#gorgeous art as always lucasfilm

[endversewinchester]

The Bad Batch 2x13: Pabu headers (1/2). Like/Reblog if you take any!

[gffa]

Do you know if any official Star Wars media has been created set in the 10 years between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones? I’m interested in seeing Obi-Wan train Anakin and whatever challenges he faced in that endeavor. Also would like to know more about Padmé’s life during that time, but I think there’s less material about her out there. But if there’s no official material, do you have any fics you’d recommend?

In Disney/Lucasfilm continuity, we have: - Obi-Wan & Anakin mini-series comic (2016, by Charles Soule), which is one of my favorites, the story’s plot is really good, the characterization beats for Obi-Wan and Anakin are good, and the art is out of this world gorgeous.  I’ve read it multiple times and it always impresses me how much I like the overarching story and themes of it. - Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure (2019, by Cavan Scott), which is set probably closer to AOTC than not, is a fairly light-hearted story, but had some really great tidbits here and there.  Including Mace Windu: Theater Nerd, which I will never stop yelling about. In Legends continuity, we have: - Jedi Quest (2001-2004, by Jude Watson), a series of young readers’ books that you have to take them for what they are--written before Revenge of the Sith existed, written for a young audience to have adventures with, so they’ll come off differently to an adult, etc.  But they have some great character moments and neat worldbuilding elements. - Rogue Planet (2000, by Greg Bear), which I haven’t read yet myself, but I’ve heard a lot of good about it. - Outbound Flight (2006, by Timothy Zahn), I haven’t read it yet, but I liked Zahn’s short stories during Anakin’s Padawan time, so I’ve got it on my list. - The Approaching Storm (2002, by Alan Dean Foster), which I’ve read half of it, and there’s some stuff I really like in there, including Anakin’s sub kink being a mile wide, and Barriss dancing scenes and Luminara being lovely.  It’s not a perfect book, but there’s things I really enjoy about it and it’s nice to see the Obi-Wan&Anakin + Luminara&Barriss teams together. I was going to find a recs list I know I did at one point and then realized it was from six years ago and I’m too embarrassed to bring it up, so I will work on a new list, since I know I’ve recommended a bunch of fic during that time! (I’m probably missing some smaller comics or short stories here and there, feel free to mention titles if you’ve got ‘em, everyone.)

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Reviews: Force Sensitivities episode II

I shill for Star Wars hard. I have for years, easily since i was a wee lil Smokey. I say that every time i start one of these essays or reviews because i want to be completely transparent about my bias. Darth Vader is easily one of, if not the, best cinema antagonist, ever, in my opinion. I love this cyborg asshole and everything about him. That first introduction in the beginning of Episode IV was everything. The second James Earl Jones' brilliantly dubbed voice boomed onscreen was it for me. Darth Vader as my dude and my love affair with the franchise began. I say all of this because i am part of the Fandom Menace. Absolutely i am. I cherish Star Wars so watching Kathleen Kennedy decimate my galaxy far, far, away in the name of her own ego, is practically debilitating. And it’s not even like i am averse to the ideas of her changes, you know? I like the idea of Rey. I loved Adam Driver and his Vader-lite, Kylo Ren. I love Oscar Issac so his Han Solo replacement, Po Dameron, already had my heart and Boyega's Finn had all the hallmarks of being something really special. And then Kennedy let Rian Johnson f*ck that sh*t all up.

And then she f*cked up Solo. And then she f*cked up Rise of Skywalker. And then she f*cked up everything else. So little of Star Wars has been good or original on Kennedy’s watch and it’s insane to me people defend this chick because she IS a chick. Bro, she is, objectively, bad at her job. It’s a wonder anything good has come out of Lucasfilm in her tenure. One of those things was Sear Wars Visions. That sh*t slapped hard and, coming off Netflix’s excellent anthology series Love,Death, + Robots, Visions was primed to ravage my senses. And it did. I just found out that the second season dropped to little fanfare, probably because this isn’t really a Kennedy production, much like he first, and her ego refuses to acknowledge anything that doesn’t have her name on it. Anyway, i finally got to check out these brand new takes on an old myth that is struggling to survive.

Sith

What a way to start off your anthology! This one was much stronger than The Duel from last season, in my humble opinion. I loved the use of color and negative space. The combination of such a vibrant palette against those stark whites, or the subtle contrast by those blacks at the climax; Simply brilliant. More than that, the sound design went a long way to setting the tone of this short. It did so much heavy lifting, i was flabbergasted, especially considering how dope the animation turned out. Seriously, Sith is a work of art and masterclass in tension. I was on the edge of my seat with that final duel and it was less than i expected but much more than i needed. El Guiri Studios really gave us something special. Here's hoping Hollywood takes notice and let's these cats really do there thing with a proper budget and creative license.

Screecher's Reach

Another banger right after the first? Yessir! Admittedly, while I like the aesthetic of Screecher's Reach, it was nowhere near as beautiful as The Sith. That said, this one had much, much, more emotional impact. That short, thirteen and change, gave me some of the best character development I've seen out of Disney Star Wars to date! That's not to say the animation and art design wasn't lovely. Cartoon Saloon really brought their A game with this one. The overall short was gorgeous and far more impactful than it had any right to be. Plus, that twist ending! Yo, I don't know who or what that Sith was at the end but I love the look! So deceptive. So insidious. I feel so bad for Daal but so glad I got to see her story.

In the Stars

Not gonna lie, I didn't care for this one. I respect the gumption, for sure, to make a claymation short because they are always so fun to watch but there are several practical limitations to creating animation this way. I'm immediately struck by the lack of color and fluidity in the overall animation. Coming off the first two shorts, this really took away from my viewing experience. On top of that, there is a lot of “Tell, don't show” in this fifteen minutes. Way to much exposition dumped early on. It's like Punkrobot Studios didn't trust the audience to infer all of that from the natural plot progression. It doesn't help that our main protagonist, the one we're supposed to be rooting for, is a reckless ass child. It's such a stark contrast the kids in Screecher's Reach. Yeah, there are merits to In the Stars, they're just not for me. I know this is supposed to be a metaphor of colonialism or whatever but it's just so poorly executed. Plus, I mean, everyone is still dead, the f*ck?

I Am Your Mother

And as if to drive my point home about the claymation thing, I am Your Mother comes along and absolutely puts In The Stars to shame with the same goddamn technique! Aardman really put together something4 special with this short and I mean short. I Am Your Mother is only ten minutes and change but it uses every second of that run time to tell a really heartfelt, coming-of-age, narrative. The overall plot might be a bit derivative but I'm a softy for these types of narratives so I had a great time with it. It's nuts because this is basically the same, overall, plot as In The Stars but Mother does it so much better. More than anything, this feels like Star Wars. You can plop this thing right in with the Prequel era of films and it wouldn't feel out of place at all.

Journey to the Dark Head

So I really, really, liked this on. I think I liked it as much as The Sith and that's saying a lot because that one is probably my favorite of the season. Dark Head is the first traditionally animated short and Studio Mir really put their best foot forward. This f*cking thing was epic! I'm a sucker for anime and, while this technically isn't proper anime, they pay solid homage to that aesthetic. It feels a lot like Avatar in that way and lord knows I love me some Misadventures of Aang and Friends. Probably because Mir is the studio who did Korra. My affection for Korra is much less but I'd be lying if I said that animation wasn't solid. This one was the longest of the lot so far, eighteen minutes, but they used that time to tell a strong story. It's wild to think they'd be able to pack in so much character development, in such a short amount of time, and entire, theatrical length, Star Wars films can't do the same. Rogue One, I'm looking at you.

