A&A The Official John Ostrander Discussion Thread

I for one am extemely excited about the "Legacy" project. I was never an EU fan untill reading John's "Republic" work. It will be refreshing to read stories that have no pre-written ending. The Clone Wars stuff was amazing and we knew how they had to end. I urge John to break all the rules...I'm sure he'll be respectful to the past but... I cannot wait to see what stories John can create with a completly blank canvas.

 

Hey John i finally got my final issue of Republic in the post this morning. I just have to say it was a fantastic ending to a fantastic comic series. Im realy glad that Quinlan survived. I was just woundering though, were all the Wookies from the village actually with Khaleen, Tholme and T'ra Saa in the caves? And also other than Legacy what other plans have you got for the future? Maybe you could help Mr.Lucas develop the TV series?

 

[cough]Lucas[/cough]


What?

 

Mr. Ostrander:

There are those like Admiral Nick who are not sure but engaged in dialogue and are willing to give the book a chance on its own merits and you can't ask more than that.



Like I said, it would be foolish to completely write something off without reading it first. I remember that when the NJO came out that I was not thrilled with it, but over time I began to really get into the series. I found that once I gave up my preconcieved notion of how the EU should turn out (like the survival of the NR), that I began to really enjy the series.

I will continue to hope for some sort of honorable, democratic, galactic government (be it the Galactic Alliance, something new, etc). But it would be foolish of me to disregard a new project just because I don't know much about it.

So, what I am saying Mr. Ostrander is that I will keep an open mind as we approach this new series.

Just promise me that you include some Mon Calamari in it. They make great admirals.

--Adm. Nick

 

Mr. Ostrander can you comment on the validity of the third paragraph from the bottom of this link (was on the front page of TF.N {under Small Screen})

http://www.theforce.net/swtv/story/WonderCon_Wrap_Up_97071.asp

*Warning: Unless you have read #83, clicking the link isnt recommended

 

I don't know why Dan would say that.

As I've said elswhere, I wrote TWO endings to the last issue -- one where Quin died and one where he lived. Jan and I went over it and talked about it with Randy and LFL. The decision was made to go with the ending as printed. I like the ending we printed; it gave a note of hope to the ending.

-- John

 

I think Randy said it too...

From the Republic 83 thread:

 

how can anyone be so far and away against anything SW and still have 100's or 1000's of posts here?

discussion? of course!!! dissent? totally acceptable. but out right distain?
come on guys.

that will forever baffle me.

i imagine they would all be happier if the EU was 100% discontinued and the saga was over ina ll it's myriad forms?

i for one will take anything i can get - any era - good or bad - and from John and Jan -- hells yea.

 

John, (is that ok?)

I had a much less serious question (one that Rouge_Follower would probally interested in)

How do you feel about the need of some fans to "ship" romances involving your created OCs.. obviously Quin/Khaleen had merit.. but what about the wild, wacky ships that are popularized in a certain thread in Lit.? Any thoughts..

 

Hey, J.O.!

have you ever driven from Portland Oregon to Seattle? You pass a sign that has Ostrander 5 miles, Vader, 10 miles. I always loved driving by there.

Dark Horse has a good handle on SW. I still love TotJ, and though Dark Empire should be Infinities, it still gave me chills. TTT gave me a good substitute for counting sheep.

 

Not to mention you can pretty much pick out the exact exit along I-5 where Terry Brooks lives (as there's an exit named "Pe Ell" which nearly made me drive off the road the first time I saw it!)...

 

Randy Stradley posted:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This might be a good place to mention this: that George Lucas fella that so many posters were bad-mouthing over in the "No More Wookiee Jedi" thread is directly responsible for the ending of this story.

So, everybody, repeat after me, "We so sorry, Mr. Lucas. We should never have doubted you."

I really can't comment to that other than to say, "That randy! What a whacky guy!"<g>

-- John

 

episodenone:
>>discussion? of course!!! dissent? totally acceptable. but out right distain?
come on guys.<<

To be fair, I think those who who are most negative are PROBABLY/POSSIBLY the ones who havev't read what Jan and I have done. They don't know our track record and they're reacting to the SOUND of Legacy.

Yeah, there's one or two who I find annoying but it's largely because they're being rude as well as ill-informed. What makes me laugh, as I noted in one post elsewhere, are the fans who basically make up a scenario based on what they THINK is going to happen and then ATTACK it! I mean, if you're going to fantasize about something, why not fatasize something you LIKE?<g>

Actually, I DO get it. They're playing out their FEARS of what Legacy might be. That's okay; I understand that. Making an ATTACK based on that -- that's a bit hard to take. But there's only one or two doing that.

As I keep saying, I really do like and appreciate the fans. And I do listen. Just because i don't do what they ask doesn't mean I'm not listening.<g>

-- John

 

Rohniss
>>How do you feel about the need of some fans to "ship" romances involving your created OCs.. obviously Quin/Khaleen had merit.. but what about the wild, wacky ships that are popularized in a certain thread in Lit.? Any thoughts..<<

Haven't read it so I really can't comment. If it's along the lines of fanfic, I really CAN'T read it.

-- John

 

>>have you ever driven from Portland Oregon to Seattle? You pass a sign that has Ostrander 5 miles, Vader, 10 miles. I always loved driving by there.<<

Oh, THAT is just too weird!<g>

-- John

 

For those of you in the NYC area --

I'm planning on attending the NYCC this Friday and Saturday. I don't have a table but I've talked to DH about doing some signings at their table/booth. I'll co-ordinate times with them when I get there. If you're going, feel free to drop by.

-- John

 

oh my god!

i don't know what i would want you to sign first!

i love in nyc - i hope i can make it !!!!!!!!!!!

