SEE BELOW FOR SOME NEW COMMENTS FROM ORIGINAL STAR WORDS CONTRIBUTORS!!!
#4 Abraham Rodriguez Jr. (now a well-known author of short stories and the novel Spidertown) - "The desolate, lonely place [Tatooine, in the Star Wars movie adaptation] just isn't brought out in the art or in the dialogue. No description of the sand-people, either! If I hadn't read the book, I'd be asking: 'Who are these guys? What's the difference between them and the Jawas?'"
#16 Kim McCarthy - "Sure, Wookiees tear out people's arms if they lose, but once is enough to discourage any future winner-hopefuls. The tactic becomes a bluff. And any viewing of the movie shows Chewie in particular to be not much in favor of the clooser calls. True, he chased after Han in the corridor, but when Han outdistanced him and he heard the blasting, he paused and let Han retreat back to him. And even Han accused him of being scared of the garbage monster. I'm not saying make him a coward, but his fights should be toned down with his showing more fearful caution."
#16 Gilbert Avila - "If See Threepio had a nervous breakdown, would he have to go see Sigmund Droid?"
#17 Julie Cesari - "Anyway, there's one complaint I keep hearing about Star Wars and that's the absence of Blacks and other non-white humans. I agree that's one major fault. I don't know if it was intentional. I kind of doubt it. I think it was just a big mistake." Mark Gruenwald's response: "what may hold ture about the make up of a society in Earth's future . . . wouldn't necessarily apply in Star Wars' distant galaxy. Which isn't to say you'll never see a non-caucasian in the Star Wars movies or comics. Just bear in mind that both the first film and our comics have only touched on a few small parts of a very large galaxy." Disappointingly, this issue was rarely addressed in decade to follow; Katya M'Buele in Annual #1, Barlon Hightower in #78, and Barney in Annual #3 and #92 are the only black characters introduced in the Marvel run.
#23 Contoversy over why, in #15 (Star Duel), Luke couldn't swim while Leia could, while in Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Leia couldn't swim while Luke could.
Bill Seligman: Star Duel happened before Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Neither could swim at this point, but Leia knew enough to fake it. Afterwards, events on Drexel convinced Luke of the need to learn. Later, on Mimban, Luke now knows how to swim and Leia feels comfortable admitting to Luke that she can't.
Lee Marine (ironic name to be writing on the topic): Same order of stories, only difference is that Leia forgot how to swim due to being freaked out by being in the caves of Mimban.
#24 Reina Greene - "I feel that one of the most charming aspects of the original movie's ending was the swet affection between Luke and Princess Leia. However, in your comic series they act more like young brother and sister than sweethearts." Ironic!
#25 Thomas Owens - "I also liked the irony of finding Vader on a beautiful world [In #21]-- like Shakespeare placing Macbeth in a lovely and flowery castle."
#26 Maggie Nowakowska - "I have no objections to [General Tagge's] reappearance; I find the idea that he left the Death Star before it blew up quite plausible. But it was not Tagge wo was humiliated by Vader. Friends and I have argued about this point and since I'm planning to write a fan story about the Imperial that Vader strangled . . . I went to the script . . . it is definitely Motti who bears Vader's displeasure."
#48 Marion Larkin and Nick Friend both take issue with Luke using a lightsaber in #45 if he lost his in The Empire Strikes Back. Danny Fingeroth's response: "Even before his sojourn on Dagobah, Luke had acquired enough mastery of the Force to levitate his saber and free himself from the ice monster on Hoth. It then stands to reason that after studying with Yoda he certainly could've been able to draw it to himself as he plunged down the reactor shaft." Wrong answer; it is revealed in Return of the Jedi that Luke built a new saber.
#50 Jack Biggs (great Star Wars name) - "You showed the difference between Han Solo and Lando Calrissian very well in this issue [#46], especially at the end when Lando cried at the loss of one of his childhood heroes. While Han would also have regretted such a loss, I doubt that he would have shown it as openly as Lando did, which -- I believe -- shows Lando to be a more mature and, therefore, more interesting individual than Han."