The Spydancer

Yo, what the f*ck was that?! Holy sh*t, was that solid storytelling! Look, the emotional weight of this sixteen minute was incredible. I mean, of the top, I love the look of the art. The animation was fluid, particular the dancing, and the sound design was everything but the goddamn story, man! How the f*ck did Studio la Cachette do so much, in much little time? Seriously, this was a straight up roller coaster of emotion and I didn't expect that at all. I thought Journey to Dark Head told a complete narrative but The Spydancer does all of that and so much more. Seriously, it's hard not to put this up there with the best of Disney Star Wars and thy did it in sixteen goddamn minutes!

The Bandits of Golak

Another miss for me. Look, I love the Indian inspiration and the CG animation is solid but I don't particular care for the story being told, especially coming off something as emotionally weighty as The Spydancer. Still, 88 Pictures really made the most of their sixteen minutes. I can see why so many people enjoyed this short, even if I, personally, didn't really care for it. That final duel was solid as f*ck, though.

The Pit

Black folks in Star Wars? Let's go! Seriously, there is a distinct lack of color in a galaxy far, far, away so anytime I can get some melanated representation, I'm all in. What do we have so far? Mace, Finn, and Lando? Three prominent black characters over, what is it now? Four goddamn decades? Almost five? Motherf*ckers should be ashamed of themselves. Still, The Pit goes a long way to bridging that gap. Now, I support the f*ck out of D'ART Shtajio but I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the weakest of the shorts in season two. That, and I kind of really hate the Lucasfilm co-sign. None of the other studios needed it. This feels like a Kennedy thing. Gotta take as much credit for the diversity hire as possible, you know? If you didn't now, D'ART Shtajio is the first black owned anime studio. Thy do a lot of support animation for a ton of anime series but this is their first stab at a recognizable franchise like Star Wars where they are allowed to fully do their thing. All that said, The Pit is easily the weakest entry into this season. The narrative is solid and it does a great deal with it's sixteen minutes but this thing doesn't leave nearly the impression of every other short the anthology. Seriously, this thing has a strong message that is kind of undermined by the lack of quality when stood against the rest of the shorts presented.

Aau's Song

Auu's Song closes out this season's entries and, just like the opening, it was a strong choice. Aau's Song feels like a quiet story, intimate and personal, awash in a sea of stars. We  should be fortunate that her tale was told to us with such reverence and respect by Triggering. I was a little suspect at first, being that the two other stop-motion entries were hit-and-miss, but Auu's Song was definitely a hit. I am in love with this aesthetic. It feels like Final Fantasy IX and, if you know me, you know IX is top five for me. I loved the look, but I loved the sound design even more. Auu's song was lovely. Just the vocalizations, alone, were enough to catch my attention but couple that with the underlying tribal drums when sh*t got hairy, and you have a complete story told through your ears. Seriously, you can close your eyes and just listen to this story without missing a narrative beat. I find that absolutely amazing. It's wild to think that Aau's Song can be so god with absolutely no conflict. There are no Sith here, no Empire, no malevolence, just redemption and I kind of love that. The Sith, and to a lesser extent the Empire, were so prominent throughout this season but arguably the second strongest short of the lot, was devoid of anything resembling the dark side, outside of bled Kyber. Absolutely spectacular watch.

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Reviews: Force Sensitivities episode II

I shill for Star Wars hard. I have for years, easily since i was a wee lil Smokey. I say that every time i start one of these essays or reviews because i want to be completely transparent about my bias. Darth Vader is easily one of, if not the, best cinema antagonist, ever, in my opinion. I love this cyborg asshole and everything about him. That first introduction in the beginning of Episode IV was everything. The second James Earl Jones' brilliantly dubbed voice boomed onscreen was it for me. Darth Vader as my dude and my love affair with the franchise began. I say all of this because i am part of the Fandom Menace. Absolutely i am. I cherish Star Wars so watching Kathleen Kennedy decimate my galaxy far, far, away in the name of her own ego, is practically debilitating. And it’s not even like i am averse to the ideas of her changes, you know? I like the idea of Rey. I loved Adam Driver and his Vader-lite, Kylo Ren. I love Oscar Issac so his Han Solo replacement, Po Dameron, already had my heart and Boyega's Finn had all the hallmarks of being something really special. And then Kennedy let Rian Johnson f*ck that sh*t all up.

And then she f*cked up Solo. And then she f*cked up Rise of Skywalker. And then she f*cked up everything else. So little of Star Wars has been good or original on Kennedy’s watch and it’s insane to me people defend this chick because she IS a chick. Bro, she is, objectively, bad at her job. It’s a wonder anything good has come out of Lucasfilm in her tenure. One of those things was Sear Wars Visions. That sh*t slapped hard and, coming off Netflix’s excellent anthology series Love,Death, + Robots, Visions was primed to ravage my senses. And it did. I just found out that the second season dropped to little fanfare, probably because this isn’t really a Kennedy production, much like he first, and her ego refuses to acknowledge anything that doesn’t have her name on it. Anyway, i finally got to check out these brand new takes on an old myth that is struggling to survive.

Sith

What a way to start off your anthology! This one was much stronger than The Duel from last season, in my humble opinion. I loved the use of color and negative space. The combination of such a vibrant palette against those stark whites, or the subtle contrast by those blacks at the climax; Simply brilliant. More than that, the sound design went a long way to setting the tone of this short. It did so much heavy lifting, i was flabbergasted, especially considering how dope the animation turned out. Seriously, Sith is a work of art and masterclass in tension. I was on the edge of my seat with that final duel and it was less than i expected but much more than i needed. El Guiri Studios really gave us something special. Here's hoping Hollywood takes notice and let's these cats really do there thing with a proper budget and creative license.

Screecher's Reach

Another banger right after the first? Yessir! Admittedly, while I like the aesthetic of Screecher's Reach, it was nowhere near as beautiful as The Sith. That said, this one had much, much, more emotional impact. That short, thirteen and change, gave me some of the best character development I've seen out of Disney Star Wars to date! That's not to say the animation and art design wasn't lovely. Cartoon Saloon really brought their A game with this one. The overall short was gorgeous and far more impactful than it had any right to be. Plus, that twist ending! Yo, I don't know who or what that Sith was at the end but I love the look! So deceptive. So insidious. I feel so bad for Daal but so glad I got to see her story.

In the Stars

Not gonna lie, I didn't care for this one. I respect the gumption, for sure, to make a claymation short because they are always so fun to watch but there are several practical limitations to creating animation this way. I'm immediately struck by the lack of color and fluidity in the overall animation. Coming off the first two shorts, this really took away from my viewing experience. On top of that, there is a lot of “Tell, don't show” in this fifteen minutes. Way to much exposition dumped early on. It's like Punkrobot Studios didn't trust the audience to infer all of that from the natural plot progression. It doesn't help that our main protagonist, the one we're supposed to be rooting for, is a reckless ass child. It's such a stark contrast the kids in Screecher's Reach. Yeah, there are merits to In the Stars, they're just not for me. I know this is supposed to be a metaphor of colonialism or whatever but it's just so poorly executed. Plus, I mean, everyone is still dead, the f*ck?

