Lit Redundant, Counter-Productive Speculation Time Is Over: "The Star Wars" Announced

Oh, come on. This is a really really cool project. Angry Birds indeed.

 

Uh, guys, approach this from the perspective of people who aren't wrapped up in the EU and think an announcement of Star Wars: Waru's Magic Retcon Hour would be the "biggest" thing ever. The famous early drafts of Star Wars, one of the greatest, most famous movies of all time, representing the pulp-adventure explorations of George Lucas back at the height of his creative power, are getting a fancy comic adaptation, which is the next best thing to actually having a movie made. This is a way, way bigger announcement to the general public than Knight Errant: War. You don't have to be excited about it, but bitching about how it's not "big enough" because you had some other announcement dreamed up you want to see is silly.

 

Aw, only an hour?

 

Exactly. The chances of a person who's never picked up a Star Wars comic deciding to check this out is exponentially higher than practically anything else they could release. I don't want it to become its own ongoing continuity, but this project does have great potential.

 

I'd say it's immensely difficult to work out who this would and would not appeal to. Tolkein's estate put out no shortage of draft work and unfinished stories, but I don't know how well any of it's sold. I don't think it's been such a success that you can say anyone who likes Lord of the Rings will like the other stuff. So I'm sceptical that kind of easy transfer happens, thus saying anyone who likes SW would likely be interested in this, I'm really not so sure.

Still, IF it's to be a success beyond the comic crowd then two avenues could be pursued:

1. Market the hell out of the comic to tap the casual market across print and digital, the latter probably being better than print due to product cost. Comics are expensive relative to other entertainment options.

2. Give the collection a big, big push - for all digital is lauded, a lot of people will still opt for a physical copy so aim for them.

 

I see your arguments but why the hell should I even care for what EU disrespecting fans want? they needn't buy or love the EU but there is no single reason for me to see it their way when the EU clearly was the point of expanding the movies. even if a large group of fans is in denial about the EU being canon, that is their problem and not mine. they can cry all they want about it but we already got an EU and expansion. infinities is fun, interesting even but in no way is it bigger than canon stuff.

 

Actually, that's an idea - DHC put this out and in the back of the issues and the collection there's a load of signpost ads to various SW books, it acts as a gateway product.

 

Ugh. Here's my announcement to the forum at large: I don't care if you like it or not. I already said that. But bitching that it's not "big enough" is childish and myopic. Randy said he had a big cool announcement, and he announced something big and cool, something that will interest the general public, movie fans, and EU fans. The fact that it's not as big to us, the hardcore EU fans, as it could possibly theoretically be, doesn't change that. The fact that the announcement kept getting delayed and you built it up in your head to be about something it wasn't and now you're disappointed that it wasn't the EU-changing series or post-Disney status announcement you wanted doesn't change that, and all this whining and moaning about how lame this announcement is, as if you've been personally wronged because you got an announcement that didn't thrill you like you'd imagined, is petty and self-centered. Oh, the horror! Dark Horse is putting out a product that isn't hardcore EU! Let's all sob about how wretchedly deceived we have been by absolutely nothing said or done in the course of promoting this announcement! Pity party in Lit to bitch about the exact micro-calibration of the language used to describe the precise magnitude of the announcement! A company said something was big, and it is, but not to me! Scandal of the week! Come on. I expect Lit to be better than this.

Say you're interested, say you're not interested, say it's not the announcement you were hoping for but you'll get over it. But for the love of god, enough of the schoolboy whining that it wasn't "big enough."

 

See, I don't see why it has to be one way or the other. I love continuity, and get annoyed when it's blatantly contradicted. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the prospect of something that's out of continuity and and a little more experimental in nature. No, this isn't the next chapter in Star Wars storytelling, but it doesn't have to be. It can just be fun on its own merits.

 

Damn it Hav, stop beating around the bush and tell us when Waru's Magic Retcon Hour is coming out! I want it to be real and am therefore expecting it of you!

 

So tempting to throw in a size matters joke now....

 

Well, he did mention it, therefore it's now owed to us and we have the right to complain should it not be delivered upon.

 

Which is kind of a shame. I've always wanted to see a planet of Lando Calrissian clones.

 

At least this is a good case of their thinking outside the box. By chance they've stumbled on something I've been thinking they needed to do for a few years now, and as long as it respects the original McQuarrie designs as well as the spirit of the original script, I would buy it. The very fact that it's not an existing EU story may be part of the appeal for me. At this point I'm perfectly content to watch the current EU burn, because first, I just don't have time to invest in the adventures of characters like Dass Jennir or Kir Kanos when they're not the characters who I paid tickets in the movie theaters to see, and second, I already smell the scent of death on the EU, and it's better to burn your dead than to leave it lying around spreading disease.

 

My reading has been that it's an adaptation of the drafts. The art for Darth Vader certainly isn't based on McQuarrie's famous concept art, and I don't think there's even solid concept art for the first draft. What's not clear is if it's a straight adaptation of one particular draft, or if it's an amalgamation of multiple similar drafts into a best-of-the-process story result. I definitely wouldn't expect a totally original inspired-by grab bag.

 

Posted earlier from Rebel Force Radio today:

http://maddogmovies.com/almost/scripts/starwars_rough5-74.pdf

 

Report from CBR on the SW panel from WonderCon yesterday: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44649

Some interesting tidbits in that article. For example, Randy wanting Brian to write the title FOREVER. Apparently no 50-issue cancellation with this ongoing.

In addition, while talking about Force Wars, the upcoming DOTJ arc, the article says that Del Rey has launched a "parallel line of novels". So, there's a stealth announcement for another DOTJ book. Hopefully the novel series will overview the characters of the first two minis after those minis, since purportedly Force Wars is 100+ years after Prisoner of Bogan.

 

Anybody who's downplaying the awesomeness that is this, clearly don't understand how great this really is. Ever since the TFU II bonus content I've been waiting for something like this.

 

Is this april fools or legit

 

Sounds legit.

Here's a non-blurry version of the first page.

 

The first page matches perfectly with the May 1974 rough draft, with Annikin, after seeing the Sith Knight ship landing, running into the hut in Utapau where he, Deak and Kane Starkiller are hiding. You can read the whole draft here: http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/swd1_5-74.txt

 

I meant the link talking about the panel and possible DOTJ novels and a long running Star Woods

 

What I'm wondering about is DOTJ: Force Wars. I find it interesting that a comic book series covering an already known event was announced on April 1. However, if it is real, it is the grand moment all us lore buffs have been waiting for.

 

Assuming this is real, I have another conspiracy theory:

By releasing an "alternate" time line of SW stories, this butters us up for an eventual "reboot" of the franchise. Think about it, instead of going "Star Trek 2009" reboot, they ease us in with these alternate EU, timelines, etc. Then when it comes to the movies, we'll be used to "mini reboots" allowing us to better accept a full blown recreation of the SW continuity.

Again, just a conspiracy theory..