#53 Larry Young Jr. (now a well-known comic book author - "Your reference to Darth Vader's secret numbered accounts [in #48], the sudden increase of the porter's relative density, and the demise of Vader's telekinetic aide were so imaginative, and so completely identifiable as Star Wars material, as to be indistinguishable from Lucas' saga. As for Princess Leia asking Darth to clean up the mess left by the dead shape-shifter -- and Vader wheeling upon his professional pawns -- all that can be said is, 'Too much!' I also enjoyed the irony behind Vader's acquisition of the Crown Jewels of Alderaan. O. Henry would have been proud."
#49 Tracy Thurber - "I had previously decided that you would do one of two things with the Princess. Either she would throw herself into her work, so that she would have no time to hurt... or involve herself with another man in a desparate attempt to forget Han ever existed. Or she would be honest with herself, realize that she can't bury her pain forever, express her sense of loss realistically, and resume her role as leader of the rebellion -- matured and deepened by her experience, as all well-developed characters should be." Thurber believed her relationship with Prince Denid in #49 signified the former; Danny Fingeroth replied arguing that the latter was more the case; that she was only offering a friendship that both Denid and Luke misconstrued.
#59 Tracy Thurber - "I had never been able to accept [Leia's] world going up with a bang, making nary a whimper, followed by her shrugging off of the incident. Now I can see she carried this nightmare with her for several years, and it has probably been a subconscious behavioral deterrent. Unfortunately, her resolution to protect herself from being hurt again has made her seem emotionally cold and almost obsessively dedicated to the alliance. One of the most complicated dichotomies in the Star Wars series has to do with duty and personal feeling and the distance between them. One is not clearly 'right' and the other 'wrong.' While a choice must sometimes be made between them, neither can be sacrificed permanently. Leia understands this full well, but in trying to bury her pain and prevent further injury from occuring, she drifted too far toward duty. . . .
This fear of letting go and enjoyiing herself like a normal woman surfaces in SW #53, but now she has become well acquainted with her feelings, possibly because she opened up to Han, and understands in part the reason for her neurosis. She was raised as a public figure and instilled with a strong sense of responsibility that took the place of a private life. Consequently, she must feel quite lonely in her free moments. She appears to be beginning to understand that she does need to listen to her needs as a person, and to reach out to the people around her, even inf it sometimes ends in grief. The experience of sorrow doesn't necessitate surrender to it and enslavement by it."
#60 John Sian - "What if Star Wars had been made 30-40 years ago, and who would have been cast in the parts? Humphrey Bogart, I think, would have made a perfect Han Solo. Perhaps a young Alec Guinness could have been Luke Skywalker, with Katherine Hepburn as Leia. . . . But wouldn't be embarrassing if Ronald Reagan had been chosen to play Darth Vader?" Ann Nocenti's response: "In other words, John, there but for the grace of George Lucas goes Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office, right?"
#70 Curtis Henderson - "You'd think that the Rebels would have special airtight containers to keep sand lice from getting to emergency provisions [as happened to Luke in #66]. Can those who've mastered hyperspace really lack the technology of Tupperware?" Danny Fingeroth's response: "There's not a saleslady in the unniverse who'd dare risk Darth Vader's wrath by holding a Tupperware party on a rebel base."
#70 Angie (Ongie) Mullins - "Uh-huh. My name is Ongie. I just thought I'd like write in with my like commonets on Star Wars #66, like totally, fer sure!
I mean it was like sooo tubular, you know? I mean you didn't show Leia like even once, and that was like groody to the max, gag me with a spoon.
Like I'm not a totally blitzed out beastie, I'm just like totalyy freaking out over your comics, y'know? Like bye!"
P.S. Help! My body's been taken over by Storm-VALS!"
#86 John Hutchinson - "By the time Leia was mistaken for the deep space equivalent of Cher [in #77], I was on the floor. . . . My only regret is that Plif didn't find a nice little Zelton teddy bear to, well, shed with."
#86 Susan Murrie - "Perhaps H.R.H. Princess Leia Organa, of Alderaan, Imperial Senator, should also put in a claim for the Imperial throne. She could set up a constitutional monarchy, and restore justice and liberty as Leia I, Galactic Empress.
. . . In the New Republican government, Leia will probably be Senator for Endor (she's an honorary Ewok) or a cabinet minister. Give her a few years, she could end up President of the new Repbulic. Would Han be willing to be her consort? I have an idea, though. Han's always loved to tinker. When Leia Solo becomes Minister of Justice, Han can found Solo & Calrissian, Starshipwrights, Inc. Han will design and build starships and Lando can handle the business end. They'll make a fortune." Interesting to see how many of her predictions came true in later expanded universe stories.