I Am Your Mother

And as if to drive my point home about the claymation thing, I am Your Mother comes along and absolutely puts In The Stars to shame with the same goddamn technique! Aardman really put together something4 special with this short and I mean short. I Am Your Mother is only ten minutes and change but it uses every second of that run time to tell a really heartfelt, coming-of-age, narrative. The overall plot might be a bit derivative but I'm a softy for these types of narratives so I had a great time with it. It's nuts because this is basically the same, overall, plot as In The Stars but Mother does it so much better. More than anything, this feels like Star Wars. You can plop this thing right in with the Prequel era of films and it wouldn't feel out of place at all.

Journey to the Dark Head

So I really, really, liked this on. I think I liked it as much as The Sith and that's saying a lot because that one is probably my favorite of the season. Dark Head is the first traditionally animated short and Studio Mir really put their best foot forward. This f*cking thing was epic! I'm a sucker for anime and, while this technically isn't proper anime, they pay solid homage to that aesthetic. It feels a lot like Avatar in that way and lord knows I love me some Misadventures of Aang and Friends. Probably because Mir is the studio who did Korra. My affection for Korra is much less but I'd be lying if I said that animation wasn't solid. This one was the longest of the lot so far, eighteen minutes, but they used that time to tell a strong story. It's wild to think they'd be able to pack in so much character development, in such a short amount of time, and entire, theatrical length, Star Wars films can't do the same. Rogue One, I'm looking at you.

The Spydancer

Yo, what the f*ck was that?! Holy sh*t, was that solid storytelling! Look, the emotional weight of this sixteen minute was incredible. I mean, of the top, I love the look of the art. The animation was fluid, particular the dancing, and the sound design was everything but the goddamn story, man! How the f*ck did Studio la Cachette do so much, in much little time? Seriously, this was a straight up roller coaster of emotion and I didn't expect that at all. I thought Journey to Dark Head told a complete narrative but The Spydancer does all of that and so much more. Seriously, it's hard not to put this up there with the best of Disney Star Wars and thy did it in sixteen goddamn minutes!

The Bandits of Golak

Another miss for me. Look, I love the Indian inspiration and the CG animation is solid but I don't particular care for the story being told, especially coming off something as emotionally weighty as The Spydancer. Still, 88 Pictures really made the most of their sixteen minutes. I can see why so many people enjoyed this short, even if I, personally, didn't really care for it. That final duel was solid as f*ck, though.

The Pit

Black folks in Star Wars? Let's go! Seriously, there is a distinct lack of color in a galaxy far, far, away so anytime I can get some melanated representation, I'm all in. What do we have so far? Mace, Finn, and Lando? Three prominent black characters over, what is it now? Four goddamn decades? Almost five? Motherf*ckers should be ashamed of themselves. Still, The Pit goes a long way to bridging that gap. Now, I support the f*ck out of D'ART Shtajio but I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the weakest of the shorts in season two. That, and I kind of really hate the Lucasfilm co-sign. None of the other studios needed it. This feels like a Kennedy thing. Gotta take as much credit for the diversity hire as possible, you know? If you didn't now, D'ART Shtajio is the first black owned anime studio. Thy do a lot of support animation for a ton of anime series but this is their first stab at a recognizable franchise like Star Wars where they are allowed to fully do their thing. All that said, The Pit is easily the weakest entry into this season. The narrative is solid and it does a great deal with it's sixteen minutes but this thing doesn't leave nearly the impression of every other short the anthology. Seriously, this thing has a strong message that is kind of undermined by the lack of quality when stood against the rest of the shorts presented.

Aau's Song

Auu's Song closes out this season's entries and, just like the opening, it was a strong choice. Aau's Song feels like a quiet story, intimate and personal, awash in a sea of stars. We  should be fortunate that her tale was told to us with such reverence and respect by Triggering. I was a little suspect at first, being that the two other stop-motion entries were hit-and-miss, but Auu's Song was definitely a hit. I am in love with this aesthetic. It feels like Final Fantasy IX and, if you know me, you know IX is top five for me. I loved the look, but I loved the sound design even more. Auu's song was lovely. Just the vocalizations, alone, were enough to catch my attention but couple that with the underlying tribal drums when sh*t got hairy, and you have a complete story told through your ears. Seriously, you can close your eyes and just listen to this story without missing a narrative beat. I find that absolutely amazing. It's wild to think that Aau's Song can be so god with absolutely no conflict. There are no Sith here, no Empire, no malevolence, just redemption and I kind of love that. The Sith, and to a lesser extent the Empire, were so prominent throughout this season but arguably the second strongest short of the lot, was devoid of anything resembling the dark side, outside of bled Kyber. Absolutely spectacular watch.

[owlterri]

Star wars dvd blu ray box set

#Star wars dvd blu ray box set full#

NEW! A Conversation wi th the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) - Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures.these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world. Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes prop, maquette and costume turnarounds matte paintings and concept art supplementary interviews wi th cast and crew and more Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes prop, maquette and costume turnarounds matte paintings and concept art supplementary interviews wi th cast and crew a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and moreĭISC EIGHT - NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI Audio Commentary wi th George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis MurenĭISC SIX - STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDIĭISC SEVEN - NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III Audio Commentary wi th George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis MurenĭISC FIVE - STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Audio Commentary wi th George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger GuyettĭISC FOUR - STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE Audio Commentary wi th George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben SnowĭISC THREE - STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and CrewĭISC TWO - STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES Audio Commentary wi th George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires Special features include:ĭISC ONE - STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY is presented in widescreen wi th 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe wi th an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives. and Twentie th Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in Nor th America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments in gorgeous high definition and wi th pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound.

#Star wars dvd blu ray box set full#

As long as new formats and film experiences are being developed, there's no doubt that Lucas will be there to see if it makes sense for the Star Wars saga - especially since fans, in spite of their complaints, always turn out in droves.Ĭheck out the full list of special features for the Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-rays below:īring home the adventure and share Star Wars wi th your whole family when STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA comes to Blu -ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd.

[userpoe]

Do you have any Poe fanfic recommendations? 🌞

*clears throat in “i definitely haven’t spent the last three months reading nothing but Poe fanfic”* I sure do, Nonnie (can I call you Sunny? Sunshine? I’m digging the emoji)! I’ve got quite the mixture of fics in my bookmarks, and I’m gonna put some of them under the cut here! You can find all my recs (and my own fics!) over at my ao3 or for reader fics, on my blog @luminouspoes

world's stopped spinning by liquidsky: mostly damerey, but has a lot of good jedistormpilot content/build up in it as well

sleep for today by braigwen_s: I will never shut up about Braigwen’s Poe and Leia fics this is a simple fact of life and there will be more of their fics on this list I promise you that. 

Always comes around again by Elenothar: this fic was not an easy read but in the best possible way. It broke my heart and then repaired it a dozen times over. TLJ AU, timeloop, excellent Poe and Leia content, I still haven’t recovered.

Stand up, Stand your ground by Elenothar: I’m in love with this fic, but be mindful of the warnings! Poe decides to start up self-defense classes for the Resistance.

