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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Lit Crafting An Epic: The Making of the New Jedi Order -- New Documentary

Discussion in 'Literature' started by xezene, Dec 9, 2024.

  1. xezene

    xezene Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Hey all! Today I'm pleased to share this poster, wonderfully illustrated by a friend of mine, who goes by Skooma Joe, for the upcoming documentary I'm producing, Crafting An Epic: The Making of the New Jedi Order. It comes out in a few weeks and I figure having a dedicated thread would be a perfect place to discuss the material in it, much of which has never previously been widely shared.

    This documentary pulls from over 120 interviews, many previously lost, as well as new interviews that I conducted with James Luceno, Greg Keyes, and Elaine Cunningham. Every single book, short story, and cancelled work gets a spotlight here -- from every single author involved in the series, as well as editors Shelly Shapiro, Sue Rostoni, and Lucy Autrey Wilson. Everything from conception of the series to release, as well as reactions (TFN gets name-dropped by more than a couple authors!), is covered. Coming soon! In the meantime, here is the poster.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. TOD-UK

    TOD-UK Jedi Grand Master star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2002
    Oh this sounds amazing!
     
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  3. Darth_Duck

    Darth_Duck Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2000
    I am curious as to what Michael Jan Friedman has to say about his cancelled Knightfall trilogy...
     
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  4. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    Colour me curious.!
     
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  5. Darth Corydon

    Darth Corydon Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 4, 2018
    hmm
     
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  6. Reepicheep775

    Reepicheep775 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 27, 2019
  7. DarthPhilosopher

    DarthPhilosopher Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 23, 2011
    This looks very good.
     
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  8. AusStig

    AusStig Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2010
    Good to hear, can't hardly wait.
     
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  9. jafo

    jafo Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 20, 2001
    Where will this be available please?
    I’m reworking my way through NJO (four books to go) & if this is covering the cancelled projects as well, then this will be well worth it. I was disappointed when Dark Horse couldn’t get their comics out until very late in the day. Hopefully their original plans will be covered.
     
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  10. Noash_Retrac

    Noash_Retrac Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2006
    Oh this will be fascinating. So many questions about the author's intents for several characters that were clearly meant to be new characters but just got a familiar name put on them. Heck, I'd ask the authors about how much they knew of ships and what their intent behind using the designations such as "frigate" or "cruiser" or "corvette" and what classes they could be. Hope they kept their notes in some form.
     
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  11. xezene

    xezene Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 6, 2016
    It will be available on Youtube! I will also release it on Archive.org, in mp3 format, if people prefer to hear it that way, podcast-style.

    I will release it on the same YT channel that I put out the teaser last year:


    I will also definitely post it here.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2024
  12. DarthRelaxus

    DarthRelaxus Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 23, 2007
    That was twenty-five years ago?

    [​IMG]
     
  13. vong333

    vong333 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2003
    I can't wait for this. i love the the New Jedi order series and consider amazing sci-fi work that is light years ahead of Disney canon
     
  14. Loopy777

    Loopy777 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 8, 2013
    I hate the NJO and I'm still bubbling with anticipation about this. Love it or hate it, it will forever be the most ambitious Star Wars publishing thing and its history deserves to be detailed.
     
  15. xezene

    xezene Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Excited to share the release schedule -- first part is releasing Tuesday here!

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. AusStig

    AusStig Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2010
    Very exciting! Can hardly wait.
     
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  17. Xander Vos

    Xander Vos Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2013
    Glad I've just spotted this as it's certainly something I'll enjoy listening to.

    Will it be on spotify etc.?
     
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  18. ColeFardreamer

    ColeFardreamer Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 24, 2013
    It is Tuesday already here!
     
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  19. xezene

    xezene Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 6, 2016
    It will release on Youtube weekly, and then sometime afterwards I will release it as audio chapters on the Internet Archive.
    Part I should release in about 20 hours!
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2025
  20. Xander Vos

    Xander Vos Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2013
    There's a platform called "Anchor" which is a great aggregator of audio platforms (free to use), you may get a lot more listeners/reach uploading it to something like that (not sure if the 'Internet Archive' is similar?).
     
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  21. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    So, what time was the first part supposed to be up?
     
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  22. xezene

    xezene Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 6, 2016
    It premiered this night, here it is! Enjoy and feel free to discuss.



    Part II comes next Monday!
     
  23. Xander Vos

    Xander Vos Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2013
    Fantastic first chapter, although the suggestion that just because they didn't give the YV fire swords led to Ostrander not wanting anything to do with the NJO is a bit of a funny image.
     
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  24. Slater

    Slater Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 12, 2014
    This is extra funny considering Legacy is like the only thing post NJO that treats the Vong War as an important and substantial thing that happened
     
  25. Barriss_Coffee

    Barriss_Coffee Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2003
    This is amazing @xezene -- you should really get a medal for assembling this! If the documentary had been just this episode alone, it would still have been fantastic.

    I jotted down some random comments as they came to me listening...
    • Bantam passing off on Marvel's 1980s stuff as if it's complete fluff and they want nothing to do with it... and now look where we are, Crimson Jack TV show....
    • Anderson's description of a gas planet species invasion is really intriguing. Not that it was a better idea, but it was a unique idea.
    • Can I just say that it's really, really encouraging to see so many people recognize that continuity supports good storytelling? Shapiro was the only one that was meh about it in one interview, but then she seemed to switch views in another.
    • I had no idea who Lucy Autrey Wilson was before this program, but everything she said was brilliant. She seemed to be the one who got a lot of people and ideas to come together in the early stages.
    • Michael Stackpole is another I didn't realize had such a huge influence on the EU in general. I mean I knew he was famous like Zahn for writing the X-Wings, but I didn't realize they had him coming to so many meetings to draft outlines. Particularly the NJO -- it seems like he had a huge role developing the initial multi-book plan.
    • Interesting that Luceno credits Stackpole for basically introducing him to the EU. Every time he mentions Stackpole, it's like a master/apprentice relationship. I didn't know they had much to do with one another before this.
    • LOL about the hard "limits". Absolutely no Whills, absolutely no going beyond PG-13. Disney didn't even hesitate.
    • I am SO glad they didn't do the idea of the female alien Sith befriending Anakin and then the twins turning against him. It's a bit like what happened with Ben Skywalker. The plot is... boring. And it's hilarious that Lucas nixed it for the same reason.
    • Oh geez, EVERYONE wanted to kill Luke! It's funny hearing all these different interviews together since it's not planned. It's like they all felt guilty admitting they wanted Luke dead.
    • This exchange about Stackpole getting miffed about killing Anakin is a riot:
      Stackpole: Well screw it, I am going to characterize the hell out of him so that whoever kills him will feel miserable. I am heavily motivated by spite.
      Luceno: We had to… we had to all gang up on Mike.
    • I think it is Xazene who makes the insightful remark about the NJO invasion map being the origin of the Disney-era map today.
    Randy proves he is literally the Dark Horse in this interview session. I remember he was had a reputation for going against the grain, but his opinions on the NJO take the cake.