#87 Nina Twersky - "I just got Star Wars #79 yesterday, and when I saw page 7, it was several minutes before I stopped laughing. Why? Because I recognized the get-up Lando's wearing as a parody of Captain Harlock, the Japanese animated character."
#87 Terry Solberg - "On page 23, panel 3 of issue 23 you have [Senator Greyshade and Master-Com] obscured by smoke from a proton grenade. The Senator was bleeding and the Master-Com was leaking oil. You never let us know what happened!" Peter Sanderson's response: "We're afraid, Terry, that the Senator and his loyal droid did indeed die of their injuries."
#91 Mike Rybak - "Danu's clothes [in #83] looked sort of like a refined and futurized version of the girl who sits across from me in English class (especially her collar). But that's a nice touch. . . .As for that girl in English, I wonder what approach I should use next. Humor? Flattery? Suavity? Bird Impressions?" Rybak refers to a line in #56 when Lando is wondering how to get past a trio of stormtrooper guards. "Violence isn't my usual game. Smooth talk? Chicanery? Bird impressions?" (NOTE: See update below to find out if Mike got the girl!)
#94 Bryan Kinnaird - "Is Chihdo related in any way to the late Greedo?" Peter Sanderson's response: "Chihdo is a distant relative of both Greedo and Beedo."
#94 Robert Jungman - "On page fifteen [of #87], Santor was talking about nihilists. Whoever the are, they're wrong! I play on a baseball team, and we have lost all our games except for one. If we believed in nihilism, we would've lost that game, too, but we didn't even know about it."
#95 Drake Nordico - "I think issue number 90 was deff. It was real deff. I mean, super-deff. On page seven, why is Luke Skywalker's face all scratched up? And I think that Admiral Ackbar is disgusting. So long now. My mommy says I have to take a bath. 'Bye." Peter Sanderson's response: "And don't forget to wash behind your ears, old buddy. Luke's face was all scratched up because he'd just gotten back from a mission where he got stuck in a tidal wave underground and banged-up some, and he hadn't had time to clean himself up (and wash behind his ears, like Yoda always told him to).
#102 Michael Jankun - "I was glad to see more male Zeltrons [in #95]. I see too many alien females of the you-mean-I-can't-take-my-clothes-off-in-public variety. It's nice to see males of that type for a change.
However, I was disturbed by Leia's automatic rejection of the boys. It seems like she's harboring an actual prejudice for all the natives of Zeltrons, not just a dislike for the females who pursue Luke so relentlessly. I don't like the ideas of heroes who are bigots, but I think I understand why Leia is as she is. The Zeltrons are such an open, carefree race. Everyone refers to them as boys and girls, even the Zeltrons themselves. The Princess, however, is intensely private. She lets her feelings get bottled up inside of her. She must feel threatened by the openness of Dani and her race. Leia takes time to open up." Terry Kavanagh's response: "I agree that part of Leia's animosity is derived from her upbringing, after all she WAS brought up to be a princess. The Zeltrons are just so different from how she was brought up to think, that she seems to act bigoted. We all know that Leia is really a very loving person, just a little shy."
#102 Carol Morrison - "Another thing I've always hoped you would do was bring back a few of Han Solo's old girlfriends. I am interested to see how Leia would react in such a situation."
#103 Eric Fiala - "Just exactly how does Luke's lightsaber hang on his belt? I know it's hooked on, but most hooks need to be opened with at least one hand. I only see him taking off his saber by simply plucking it. . . . Are these hooks specially made? Can I but them in a store and, if so, where?" Terry Kavanagh's response: "Well, Eric, we've heard that those hooks are very valuable, and aren't that easy to come by. You see, they're manufactured through a process long lost in Jedi history. Only a cheap imitation is available here on Earth. Sometimes it is called a 'hook and latch' strip and other times it is referred to as 'Velcro.'"
#105 Roni Neff - "Han and Leia have always been an interesting couple. The two being both victims and products of a war neither wants (Very similar to the romance between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in 'Casablanca'.) Both of the couples are brought together, only to be torn apart later due to a war."