The Art of Falling by @brandyllyn: the first reader fic of the list. the slowburn..fellas...the slowburn ended me. The BANTER. THE SLOWBURN. THE ANNOYANCES TO LOVERS OF IT ALL *screams into my pillow* literally just any of their Poe fic is just *chef’s kiss* 

Squad Goals by igrockspock: cAN WE SAY!!! RESISTANCE! FOUND! FAMILY! FEELS! Set post TLJ, is utterly gorgeous, has some really soft Poe x Kaydel in it 

dancing around the point of it by braigwen_s: I have yet to recover from this one and I doubt I ever will

matchmaker.exe by nighimpossible: another damerey fic! I just read this one this afternoon and I’m here for BB-8 being a tiny little matchmaker.

 Take a Gamble by ChronicCatalina: another reader fic! This one is a lot of fun, there’s sarcasm, undercover shenanigans, PLENTY of fun tropes to play around with, also BANTER (hi are we detecting a pattern in what I go for in fics yet)

Close To Me by kimmyiewrites (arosetosomeone): poe x oc! I’m only *squints* nine? ten? chapters into this fic so far and I started it a couple of days ago but it’s SO GOOD and ties into canon in a lot of fun ways anD FEATURES MY SON KAZ SO YOU KNOW THAT MAKES ME HAPPY

all the blood that i would bleed by immolationfox: CAN WE SAY JEDISTORMPILOT YES WE CAN. HURT/COMFORT! CUDDLEPUDDLES! 

Meteor Showers by @bee-dameron: another reader fic, and it’s just. so damn good. you want soft poe? uh huh we got that. you want black squadron found family feels? GOT THAT TOO? a hella relatable reader character? THAT TOO. 

friends? by @yoditorian: reader fic and honestly Liz had no right to go this hard or this soft and now any potential canon explanation to how Poe got BB-8 will ever compare to this fic I’m sorry Lucasfilm u can just pack it up and go now, thank you.

nobody compares to you by @commandersousa: SPEAKING OF HAVING NO RIGHT TO GO THIS SOFT, oh my god this fic is my bread and butter I cry at how soft it is we are NOT worthy. (reader fic)

Across The Hall by @starryeyedstories: boy if I thought canon!poe was the perfect man??? Nothing has made me yearn for a character quite like Across The Hall has. I Would Like A Poe Dameron in my life, thank you very much (reader fic)

in my head by @grumpyeagle: soulmate au that’s killing me slowly with the pining I love it sm! especially with the whole music thing going on, y’know how I am with music (reader fic)

like real people do by @okay-hotshot: celeste’s prose is SO beautiful and the buildup and history in this fic is so good, and the cherry on top is the hozier vibes/title. we love to see it (reader fic)

tell it to the stars by @writefightandflightclub: this fic is so good and so soft and sweet and hits so many of my favorite tropes I love it a lot and it’s a really relaxing read (reader fic)

[himboskywalker]

I want you to know that many people have bugged me to get a tik tok. And I always resisted the temptation. UNTIL you posted that shit and guess who downloaded tik tok? The power you hold is insurmountable. Any other recommendations for people to follow?

I have a ton of Star Wars tik tok recommendations! The majority of who I follow are specifically thirst follows but I’ll give a warning if the user is under 18 and I definitely only follow them because they’re cool. You also might notice a gap of some of the bigger and more well known accounts because Tik Tok tends to be a very Sequels-centric and anti-Jedi space and any of the big name accounts that get mouthy about the Jedi I give a wide birth.

funklord_vader — Kevin is a sweetheart of a human being and he’s definitely my favorite account on Tik Tok. You’ve seen me post some of his videos already and he does phenomenal impressions,is absolutely hilarious,and is an all around gem of a person. Bonus points for him agreeing with me that Anakin would have stolen Obi-Wan’s lightsaber for nefarious purposes.

Stnthestron and fezilius — They do Obi-Wan and Anakin cosplays respectfully and are usually seen in colabs or duets. Also an in real life couple so there’s some inherent Obikin vibes just because of the heart eyes the two give one another.

bcivicosplay — Most of the really big cosplayers are from LA or California and Brandon is no different,but he’s got some phenomenal Mandalorian cosplays and he’s pretty.

proatcons— Obi-Wan cosplayer and 100% a thirst follow because this man is fucking p.r.e.t.t.y.

awholeadult— Obi-Wan cosplayer #2 that is 100% a thirst follow and is genuinely hilarious and does funny duets.

alexm2255– Did someone say absolutely and insanely badass female Mandalorian cosplayer? Followed for the brilliant,hi-tech armor and was delighted to later discover she’s basically Cara Dune and can step on me any day.

Kyaoya— My favorite female Anakin cosplayer with some phenomenal makeup skills!

rexin_around— Michael is probably the most well known of the Star Wars Tik Tokers I follow. He’s probably the biggest or one of the biggest LA cosplayers and is well known for his Rex cosplay as well as is 501st trooper work. He’s also one of the big names that explores the Disney Land Galaxy’s Edge and knows a lot of Lucasfilm people and is an all around delightful and well connected nerd.

commanderblackout— Blackout and Clone trooper cosplayer and 100% a thirst follow

kmerolzzzz— Artist who’s also on tumblr and is well known for her stunningly gorgeous Ahsoka and Rex art!

dentedhelmet— A well rounded cosplayer known for his Maul,Cody,Boba Fett And male Twi’lek cosplay. He’s a Grade A cosplayer and also a thirst follow.

jamiecostaofficial— Jamie is one of the old gods who got famous for his Harrison Ford impersonations on Vine way back in the day. He’s a professional voice actor in real life now,a wonderful guy and I actually got to meet him a couple years ago! He’s also a thirst follow but like—In a I want to marry you in real life because when I met you I almost cried kind of way.

zachbravo— Zach is another delightful human who I became internet friends with because of Tik Tok! He’s known for being obsessed with Darth Maul and his impressions.

cagcustomcreations— Christian makes custom lightsabers that rival Ultrasabers and Saber Forge And he’s also 100% gorgeous just don’t tell his girlfriend I said so.

f1ying-solo— The most wholesome and loveable Anakin cosplayer in the world. Bonus points for his particular affinity for Clone Wars Anakin!

brettian— Kylo Ren cosplayer and 1,000% a thirst follow

ach.artt— Super cool female Anakin cosplayer and the only one on this list that I’ll give a heads up for being 17!

consatelecosplay and _skyguy24 — Leia,Padmé,stormtrooper + cosplayer and her boyfriend who cosplays Anakin. They met another at a Star Wars convention years ago cosplaying as Padmé and Anakin and I love them and am so bi for the both of them.

goblinchaos— Sith! Obi-Wan cosplay,need I say more?

ashandbryan— This account makes me melt into a puddle of goo just to think about it. It’s the cosplay account for a married couple in LA. The husband is most well known for his scarily spot on Anakin cosplay though he also does Han Solo and others,while the wife does Padmé,Leia,Rey And others.

[narkinafive]

time-of-contempt replied to your post “lord i’ve got to get through 3 movies and a whole ass season of...”

Is Resistance good? I’m not overly fond of the new films, but I’m always happy to try the animated series

i like it! it is very fun and sweet, and the art direction/design is gorgeous. be advised, the tone is VERY different from rebels/clone wars, it is obviously geared towards a Young audience, and kaz-the-spy can be teeth-grindingly incompetent. this doesn’t detract from his overall likability, for me, but it can be really off-putting if you just straight up h8 that kind of thing.

i really like all the characters, i loveeeee “lower-deck” stuff like this, and i really like all the different factions at play! the new republic, the first order, the pirate gangs, the colossus crew... and ALIENS. good aliens!!!!

my biggest sadness over there only being 2 seasons (aside from theRE ONLY BEING TWO SEASONS???? GODDAMMIT MOUSE) is that we probs won’t have time to get into one of the aces’ backstories, specifically griff halloran, who is an ex-tie pilot. i need to know more about griff halloran????? okay??????? lucasfilm give me the forbidden griff halloran!!!!!