 

As long as we're all waiting for LEGACY, I thought I'd talk about it a little -- including why we're talking so little about it!<g> Some of it I've said elsewhere but I think it's worth saying again.

1) While I'm hoping that MOST of you will enjoy LEGACY, I don't think that ALL of you will. Nothing I have ever written has worked for everyone who read it. In many cases, itÕs a matter of taste or the vision of what in this case Star Wars should be. Saying that something doesn't appeal to you is perfectly legit and I understand completely. There are writers out there who I know are classic but they just doesn't work for me. Nothing wrong with them -- or with me. My problem comes when someone insists that their vision is the only right one; in short, when they get dogmatic. Does everyone have a right to an opinion? Sure. But if it isn't an informed or a reasoned opinion, why should anyone else pay attention to it? I sometimes wonder if global warming isn't being caused by all the hot air that gets spewed. (Although to be fair, nothing in the SW community can match what comes from politicians.<g>)
2) Who are we creating LEGACY for? Well, Jan and I are both SW fans of long standing and we're doing our best to make sure that LEGACY fits into a constantly evolving continuity. That said, we're also trying to make it as accessible and inviting to as many SW fans as possible -- including those who haven't ventured much into the EU. It needs to look and feel like SW to them as well -- hence an Empire, Sith, Jedi, lightsabers, a Skywalker, stormtroopers and so on. We're trying to put a new spin on all of it. Not exactly the same but not too strange. We want to make it so that those who have NOT been immersed in the EU can pick up 0 or issue or even issue 2 and get into it. How do we do that and satisfy long time readers? It's a trick I've done before. Everything you need to know to follow the plot or the series is (hopefully) in the issues. The details and references will resonate with more seasoned fan but (again hopefully) not be necessary to understand the STORY. I've done this most recently with a character I created called GRIMJACK. We brought him back in a 6 issue miniseries last year after being away for 13 years. I needed to appeal to both our hardcore fan base but also new readers. I used the technique I described above and, from all accounts, it worked.
3) Why don't we just tell you more? Partly, it's PR. We're trying to sell the book, get people interested and excited before it comes out so that they'll let their retailers know they want it (you have been doing that, right? If they don't know you want LEGACY and we succeed in creating a demand, you might not be able to find the books when they start appearing.). The more important reason (for me anyway) is -- we want you to DISCOVER it in the course of the story. I really still remember the first time I saw the first SW movie (now EpIV). That opening, the music, the scroll, the one ship coming off the top of the scene only to be followed by the star destroyer that seemed to go on FOR DAYS! It's that sense of discovery that we are hoping to bring to LEGACY as you discover our characters and find out just what the situation is in the galaxy. You'll certainly learn a lot in LEGACY 0 -- but not everything. And you won't see it in context until you read the first issue.
4) Jan and I have a LOT of story to tell you. We have characters that we've created that won't even make it into that first story and all these characters have stories of their own as well -- not only Cade. And you won't know everything right away about every character you see, either. These characters were created to grow, to change, as the stories go on. That's part of what makes this so exciting for me, the storyteller.

Well, I don't think I've told you much of anything NEW about LEGACY but I hope I've given some insight to my thinking on it. Expect more info between now and the time of Legacy 0. Where? Ah, that would be telling! <g>

-- John

 

You mean like how some thought the badass Batman of the '90s and the comics by Frank Miller ruined the terrible Adam West Batman of the '60?

 

But will Mandalorians b

 

I think the stormie armor is explainable. I think it's probably more ceremonial than functional, although the armor itself might be made of better material. Still used more for iconism than anything, I'd imagine.

Just please don't let there be X-wings!

I have a couple questions not concerning Legacy that could be explained away as artistic lincense, but....

1. Why do the Morgukai have 4-fingered hands in Rite of Passage and 5-fingered hands in their Clone Wars appearances?

2. What's with the depictions of young Quin? When you see the side of his head, his forhead tattoo goes over his hair as if it's yellow tape and *not* a tattoo.

 

The answers to all of your LEGACY questions will be forthcoming -- in LEGACY.<g> At some point. Sooner or later. Some sooner, some later.<g>

Four fingered and five fingered Morgukai? Sounds like a question for Jan.

Ditto the one about young Quin and thew tattoo and hair, Although it COULD be a coloring mistake.

-- John

 

What caused you caused to create a Nagai Sith?

 

I know, I asked on Jan's official thread, but that was like two months ago (maybe 1) and it's a ghost town there.

On the Nagai Sith? He's Nagai? I suspected as much, but haven't looked at this particular board or any TF.N Legacy thing for a while now, and I haven't been keeping track of John and Jan's confirmations of this and that.

Seeing the tattoo-style on these Sith make me wonder...
Were hairy or otherwise untattoo-able species not made into Sith characters for this reason? I don't see any immediate tats on the Vong, but just from the fact that he's Vong... And maybe there was one big, potentially hairy-looking Sith that I'm overlooking, but whatever.

Also, does the aging "humans live to 150" stuff around in Legacy's time?

Lastly, I ponder what connections will be made that tie Legacy with Republic. Not that it would be a bad thing one way or another, but authors *do* have a tendency to re-use their own elements, connect the dots from their works and such. That said I'd also expect something somewhat subtle, not something as slap-in-the-face as a Vos as a leading Jedi or Sith (no offense to John if that's what you're really planning!). I'm thinking something along of the lines of a) the Anzati Akku Seii, or any Anzat for that matter, as they live a long time, or b) the use of Darth Andeddu's holocron in some way or form.

I don't expect John to give any reply of significance, it's just idle speculation, and I probably wasn't the first to mention them either.

 

Not confirmed yet, but when you look exactly like a Nagai. Well then your a Nagai, and he's a Nagai.

Way to many Nagai features for him not to be.