July 2003 Larry Young (#48 and #51) - I was a kid when I wrote those! I have to admit I haven't read a STAR WARS comic in twenty years, although I sure did enjoy them and the work of Howard Chaykin, Carmine Infantino, and Louise and Walt Simonson, especially.
July 2003 Michael Blue (#6) - The Star Wars comics were an enjoyable addition to my extensive collection of Marvel comics. With some regrets, I sold my entire collection many years ago to finance some basic necessity for my young family - details escape me now.
My daughters, now teenagers, became Star Wars fans without any urging from me. They bought all the Star Wars videos and many books, which they have enjoyed many times over. When I talked to them about the "Kessel
Run error," they told me that Han Solo's remark was not braggadocio but a true claim, according to a story they read. The explanation had something to do with a lot of black holes.
July 2003 Joe Koehler (#26) - Wow! I'm truly impressed--how on Earth (or is it Alderaan?) did you track me down? I wrote that letter more than 24 years ago and have only the vaguest memory of it. I went back through issues 22-23 and read my letter in 26 just to figure out if you really were talking about me and what possessed me to write to Marvel. Looking back, (keep in mind I was in my early teens then) I think I was shocked to see them put themselves in such a plot hole so early into the saga. I couldn't see them giving up on the many plot ties that revolved around Solo, especially the feud between him and Jabba, although I'm sure they could have worked a mafia-like "Han's debt is your debt" into the plot to keep Jabba involved in the other characters' lives. Not being totally naive, I recognized that they had the power to bring Han back, so I guess I just wanted to make my demand clear! I had to laugh at how easily they brought him back, especially with the little sidebar explaining that they had shown Han explode the mine (?) in the previous issue. Duh! Back in the land of the 70s all that made sense; these days one would expect Han to have to actually stop his heart and brain waves in order to fake death, especially with all the laser guns and other fancy technology in the stories. That's the beauty of fiction, though. I enjoyed the Star Wars movies, although the second set so far has not lived up to expectations. Too much kid stuff; not enough real tension/drama. I guess knowing that they're not going to kill off Anakin or even seriously hurt him in the first two episodes took away some of the drama. The battles with the clones in SWEII were anticlimactic. Also, if all storm troopers were clones, then why did the ones in the first trilogy look different in the rare occasions when their helmets were removed? Maybe they'll explain that in Episode III. More than anything, I'm hoping Episode III will make up for the lack of excitement in I and II.
Lucas' abandonment of the third trilogy is very disappointing/upsetting. If he doesn't want to do it, he should turn it over to one of his trusted friends/authors. I've always thought Alan Dean Foster's work in Splinter of the Mind's Eye was fantastic; much more visionary than the other books put out in the early years. I haven't read any of the later ones. It wouldn't be hard for Lucas to sketch out the plot lines for the final trilogy and pass it off to someone he trusts to finish his work. Either way, abandoning the final trilogy would be like going through college and a doctoral program and then deciding to quit because you won the lottery. Whatever happened to pride in completing the accomplishment?
I loved the Marvel series and was a fairly serious collector (for a kid) for awhile. I have almost every issue of Star Wars from 1-50, a bunch of Star Trek, Rom, Micronauts, Swamp Thing and others that have been sitting in a box for over 20 years. One of these days I'll catalog them. I thought Stan/Marvel always did a good job of developing characters without compromising the ability to tie in other parts of the series developed by the
original authors. The artwork was always first-class, and the reading was always fun.
July 2003 Beppe Sabatini (#19) - I'm afraid I don't remember too much about those old comic books from my youth after all these years. I hate to say it, I hope it isn't too disappointing to you, but they really were not very popular with fans at the time. The first six issues in particular, by Howard Chaykin, were very much disliked, despite that they were said to have been the best-selling comic books ever at that time. But the first movie (later called "A New Hope") was overwhelmingly popular, and there was a ravenous appetite for more material, and almost nothing to fill it for three years until the next movie came out, so Marvel sold a lot of comic books. My memory is that there was a very small amount of material from Michael Golden, perhaps just one issue, which was very high-quality, and later work from Al Williamson, mostly in the newspapers strips, which I could certainly recommend to any fan of comics or Star Wars movies. If you like those old Star Wars issues, I think you would prefer Roy Thomas's earlier work on the Kree-Skrull War; there is a nice album out of that storyline. Likewise Carmine Infantino's earlier work on Adam Strange is legendary (but may read like routine 50's SF material to today's readers). I don't know how available the old Adam Strange material is. That earlier work from Thomas and Infantino is much stronger than their Star Wars work. If you want to try something a bit more beefy, you might take a look at Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke, or the Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov; it's more difficult stuff but you seem like a pretty bright fellow.
