CT When Star Wars Wasn't Popular

I can imagine! Gary seemed like a really pleasant chap.

 

It's too bad Lucasfilm couldn't rangle up everyone from the original trilogy (at least Joe Johnston, Kurts, Mcquarrie,) and work out a complete story/art for the prequels. But what we got was George's true imagination without much tampering. I'm glad to hear Timothy Zahn used some of the info from WEG RPG.

 

I honestly can't think of a time when SW wasn't popular, I was born in '91.

1891, that is

 

Apparently Lucas did ask Ralph McQuarrie to help work on the prequels, but he declined..

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Nah, not always. It’s only been popular since its release

McQuarrie had developed quite severe Parkinson’s disease by then.

 

I'd been playing the Star Wars RPG since it first came out, about 1987, so when Heir To The Empire came out, I could see immediately how much of the hardware and other info had been taken from the RPG material. It made sense, as it saved Zahn from having to develop all the internal details himself, but it gave a lovely sense of continuity between different aspects of the franchise.
I was amused when I first read about the Graveyard of Alderaan in the X-wing novels, It was "Been there, played the scenario" for me, and no doubt, quite a few others.

 

Are you suggesting there is a "Before Star Wars"?
That's absurd!

 

Oh yes. The Dark Times.

 

I seem to recall a 'lull' in its popularity in the mid-late '80s, which is when Star Trek was probably more of a thing. Call it blasphemy as a Star Wars fan, but those first three Star Trek movies were terrific. I don't remember Star Wars being quite as huge after Return of the Jedi until the Special Editions were released. Then, suddenly everyone was a fan again until we all divided over the prequels and sequels.

 

No you're right the mid to late 80's there was definitely a lull. I wouldn't call it backlash, but SW was everywhere from 77-83 so people probably just needed a break.

 

I grew up in that in-between era, too. I never got any flack for liking Star Wars, because my cool factor was unimpeachable, but I didn't know anyone else who liked it or really even knew what it was. It just wasn't a thing to people my age because it was so dormant. I was into it because I had a brother old enough to experience it as it was coming out, and he introduced me to it at a young age. The people I knew didn't have that.

Star Wars has never been as lame as it is now, the ST was a complete disaster, but ironically it's also never been more accepted as a part of cool mainstream pop culture.

 

Looks like it's popular with the library of congress: 'Return of the Jedi' Among 25 Eclectic Films Joining National Film Registry | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

 

ROTJ is not the Star Wars film I'd choose to put on the National Film Registry. I assume the other OT films made the list?

 

Yeah, the Library has had 35mm prints of the first two since 1989 and 2010 for ANH and Empire.

Edit: Also the Library isn’t a measure of quality but rather impact, so really any Star Wars would be appropriate to have in there.

 

I saw SW in the early 90s (rented it as a kid) and loved it but never got into the books really until about A New Dawn. I saw both TPM and AOTC in theaters but even then it wasn't mainstream. I'd say it retroactively became popular as well. While I watched TCW, Rebels, etc. it really hasn't become popular until relatively recently. I did get the rerelased versions in...the late 90s but no one else did.

 

I remember a lot of folks getting those Special Editions. Also many I know purchased the '95 THX editions that have the Lucas interview with Leanard Malton.
I still watch those from time to time remembering our '90s nostalgia.
So much to look forward to.

 

I know, laaate response
But it just got me thinking about what a real-life analogy Star Wars was (and continues to be, I guess). After a dark period of antiheroes, dystopia and a creatively stifling studio system, Star Wars brought new hope. To the rebellious filmmakers of the Western world, GL really was Luke Skywalker. The fact that he named Luke after himself and has quite a few things in common with the character is just perfect.

 

Only in 1986(other than the Droids-Ewoks cartoon shows)-1987-1988-1989.

1990-1998 was the Golden Age of the (defunct/old/Legends-whatever) Expanded Universe. A self-sustaining SW subculture that didn't need theatrical movies or TV shows: the Thrawn trilogy/other novels, Dark Empire comics, Tales of the Jedi comics, and the videogames (extremely popular, especially the X-Wing/TIE-Fighter series).

And then the Special Editions/TPM hype in 1997-1999. And let's not forget the worldwide VHS release of the trilogy in 1992 and 1995. Hardly unpopular.