[skullinacowboyhat]

Thanks for the asks, @captainderyn and @coconut-orc <3

19. What is the most difficult thing for you to draw?

I don’t enjoy drawing animals, they always end up looking more cartoon-y than realistic. I also find drawing little kids hard, they turn out looking like adults with big heads. :3

25. Do you like to draw in silence, or with music?

Music, always. I can’t get in the right mode without music. When I’m drawing traditionally, I can go without, but I can’t draw digitally without a soundtrack. 

26. What programs do you use?

Good ol’ Photoshop. I’m not sure which version though. 

27. How many layers does a typical piece require?

Anywhere between 10 and 30. 30 is for really complicated pieces, with lots of little effects and stuff. For pieces where it’s just a character standing around, I can usually do with 10-15. 

30. What inspires you to not just make art, but to be a better artist?

I want to be able to communicate my ideas to the world, and be satisfied with how they’re communicated. Each time I redraw an old piece, I get closer and closer to the initial idea and that’s really special to me, to see something right in front of me that has been sticking in my head for ages.  Also looking at other people’s art always inspires me to push myself, because if they can draw this gorgeous stuff, why can’t I? Plus, I want a job at Lucasfilm, or at a gaming company, so that’s a big motivator to become a better artist.

Artist Asks

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #544

Top Ten Psygnosis Games

Okay, there was a lot I was going to talk about this week – something DC-related would have been nice – but I can’t quite articulate my frustrations over the Batgirl cancellation, and my surprise at how much I enjoyed DC League of Superpets into a coherent list. So instead we’re relaxing by wallowing in nostalgia. It does mean two game-related lists two weeks in a row, but never mind.

When I was a wee lad, I didn’t know as much about the videogames industry as I do now, and so recognisable names became a much bigger deal. Ocean Software, US Gold, Team 17, Lucasfilm Games, were all imbued with a sense of power and mystique because I’d played games by them before. Even if a company like Ocean got a bit of a bad rap for its succession of film adaptations – sometimes fairly shonky ones – I always had a big soft spot for them because their glorious chromium logo adorned some of the earliest games I ever owned for my Amiga. And RoboCop 3 was the business; has there ever been a bigger gulf in quality between a great game and a shit film?

Anyway, one of the first companies I would get ridiculously excited about if their logo popped up whilst a game was loading was Psygnosis. A Liverpool-based developer, they were responsible for one of first games I ever played on an Amiga, Shadow of the Beast II, a deliriously difficult side-scrolling platform/adventure game that I thoroughly enjoyed to bits once I’d put the cheat on and couldn’t die anymore (you walk up to a bloke very early on and say to him “ten pints” – go on, try it out; I haven’t played the game for thirty years so it’s possible I’m mistaken, but I don’t think I am). Psygnosis became well-known for their gorgeous airbrushed cover art, often by Roger Dean, who also created their chrome-plated creepy owl logo. They were beautiful sci-fi vistas or horrific imagery, stuff that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a premium genre hardback, or possibly adorning the side of a VW van. These boxes – and remember, they were whacking great boxes back then – really stood out on the shelves of Electronics Boutique or, er, Chips in Middlesbrough (were there any other real game chains back then?).

Psygnosis ended up being bought by Sony and folded into the whole PlayStation Empire, becoming Studio Liverpool and turning into something of a Wipeout factory before getting shut down ten years ago. It was a sad end to one of the giants of 16-bit home computing, but that’s how these things go I guess; outside of huge American or Japanese companies, how many developers from the eighties are still really kicking around? Regardless, Psygnosis has a tremendous legacy and – of course – one game series in particular that transcends everything else. You know what I’m talking about. Let’s go!

Lemmings 2: The Tribes (Amiga, 1993): what else could it be? Lemmings is one of the greatest games and franchises of all time. Puzzling, hilarious, funny, addictive; one for the ages. And I do prefer the sequel as it’s more varied and colourful and user-friendly, but really either of the first two games (and their spin-offs and add-ons) could take this spot, masterpieces that they are.

Shadow of the Beast II (Amiga, 1990): an intriguing adventure game, with its puzzles and quests, that really taught me a lot about adventure games. Defining, for me, the early days of the Amiga, it helped me figure out what sort of games I liked. And whilst its difficulty is a bit bonkers it also helps that it’s gorgeous.

Hired Guns (Amiga, 1993): a unique first-person team-based RPG in which you control four characters at once via split-screen. This gameplay quirk made it really interesting, and technically it was impressive way back when, plus it had a really cool techno-western aesthetic. I think they remade it but no one cared.

Walker (Amiga, 1993): like a lot of games on this list, Walker had an interesting gameplay hook and visual aesthetic (and was also developed by DMA Design – funny that). This one saw you controlling a giant AT-ST-type vehicle, mooching around the level whilst strafing tiny soldiers. The micro-men, mere pixels in height, inspired a whole other game (Lemmings, you may have heard of it), but Walker is still dead good fun.

Agony (Amiga, 1992): I was never too much of a fan of those side-scrolling shoot-em-ups where you fly from left to right and, y’know, shoot things. Agony was a good example of the genre, though, and I enjoyed it. What I thought was really cool – apart from the typically good graphics – was that you essentially played as the Psygnosis owl. The one from the logo. Crazy, right?

Leander (Amiga, 1991): this feels like a much more obscure title but one that I had and really enjoyed as a kid, even if I was typically crap at it and almost certainly never progressed beyond the first level. Coming across like a more mainstream Beast, it’s a sprawling platform-adventure with an interesting mix of Japanese and Western influences. I remember getting sucked in to its more forgiving gameplay and relatively slow-paced action.

Puggsy (Amiga, 1993): I think this gained a bit more favour as a Mega Drive title but – obviously – I only had it on the Amiga. An intriguing adventure that was built around acquiring objects and using them correctly, my memories of it are of a bigger budget Dizzy with its own quirky style.

Bill’s Tomato Game (Amiga, 1992): now maybe this is the really obscure title. A colourful puzzle game about, er, tomatoes, named after its developer, as you try to rescue your girlfriend (a tomato, natch) from a squirrel by finding the right route out of tricksy levels. I remember it being a surprising delight and having a sense of humour right out of Lemmings.

Destruction Derby (PC, 1995): oh my god, a PC game! Although most people probably think of it as a PlayStation game or something. Anyway, in the infancy of 3D graphics, there were lots of driving games (good for showing off fancy visuals) but one thing I’d always wanted was just to properly knacker the cars. This game – although I remember it as being rather slight – scratched that itch, really letting you bash and smash to your heart’s content. Not quite Carmageddon in its vehicular violence but a pleasing diversion nonetheless.

Benefactor (Amiga, 1994): another sort-of puzzle game that required you to save a host of anonymous plebs, this differentiates itself from the Lemmings mould by having you control a bigger guy who has to essentially prepare the level to let your mini-mates pass safely. Carved out its own unique niche in my psyche with enough style and difference to get its hooks in.