July 2003 Ralph Melcher (#55) - I am still a Star Wars junkie. From the first I sensed something special about the genre and its unique blend of sci-fi and mystical fantasy. I've read virtually all of the novels (even the ones for kids), and am particularly fond of the most recent series about "The New Jedi Order." I think the Dark Horse comic series has been superior in terms of comic book art, although I can't afford to put out the cover price for all of the proliferating story threads (you gotta draw the line somewhere).
The overall theme of Star Wars is our relationship with power, political, personal, technological and spiritual. Certainly germane to the present plight of civilization in a time of transition. It is also one of the longest running examples of a new form of narrative that I believe will become dominant in the 21st century; that is, the collective evolution of imaginary universes in a variety of media by a variety of creators. I haven't a name for this yet (if you think of a good one, let me know), but it has evolved from the episodic forms of television combined with role playing games and the serialized novels and films of the late 19th and 20th century. The first modern emergence was in the "Trekkie" phenomenon, followed closely by the Star Wars universe, and then propelled by the various Dungeons and Dragons role playing games and multi-user realms in the computer universe. With the emergence of video gaming and collectible card games like "Magic: The Gathering", the form is gaining momentum and spilling across genres and forms. In the context of, again, a civilization in radical transition, these imaginary and parallel universes are in effect laboratories for imaginative social exploration and represent a way to explore the anticipated moral and ethical complexities of real world's to come. Art and life, the imaginary and the real all come together in these art forms rendering the sarcastic comment: "Get a life!" somewhat meaningless, as the earnest and dedicated efforts of practitioners are precisely the method by which future forms of social interaction are molded.
This requires a much longer essay.
Check out my website at:
www.well.com/user/melcher
August 2003 - Mike Sopp (#22 and #26) - 1979 was a long long time ago. I would have to actually dig out my old moth eaten copies of the books to really remember my reasons why writing what I did. I would expect tho that they were more from a comic book fan view point then a sf fan viewpoint (while I was reading SF at that point - it was more along the line's of Frank Herbert's Dune series - honestly don't think., other than the first one, I even saw many of the movies in the big screen)
At that point - if Marvel was writing it I was reading it. And having had my voracious appetite whetted by Spiderman and the Avengers and all other long underwear types - I was probably expecting Star Wars to be Super Luke Skywalker vs Darth Bad Guy Vader. But the comic - wasn't that written by Archie Goodwin for a while - and Infantino and a young Walt Simonson did art, didn't they (help my fading memory here) was trying to be true to the book and the spirit of the series. Honestly they were probably aiming at something that I could not see.
I suspect now, if I were to go down into my basement and dig out those old issues, I might find myself realizing things that I never would have realized many years ago. Tastes change - the sad part is for the good things you never appreciate it until they aren't there anymore.
August 2003 - George Doro (#57)- OK. So I must have liked SW #51 if I said so in a letter. I had kind of forgotten about that. I was writing so many letters to Marvel at that time, it just didn't didn't really register. But about STAR WARS: I think I still remember that issue, tho' I've read it only the one time. That was about the Empire building The Tarkin (the planet-destroying weapon), wasn't it? I remember thinking that stretch of issues (late 40s-50s) was when Marvel finally got STAR WARS right. The plot seemed to fit into the SW universe better than earlier stories, and I was a big fan of Walt Simonson's art. I don't recall the particulars of David Michelinie's writing anymore, but I do have the impression he kept up the pace for a good while.
August 2003 - Kirk Kushin (#45)(now the creator of B.A.B.E. Force Comics [www.babeforce.net]) - I actually tried to get Dark Horse to let me write a forward to one of the editions they just put out - but they had everyone lined up already.
