How Disney Ruined Star Wars!
Episode I: A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
In this, the first installment of a multi-part series I will look at my history with Star Wars and a history of what came before Disney. There are spoilers regarding the books and movies so beware.
I have been a Star Wars nut since seeing Stars Wars (the movie that would become Episode IV - A New Hope, once a sequel was in the works) in a theater in Traverse City, Michigan in the early summer of 1977. I was hooked halfway through the opening shot, the scene where the Rebel ship fly across the screen followed by the star destroyer Devastator, which takes up the entire top of the screen and just keeps coming and coming. I’d had never seen anything like that in all my nine years. I would end up seeing that movie dozens of times in the theater and Star Wars toys dominated both my birthday and Christmas that year.
After Episode IV came out there was a book released call Splinter of the Mind’s Eye (by Alan Dean Foster, released in March 1978, buy it here), it was about an adventure Luke and Leia had, involving Darth Vader. When I read that book I just wanted more and over the next few years three books about adventures of Han Solo and Chewie, before the events of Star Wars, and three books about adventures of Lando Calrissian were released, I quickly consumed those as well. There were also numerous comic books and TV specials, including the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special Watch it here if you dare and many other Star Wars tie-ins that I had to have.
When I heard that there would be a sequel to Star Wars, I was beside myself with excitement. In late May of 1980 I was in line to see Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and once again saw it dozens of times.
I was a 13-year-old 8th grader in 1983 when Episode VI - Return of the Jedi came out. and I saw that movie 86 times on the big screen. There was a theater 1/2 a mile from my school and they had a 3:20 showing of the movie every day. I got out of school at 3:05 and would run down to the theater, watch the movie and then my mom would pick me up after it was over. (For the younger folks, going to the theater back then, especially a matinee, only cost $3.00 and a pop and popcorn was $1.50.)
Between 1991 and 1999 (when Episode I was released) 88 other Star Wars books were published along with many more comic books. Books that saw the Rebellion become the New Republic and attempt to remove the remnants of the Empire from the galaxy. Other books saw Luke start a Jedi academy and lose a student to the dark side and there were books that told the story of Han and Leia's romance, wedding and eventual children, as well as many other adventures. They introduced characters like Mara Jade, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Winter. The explored places such as the water world Mon Cala (home of Admiral Ackbar), The floating city of Tafanda Bay on the planet Ithor and the Maw, a cluster of black holes whos effects bend space and allowed Han to make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. There were books that told of the life of Han Solo right up to the time of his meeting Luke and Ben in Mos Eisley and the history of the Jedi/Sith conflict.
All of these books had to be licensed through LucasFilm and part of that agreement was that continuity must be maintained, anything that an author writes in their book, must match what has already been published, and anything that is written after that book must continue the timeline as it was. For example, in The Courtship of Princess Leia (by Dave Wolverton, released in April 1994 by Bantam Books buy it here) Princess Leia receives a marriage proposal from a prince, Han Solo wins a planet in a card game. There is a kidnapping and Han finds his new planet is occupied by the Night Sisters, witch-like dark side force users. At the end Han and Leia get married at he end. Therefore any author who sets their book after the events of The Courtship of Princess Leia cannot re-write “history” and Han and Leia must be married. It was a genius idea, that would ensure that a living breathing universe of Star Wars lore took shape. One story built on another and there was a long history for authors to mine for book ideas and many characters to explore. One author's throw-away character, could have their own adventure written by another author. These books also fleshed out the layout of the galaxy, a timeline of events and standardized technology and the laws of Star Wars physics.
My love for the films did not wane as I grew up. I was one of the first to attend each theatrical re-release of IV, V & VI. I was at the midnight showing of Episode I and saw Episodes II & III within the first week of each release. I was a Star Wars fan through and through and I still am. I tell this story both to establish my Star Wars bona fides and set the stage for what comes next.
Since George Lucas liked the old movie serials and their cliffhangers, let’s end Episode I right there. In the next episode we will pick up the story at the start of the dark times.
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