What no Wipeout? I guess not having a PlayStation in the mid-to-late-nineties meant a sexy futuristic hovercar racer just didn’t have a fair chance of getting its claws into me when I could just, I dunno, keep playing Quake or something. Anyway, I think we can all agree that Psygnosis put out some cracking games in the Amiga era and beyond, and I really, really wish that Sony would do some kind of remaster of the first two Lemmings games and release it on Steam.

[gffa]

re: The High Republic excitement

mozzlan said: 

So many of the characters sound so interesting. And let’s be real, the designs are AMAZING (and imagine the fan arts we might get of our PT favs in the same style 🤤🥺)

This is a HUGE bonus because I do very much love the Jedi Order fashion we’ve gotten in the PT movies and in TCW, there are some gorgeous outfits (Shaak Ti and Luminara are both gorgeous), I am always, always down for more fashion, especially more traditionally Knights-themed styles. AND IF THE ARTISTS IN THIS FANDOM DON’T DRAW OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN AND AHSOKA AND MACE AND SHAAK AND LUMINARA AND DEPA AND KIT IN THOSE CLOTHES, YOU’RE ALL A BUNCH OF COWARDS. dawigginator said: 

I think I’ve been so unusually optimistic because I’ve seen such an outpouring of love & excitement from the authors & creators & it has me optimistic despite myself *slaps on clown nose* lol I’m hoping dearly we see them treated with love & not from an angle of look at the Jedi during their peak in power growing fat & corrupt with it!haha! I’m just so terribly excited to see,like you said,an era of expansion & adventure for them. I’m so intrigued to see a Jedi Order Not at war and fighting such intense darkness from within the ranks of the Republic. From everything we’ve seen hints of so far it looks very exciting to see external threats and what that entails.

It’s exciting because we’ve never really explored this area of the timeline before, anything else has usually been in the way, waaaaaay distant past and that can be really interesting stuff, but I want more of the history of the Republic, especially during a period of expansion and if we might get some political thoughts on that, like, what does it mean that the Republic is expanding into all these new territories, do these places want to have the Republic come sweeping in this like?  Is it truly a time of peace or is that just how it seems on the surface? And I want to see a Jedi Order with a government that actually is worthy of their fealty (assuming that this one is), rather than the crappy one that the PT era Jedi got stuck with.  I’m curious to see what it’s like to have an external threat, rather than like with the PT and the OT, where it was back to back civil wars with basically only 20 years of oppression in between and then whatever the ST was, I’m not sure if that was an external threat or a civil war or what. BUT ALSO GIMME OBI-WAN DRESSED LIKE A HIGH REPUBLIC ERA JEDI GIMMEEEEEEE. ALSO WOOKIEE JEDI GIMME.  TRANDOSHAN JEDI GIMME.  These things aren’t new or anything, the PT era Jedi had pretty much every species we’ve seen, but I WANT MORE ALIEN JEDI ANYWAY, GIMME GIMME. (I’m also going to steal @evaceratops‘s tag:   #LUCASFILM-SANCTIONED CHAOTIC JEDI HOURS LETS GOOOOOOOOO)

[aion-rsa]

Best Star Wars Trading Card Sets to Celebrate Lucasfilm’s 50th Anniversary

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This article is part of our Collector’s Digest content series powered by:

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm. To say the corporation that George Lucas founded as a way to realize his artistic vision forever altered popular culture is akin to understating the heat of the sun. Indeed, it is incomprehensible to think of a world without Lucasfilm and the wonders it has given us over the course of the past half century. 

What initially began as a way for Lucas to pursue his creativity outside of the auspices of the Hollywood machine is a fascinating story in and of itself – one whose irony is impossible to overlook given how the independent filmmaking ideologies held by the company eventually gave way to the biggest film franchise in history. And that’s not to overlook the significant artistic and technological achievements Lucasfilm unleashed, Ark of the Covenant style, with the Indiana Jones franchise. 

Lucasfilm is an embedded part of the mainstream fifty years later. Yet the company has never strayed far from its initial mission statement of creating works that elicit genuine wonder. The fact that Lucasfilm productions often offer profound commentary on the human condition – even when a huge chunk of the characters who populate the Star Wars universe aren’t human – is just another example of the creative alchemy they continue to conjure.

As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite merchandise spawned by the company’s releases, namely Topps trading cards. (Besides, Lucasfilm and its consumer output has an ouroboros-like relationship at this point). Below you’ll find an assortment of trading cards lines that Topps has issued inspired by the various Star Wars films and television shows. 

All of these offerings represent not only how Lucas and Lucasfilm deconstructed and rebuilt science fiction into a far-reaching phenomenon but also the simple ways that collectibles are a part of our shared history. Maybe you have fond memories of buying a pack of The Empire Strike Back cards off of your local ice cream truck, or warm reflections about schoolyard discussions about Jabba the Hutt spawned by trading Return of the Jedi trading cards. These memories are a part of why the Star Wars saga is so meaningful to fans the world over, and we have Lucasfilm and Topps to thank for this.  And thankful, we truly are. Here now, is a look at some of Lucasfilm and Topps’ greatest collaborations.

Topps Star Wars Unopened Trading Card Box

Price: $2,000 – $4,000

Impossible though it may seem from a 2021 perspective, there was a time when Star Wars collectibles were downright difficult to find. Kenner’s infamous Early Bird Certificate issued for Christmas of 1977 was essentially an empty cardboard sleeve that promised action figures that didn’t technically exist yet. Other quickly produced merchandise like inflatable lightsabers (which, admittedly are kinda badass), puzzles, and a board game helped temporarily quell the desire for all things related to a galaxy far, far away. 

Of the initial products, the one that has endured the longest is Topps’ various trading cards. For a mere 15 cents, would-be Star Warriors could get several cards with full color images from the film, a dazzling sticker – you’d feel like royalty if you’d score a Darth Vader one – and a stick of gum. These were inexpensive, highly collectible, and super cool. Not only did they help introduce a generation to trading cards, but the five different colored lines that make up the series remain some of the most desired Star Wars collectibles ever. Which is why an unopened box of these cards will set you back a pretty penny. The bragging rights owning one will give you though? Priceless.

Buy a Topps Star Wars Unopened Trading Card Box on eBay here

The Empire Strikes Back Series 3 Unopened Pack

Price: $5 – $30

When it came time for Topps to release card sets for The Empire Strikes Back, the company ramped up the excitement in a manner befitting the source material. There were three separate sets released for the sequel, with the 88-card set in the third series being arguably the most exciting. Why? The third series offered everything from comic styled depictions of characters like Boba Fett and “Probot” to jaw-dropping art from visionary Ralph McQuarrie to deliciously melodramatic captions like “Threepio in a Jam!” and “Dodging Deadly Laserblasts!” Recreating the action of the film on a trading card feels like an impossible task, one Topps was somehow able to achieve.

Buy a The Empire Strikes Back Series 3 Unopened Pack on eBay here

The Empire Strikes Back Full Color Giant Photocards Unopened Pack

Price: $5.99 to $14.99

Back in 1980, Topps pulled off the impressive feat of selling a single Star Wars card for 20 cents. Yes, they really had some cojones to attempt to pull off such a stunt, but this move was about way more than milking the Star Wars cash cow. Each of these 30 “Giant Photocards” from The Empire Strikes Back was a behemoth suitable for locker display and/or framing. Unfortunately, consumers weren’t buying the whole less-is-more thing, and the line evaporated quicker than Luke’s snowy vision of Ben Kenobi.