Man, I love those comics! I agree that they (most of them) still read well. I ran into Archie Goodwin before he died and got to tell him how much I loved those stories. I thought his and David Michelinie's were the best! I had a great piece of Infantino artwork in my hands a few years ago and I DID NOT buy it - and I am still kicking myself! I have seen some since but never any as cool as that piece. I didn't like his art much as a kid - but now I must own a piece!!!!
August 2003 - Sean Twist (#99) - As for cuteness in SW, I liked the hoojibs because they were unexpected. They took full advantage of the comic book form, and seemed to be making the same point--albeit better--than the film's use of Ewoks. They were fun, in a limited exposure. As for the Jar Jar element, I don't think that works in the films, since it tends to deflate tension too much, and just became moronic. With Jar Jar, and with some of the characters in AOTC, the humour isn't so much funny as it is aimed at three year olds. That I'm not a fan of. But as for the Hoojibs? They still rock.
August 2003 - Ben Zackheim (#105) - Yeah I remember that letter. A bit on the melodramatic side but I always sensed, even as a kid, that Star Wars spoke to us on a very basic level that we craved. It still stands as myth but at the time, when it was new, it was like we were living through a renaissance. There were aspects of the films that were so pure and new that I wonder if we'll ever see anything like it again in our lifetimes. The closest we have is Harry Potter, which rocks, but Star Wars was grander, more romantic and implied a universe that we could get lost in. I tend to watch the movies once a year. Any more than that and I start to analyze its flaws; any less than that and I feel like I haven't visited an old friend in too long. In a nutshell, that's what I was trying to say in the letter, though I had all the enthusiasm of a spastic youth and none of the writing skills to get it across.
In the difficult times of teenage life, Star Wars, the whole trilogy, and the comics that Marvel put out, made getting up in the morning a little easier. The movies, and somewhat less the comics, were something to look forward to and ended up being the foundation of my life as an adult nerd (which I'm proud of being!) The movies intro'd me to sci-fi and fantasy while the comics cemented my love of that medium. So I owe a lot to Lucas and Marvel. I find some solace, some connection with our common cause and some escape in their creations. The comic strayed at times from the flavor of the movies but I enjoyed that. It meant that the world of Star Wars was expansive and had something to offer anyone. I feel like the series was really hitting its stride when it was cancelled but Dark Horse has done a masterful job of picking up where Marvel left off.
August 2003 - Mike Rybak - (#91) - I enjoyed looking at your site. It seems like every article or book that comes out these days trashes the Marvel Star Wars comic as kitschy or campy. Like any comic series, it had some low moments, but it had a lot of excellent stories, as well. The story drawn by Michael Golden, where Luke and Leia encounter the living ship, stands out in my mind,as does the story of the Rebel pilot who stole the plans to the second Death Star, along with his female droid. I also remember the characters of Flint and Lumiya as excellent successors to Darth Vader, who ought to have been given a chance to be developed further. And I have to admit, the Baron Tagge stories still kind of creep me out. As for the letter published in SW #91, I haven't had a chance to get that issue out of storage to re-read the letter, but I do remember it in general terms. I wrote it as a 15-year-old, and I remember being embarrassed when it was published, because I had rambled on like some kind of lovesick fool over this girl that I had a crush on. (I have no idea what became of her, I never worked up the courage to ask her out. After high school, I heard she was engaged to a guy who owned a sporting goods shop). Beyond that, I remember complaining about the direction the SW comic had taken after ROTJ. I though Marvel's storylines were too stifled, and did not take full advantage of the vast potential of the Star Wars universe. Actually, I felt they started to do a better job with that once they introduced the Nagai/Tof and Lumiya storylines, but, alas, the series was nearly over at that point.
August 2003 - Michelle Swan (#66) - I still have all my Star Wars comics all these years later. I was very proud to have my letter printed in the Star Wars comics. For a thirteen year old it was a huge achievement.
Let me say, I have loved Star Wars since the summer of 1977 when A New Hope came out. I have been a devoted fan ever since. The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite of the five so far and also my favorite movie of all time.
I loved the Star Wars comics because they went deeper into the Star Wars universe. It kept the characters alive for me and almost as if I was a part of them.
I'm glad to know you have this website because the comics were well drawn and written. I feel they might have been better than some of the Star Wars books that are out now. I want to go back and reread the comics.
