is that parallel universe quote supposed to do? Make us completists feel bad? Heh, it doesn't really matter to me, canon or not canon.

All I know is that Star Wars EU stories will keep on being produced after Episode III and a small group of fans can't change that

 

Shelley, it does seem that something has been left out....

 

which (his words) makes just enough to keep going.

What a sad day when a company can't survive without trillions of dollars and can barely scrape by on mere billions.

If it can't survive on that, then he's mismanaging the money.

 

"There are two worlds here," explained Lucas. "There?s my world, which is the movies, and there?s this other world that has been created, which I say is the parallel universe ? the licensing world of the books, games and comic books. They don?t intrude on my world, which is a select period of time, [but] they do intrude in between the movies. I don?t get too involved in the parallel universe."

*goes through a few practice kicks before taking shots at the purist crutch*

". . . which I say is the parallel universe ? the licensing world of the books, games and comic books."

There's been a lot of talk about the parallel universe bit and what it actually means. Call me when he says something definite like "alternate."

"They don't intrude on my world,"

But they spring from it.

. . . which is a select period of time, [but] they do intrude in between the movies.

The movies deal with what happened in their timeframes - ie EU does not rewrite what happened in Ep. I-VI. It fill the gaps between the movies and extends out from both ends of the timeline (before prequels/after OT).

"I don?t get too involved in the parallel universe."

Note the qualifier too. He is involved, as can be referenced by numerous prior quotes from GL, LFL, and EU authors.

 

round of applause for JFT

 

Sorry for being so late on this one:
I'm not yelling at anyone. I gave my opinion on why I don't like the EU, as did a couple of other people, in a matter-of-fact way. If anyone "yelled," it was EU fans who jumped on us and demanded that we justify it.

So we are extremely confused! We want to understand. We need clarification! That is why you must justify open ended accusations.

 

when he says that what do you think Shelley?

What do I think? I think it shows pretty clearly that he considers the EU a parallel story. It coexists with the real story, his story, but it is not the same.

that the only true Star Wars is his?

Yes.

maybe what GL wanted to say that the movies are his. they originated by him, and they are made by him. but in that he also wants to be more stories for people to read.

Possibly. But they are just speculative stories (when Zahn's books first came out, there was a disclaimer on the dust jacket). Like paid fanfiction.

but he only has the movies as his part. the books belong to someone else, and that is their story, which is in the universe that he started.

No, they are in a parallel universe to his. Someone else's take on what happened to his characters.

 

So, if George really were in need of generating massive donkeycarts full of cash

I didn't say he was. I said the books put in a tidy profit. Not gobs of money, but a tidy profit. Included in with the rest of the tie-in products, it's probably a fair amount of money.

 

The EU in its entirety is a big convoluted and contradictory mess. I'm just waiting for someone to start rambling on about how Marvel Comics fits in perfectly when you think really hard about it.

 

Or he could just be saying, "I'm done, take it from here."

If your problem is GL not being personally involved in the minutae of the EU or not making any more movies, hold him at gunpoint and force him to continue the saga ad infinitum. Otherwise, EU will be the officially recognized continuation of the movies. Enjoy.

 

Like paid fanfiction.

What's wrong with fan fiction? Of course the authors are going to be fans of SW. If they weren't, the stories would suck. It's not fan fiction if it's paid for.

 

So what is that parallel universe quote supposed to do? Make us completists feel bad? Heh, it doesn't really matter to me, canon or not canon.

Good for you. That's a good attitude to have.

I dislike most of the EU. Some of it I like. I think of it as speculative fiction, on what might have happened to our heroes. But not necessarily what really would happen to them. It's like fanfic that is written by paid authors.

All I know is that Star Wars EU stories will keep on being produced after Episode III and a small group of fans can't change that

Yep.

 

Good for you. That's a good attitude to have.

Are you being sarcastic?

 

What's wrong with fan fiction?

Nothing. I like fanfiction. I write fanfiction myself.

Of course the authors are going to be fans of SW.

Or they're just going to be sci-fi/fantasy authors who were tapped to do what Kevin J. Anderson labeled "burger flipping in the literary world."

Even if they are fans of SW, almost none of them--if any at all--get what SW is about, nor do they grasp the characters.

If they weren't, the stories would suck.

And many of the stories do suck, just like many fanfiction stories suck.

It's not fan fiction if it's paid for.

No, it's licensed, paid fan fiction. And I'm not even sure about the "fan" part with many of the authors.

 

Are you being sarcastic?

No, I'm not. I think it's great that it doesn't matter to you whether the EU is canon or not.

 

I have seen this before....sarcastic EU haters.

Are you one, Shelley?

 

No, I'm not. I think it's great that it doesn't matter to you whether the EU is canon or not.

Oh, okay.

Satimber: She just said she was serious

 

I think of it as speculative fiction, on what might have happened to our heroes. But not necessarily what really would happen to them. It's like fanfic that is written by paid authors.

"Speculative fiction"? "Science fiction"? How about, "Star Wars in general"?

 

If your problem is GL not being personally involved in the minutae of the EU or not making any more movies, hold him at gunpoint and force him to continue the saga ad infinitum.

Why would I do that? I'd love more SW straight from Lucas, but when Episode III is over, he'll be in his 60s, having devoted much of his adult life to SW. He's said himself he wants to focus on other stuff. After 2005, I'll just enjoy the 6 movies that I have. If I get the craving for speculative fiction, I'll read/write fanfic, and maybe read an EU story that I've heard is good.

 

Even if they are fans of SW, almost none of them--if any at all--get what SW is about, nor do they grasp the characters.

So the only ones who know what SW really is are you and Lucas? What makes you think your vision of SW is any more accurate than ours? You don't.

 

I think star wars is in a catagory all its own. kind of a science/fantisy/fiction. it dsent fit squarely into either

 

Shelley:
Even if they are fans of SW, almost none of them--if any at all--get what SW is about, nor do they grasp the characters.

Have you ever read the process of what it takes to be a SW author in the EU? Have you seen so of the names that want to write in the EU, but are not approved?

Let me ask you this, if you were an author, and you were asked to write in a genre that you did not have an appreciation for, would you write a book for it?

 

"Speculative fiction"? "Science fiction"? How about, "Star Wars in general"?

How about "pale imitations of SW written by authors who care more about their obnoxious Gary Stus and Mary Sues than Lucas's characters"?