Buy a The Empire Strikes Back Full Color Giant Photocards Unopened Pack on eBay here

Return of the Jedi Trading Cards Unopened Box

Price: $300 – $500

Let’s be honest, Return of the Jedi was a bittersweet affair. It marked the end of the original Star Wars trilogy, and some viewers found it to be a disappointing wrap up. Add to that the uncertainty of when we would see these characters again, and you’ve got a recipe for some complicated feelings. Not that you’d know any of this galactic ennui from the movie’s merchandise, which paints it as a fun-packed — if somewhat underwritten — conclusion to the Skywalker story. (What little we knew back in 1983, huh?) 

The corresponding card line from Topps tended to focus on the film’s biggest moments. In the process, it presented a clear image of what Return of the Jedi truly was: inspired pop entertainment for a galaxy of moviegoers.

Buy a Return of the Jedi Trading Cards Unopened Box on eBay here

Star Wars 3Di Widevision Card Set

Price: $50 – $75

Topps is consistently at the forefront of trading card technology, and this is exemplified by their 1996 3Di Widevision Card set. Building on the Widevision style they premiered the previous year, these cards featured images from Star Wars that replicated their original aspect ratio. More than that though, each entry in the series recounted the film’s story through lenticular images that seemed to pop off of the card. More than a mere novelty, this felt like the evolution of trading cards.

Buy the Star Wars 3Di Widevision Card Set on eBay here

1993 Star Wars Galaxy Unopened Box

Price: $80 – $100

After what seemed to be an eternity but was actually just about a decade, Star Wars started to roar back to life in the early 1990s due to Expanded Universe material like Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn novels and Topps’ Star Wars Galaxy card lines. Enlisting the aid of a diverse array of artists that included Mad Magazine’s Sergio Aragones and poster art legend Drew Struzan, this set – punctuated by rare foil etched chase cards – expanded the parameters of the Star Wars universe in richly inventive ways. 

Ever wonder what Chewie did in his off hours? Or how various artists interpreted the Droids? This line answered those questions, and many more. The Galaxy line was such a success that it spawned several sequel lines as well as a 2018 reboot. As amazing as these subsequent lines have been, they don’t have the sheer magic of the 1993 original, which reminded us of how the possibilities of Star Wars were as infinite as the universe itself.

Buy the 1993 Star Wars Galaxy Unopened Box on eBay here

Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Set

Price: $40 – $160

The Star Wars saga is rich with repeating motifs and characters whose paths echo in unexpected and exciting ways. In 2015, Topps released the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens card set to show how the franchise’s past influenced its future. The Force may not always be in balance, but Star Wars merchandising is!

Buy Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Sets on eBay here

The Mandalorian eBay Exclusive Topps Card Set

Price: $50 – $85

If you’ll allow us to get meta for a moment, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention this release from The Mandalorian that was available last year as an eBay exclusive. Topps gave this 10-card set a retro feel by utilizing a Mars Attacks-esque font and gorgeous retro art that really drives the whole galaxy far, far away point home.

Buy The Mandalorian eBay Exclusive Topps Card Set on eBay here

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The post Best Star Wars Trading Card Sets to Celebrate Lucasfilm’s 50th Anniversary appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[celinamarniss]

Visual depictions of women in the Thrawn Trilogy comics; or, how much I hate the effing catsuit

As you may have noticed, I bought digital copies of the Thrawn Trilogy comics, and reread the series (though honestly? I skimmed a lot. Most of Dark Force Rising). 

I HAVE NO REGRETS. 

The thing about the series that interested me the most was the art. There are three artistic teams across the series, each with a slightly different style. Here's the gang:

  I can't say enough good things about the background work the first artistic team does. Gorgeous planets, interesting interior design, fun page layouts. BUT. I have some of issues when it comes to the way the artist who drew the issue draws people. ESPECIALLY with their depictions of women. Get ready for my feminist killjoy rant on how comics are terrible. 

Let's start with Leia. 

Part I: PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON LEIA.

Leia is one of our lead characters, obviously. And how she's depicted isn't all that bad, most of the time. In Heir she seems to be wearing some sort of black catsuit covered with a weird yellow vest, but she's more clothed than a lot of the other characters. But thennnn the comic will put her in situations in which she isn't wearing anything at all. 

Of course you had to manufacture a situation in which your female lead wouldn't be wearing any clothes. 

Then there's a whole scene where she runs around wearing only her underwear:  

This goes on for six pages. 

She INTERROGATES A PRISONER IN HER UNDERWEAR. There is no good reason this should be happening. 

WHY. COMICS WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS. 

It’s less of a problem in the following books, especially in The Last Command, where she wears a variety of formal and casual outfits, and doesn’t loose her clothes for no reason at all.  And then we come to our second female lead, Mara. Part II: THE EFFING CATSUIT

According to what I've heard from fandom, these comics are the first appearance of Mara's catsuit. I have no proof of that, but the catsuit is never described as what Mara's wearing at any point in the original novels (in fact, if described at all, she tends to wear long sleeves to cover her holdout blaster). 

I don't know who's to blame for that decision, if it was the artist's choice or someone on the creative team or at Lucasfilm. I wouldn't be shocked if it was the artist's decision, especially the lack of sleeves, considering the fact sleeves are pretty scarce in general: 

Space is cold! Don't these space people want to be cosy???

Like I said, I don't have proof that the sleeves catsuit originated here, but ...I would not be surprised. I am fully prepared to lay the blame on this anti-sleeve artist.

(side note: Luke looses his sleeves a LOT in these comics, and you could argue some level of objectification there, but not at the same degree as the women, and the context is different, anyway. 

Know who never looses his clothes at any point? Han Solo.)  

The first appearance of the catsuit: 

(she’s a charmer!)

It's not just what she's wearing. She's nearly always posed in ways that bring her boobs and butt to attention. 

She's literally reduced to tits and ass in this frame: 

I'm like ....really? REALLY?

The art team switches in Dark Force Rising and again in The Last Command, but the problem remains consistent. 

She's a barbie. 

Just...look. Breasts don't do that in a skintight suit, unless she's wearing a push-up bra underneath, and why would she do that???? 

We don’t see Karrde’s ass featured in every frame! 

She even assembles weaponry... without her clothes on. OH COME ON. 

There's the pose again. 

And yeah, I know, this is how women in comics look. That doesn't mean I want it in my Star Wars, or that I can't go into a frothing rage every once and while. I know I’m probably overreacting, but this is the image that’s defined Mara for so long, and I resent that.  First of all, the catsuit is meant to objectify and over-sexualize a female character. That's straight up what's going on here. Someone looked at this complicated female character who had a prominent role in the series and decided they needed to make her more palpable to male fans by making her "sexier." It's misogynistic. 

(yes, women can enjoy looking at other women in catsuits, but the machine behind star wars has always been more interested in catering to what they perceive the male fans want.)

I hate the catsuit so much. 

Not only does it objectify Mara, it drives me crazy how out-of-character the catsuit is. Mara was trained to operate from the shadows, and not to draw attention to herself. She blends in. A skintight catsuit is way too flashy, in a universe where skintight catsuits aren't the norm. It just doesn’t make sense for her character. 

Most of all, Mara’s practical, something a catsuit is not. How is she supposed to move in that thing? How does she hide her holdout? How does she pee? 