August 2003 - Tee Morris (#64 and #72) - My first publishing credit...and a couple of kids at my school made photocopies of it and sold it to other schoolkids for a nickel per copy...and I never saw one PENNY of those sales. Worst publishing deal I've ever dealt with!
Seriously though, the SW comics had a lot more room and freedom to explore various avenues that the movies could not. In fact, I found the episodes between THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI far more interesting than THE RETURN OF THE JEDI (which I now equate to television's LOST IN SPACE...I loved JEDI as a kid, but now I watch it and think "I thought this was cool?"), especially with Shira Brie's presence. I think I still have a soft spot for Shira, or Darth Vader's "Le Femme Nikita" as I like to call her!
The Luke-Leia-Han triangle was a hotbed of chat amongst the fans (although back then, there was no forum like the Internet...we had "Star Words," The Official star Wars Fan Club, and SF/F conventions, and I could only participate with the first two. I was too young for cons.), but I did find Marvel Comics' treatment of the triangle more mature and epic in scale than RETURN OF THE JEDI. JEDI simply resolved EMPIRE in the first twenty minutes of the film, and then dragged out recycled plots from both EMPIRE and STAR WARS (Note I refer to them as TITLE...not by EPISODES...) to fill up the rest of a two hour running time. To be fair, Marvel Comics did have a lot more time and "room" to expand on the love triangle, but the scriptwriters for JEDI chose shortcuts instead of exploring those avenues. Perhaps this decision was based on an assumption that there is little to no room for romance in Science Fiction, afraid it would turn the SW Saga into a soap opera, but romance has been present in Science Fiction since the days of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. True, it is far more difficult to effectively pull off romance in Science Fiction, but the chemistry and conflict between the characters came off naturally and easily. Working in romance with Luke, Leia, Han, and (to some extent) Shira was not only inevitable, it was a natural and smooth angle to explore. I equate with the term "soap opera" love triangles and romantic subplots as "forced, contrived" scenarios, and those are descriptives that do not come to mind when I think of Marvel Comics' STAR WARS series...
If you wouldn't mind, please feel free to link my name to http://www.morevi.com -- this is the link for my book!
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
M O R E V I: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana
written by Lisa Lee and Tee Morris
ISBN 1-896944-07-8
website -- http://www.morevi.com
August 2003 - Katherine Selbert [now Katherine Lawrence](#33) - First, the name is now Katherine Lawrence (legal name change in 1990), and it's the name I use on all my professional credits. Check out my website: http://www.katherinelawrence.com for the 30+ scripts, games, books, etc. I've written since I wrote that letter to Star Wars. :-)
STAR WARS itself, the original 1977 movie before it got modified/mutilated, propelled me to seek my own dreams. I moved from Seattle to Los Angeles in 1980 to break into screenwriting in large part because of that movie. After 1983, when the "last" movie was released with no indication more would ever be made, the comic series and the novels were all we had. They helped me keep my dream alive until I got that first job at Marvel Productions in 1984, and sold the first script six months later. I can even chart a series of straight lines from having seen STAR WARS in
1977 to my Writers Guild Award nomination in 1997 to today when I'm working on my fourth non-fiction book for kids.
That letter published in STAR WARS Comic, was the first and only letter I ever wrote to Marvel. The movie and the comic meant that much to me. It's nice to see the legacy continued with your website.
August 2003 Angela Mullins (#60,#70,#73,#85) - Yes, I still love and miss the Marvel Star Wars! The new ones aren't the same, though there was a really good Valentine's Day story this year in a special issue by Judd Winick from MTV Real World and Green Lantern.
Re: the Luke/Leia thing, is there anyone who wasn't traumatized by this? And I still think maybe Lucas made this up as he went, or why the kissing thing in Empire? at the re-release there were loud "ewww yucks" in the theatre I saw it in! It still freaks me out, and sometimes even when I watch X-Files I start thinking, "Is Scully really Samantha????"" Which opens up a whole 'other world of "Ewww yuck!" I would have to review the Shira stories to comment more, but I mostly remember I really really hate her, and any chick who takes props away from Leia is so not cool!
I have not kept up with comics much but still love Star Wars! (Even played my wedding last year to coincide with the same day of the 25th anniversary of the first movie!)