You know what's practical and pretty common in Star Wars? A flight suit! But that doesn't seem to be what they're going for here. 

A practical flight suit! With pockets! 

This is what I imagine Mara wearing a lot of the time, or the pants/shirt/jacket/boots outfit that a lot of the other characters in the movies wear. You know, to blend in! 

(I might buy an argument for her wearing a black jumpsuit when running secret missions, but not so much working as a smuggler on the Fringe!) 

That first appearance of the catsuit in the panels above? She's having a meeting with her boss. A business meeting in which she makes clear that she won't use her body as leverage to gain a promotion. She holds positions of authority throughout the books, and I can't help but suspect that that catsuit is undermining that authority (something Mara would never stand for!) 

The catsuit might be justified if Mara was the type of character to use her sexuality and physical appearance to get what she wants, but that's not something she ever does in the novels. (In contrast to Shada, for instance, who does use her physical appearance as a smokescreen). 

And the lack of sleeves just BUGS me. Mara's signature weapon is a holdout blaster that she hides up her sleeves. It's a plot point! GIVE HER SLEEVES. 

The catsuit isn't mentioned in her debut appearance in the Thrawn Trilogy, and isn't described in most of the books (it starts to show up in one or two books written long after it was established as her signature visual). 

Relatedly, Mara's figure is often compared to that of a dancer's, and if that's meant to evoke a ballet dancer, which I think it is, that's a very distinct body type that tends to be lean and muscular, and very much not voluptuous. Apparently the artists of the comics didn't get that memo. (Can we stop with the balloon boobs? please?) She's also usually depicted with her hair down, which also doesn't strike me as very sensible, especially going into a combat situation! 

Almost all art of Mara features the catsuit. It's all over the place, in official and fan art. When people google Mara, that's what they see. Occasionally, the suit is rendered in a way that isn't too objectifying, but there are some pretty egregious examples of the opposite. I won't post any examples; they're easy to find. Many of them are of her during her career the Emperor's Hand, when Mara was about 16-21. She was a teenager. 

Ew. 

Obviously, there's nothing I can do about the catsuit and the fact that it's permanently linked to Mara's image. I just try to keep it off my blog (I don't reblog images of Leia's slave outfit either, for the same reasons). I would love LOVE to see new art of Mara that didn't feature the catsuit. There are so many good artists doing fantastic new Star Wars art out there! Give my girl some love. PS. Club Jade has a similar article on the catsuit, with a little more detail on the catsuit's history and some discussion in the comments worth looking into. 

[aion-rsa]

The History of Star Wars Widevision Cards

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This story appears in the Den of Geek x eBay special edition trading card magazine.

The notion of somehow making Star Wars bigger seems ridiculous in 2020, but 25 years ago, that’s precisely what The Topps Company did with the Star Wars Widevision trading cards. The result was not only groundbreaking for movie trading cards, but the 1995 Widevision series literally made Star Wars bigger for Topps with a legacy that continues more than two decades later.

“Star Wars cards in general are part of the legendary Star Wars experience,” says Gary Gerani, the original editor of the Topps series and author of Star Wars Widevision: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One, published by Abrams ComicArts. “Star Wars Widevision happens to be the most glorious example of the trading card form that I can think of.”

So how did a 120-card base set of trading cards, based on a franchise that hadn’t seen a new entry in 12 years, make such an impact?

As it happened, Topps had been in the Star Wars business since it made the original 1977 set (with the blue border and white stars) that largely targeted young fans. 

“[The original sets] were mass-market items sold on candy counters across the country,”  Gerani says. “But in the ‘90s, the direct sales comic book market opened up, allowing new card products to be created that were aimed at the true fan audience.”

Gerani came up with the name Star Wars Galaxy, which became a card series featuring artist interpretations, illustrations, and movie posters. It was a success for the company, and it began exploring ways to refresh the movie cards.

In discussions with Topps’s New Product Development executive Ira Friedman, Gerani made the “radical suggestion” of changing the size and shape of the card itself. This would be a departure from the original cards, which featured square-shaped unit photography.

The idea they landed on reflected the full widescreen movie frame, and though “long cards” had been done before, Gerani and Topps set out to make the most sophisticated Star Wars set ever. The longer size also meant they could reproduce the original Star Wars Panavision frames in their entirety. 

The new oversize format cards, measuring 4 7/8 by 2 3/4 inches, were certainly big. They expanded on the scope of the original 1977 set, and the large clear image was framed by thin blue bars along the top and bottom. Along with the Topps and Star Wars logos, each featured a  simple caption (e.g. “Int. Tatooine – Mos Eisley – Cantina”; “Int. Death Star – Detention Area”).

Moreover, the back of the card featured the original storyboard for the movie images presented on the front. Other “stations of information” (behind-the-scenes, etc.) were included on the back because of the extra length of the card.  

“It was, without question, the most sophisticated trading card I ever conceived/edited, and I’ve edited a few hundred over the years,” says Gerani, who adds that he took a scholarly approach to the project.

“I wanted this set to be worthy of The American Cinematographer or any high-level exploration of motion picture making, while still functioning as an entertaining trading card product for our regular buyers.”

As for the name itself, Gerani says he landed on “Widevision” as a nod to the previous Galaxy sets, which utilized the word “Vision.”

“It seemed appropriate; people were calling it ‘widescreen’ at first, so I had to correct them every now and then.”

The template of the Widevision cards would essentially follow A New Hope’s storyline without having to spell out a plotline everyone pretty much already knew by the ‘90s. After selecting front images, Gerani went hunting for corresponding “making of” back images, like storyboards.

That meant going through a lot of material, which he says was “sorta fun,” but still sounds like quite a task.

“We had access to all the right visual material — state-of-the-art digital blow-ups for the front images, along with a treasure trove of ‘making of’ graphics,” he says. “This material had been accumulated since the movies came out, as the caretakers of Star Wars were always very aware of the saga’s place in pop culture history.”

Beyond the size and overall scope of  the cards, the Widevision set was innovative in the way images were obtained. Gerani says “in the old days,” he would mostly print from slides and color transparencies. For this project, however, the images came directly from the film.

“We hooked up with the Telecine Research Center at Universal, an outfit recommended by Lucasfilm,” says Gerani. “They were sent 35mm prints of all three movies, I would go down there and screen them, and we’d stop whenever I wanted to pull a frame. They would then process that selection through their digital computer setup.”

While working on the project, the editor says there was a sense that the fans would love what Topps was creating. Indeed, the result was not only a massive step forward for movie trading cards, but the Widevision set itself is simply gorgeous. And for Gerani, it does the Star Wars franchise “full justice.”

“I had been writing and editing Topps’s Star Wars cards since the very first series, so Widevision played like a state-of-the-art remake of the 1977 original sets.”

Topps’s game-changing Star Wars Widevision set was collected in the 2017 book Star Wars Widevision: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One. The book includes the front and back of the base set, along with chase cards, wrapper art, A New Hope Special Edition cards, and new cards made exclusively for the book.

“It was just great to have these old cards of mine between two covers, which gives the sets added validity and places them in the proper historic context.”

For Gerani’s personal history, looking back on 25 years of Star Wars Widevision, he says the project holds a special place for him and was a tough act to follow. As for which of those “old cards” is his favorite?

“There are so many cool compositions in Star Wars.  I suppose firing up the Death Star, with the beam shooting through that shaft, was always one of my favorites. It certainly filled the wide frame.”

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