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Post by Confessor on Jan 8, 2017 11:37:24 GMT -5
I also remember listening avidly to the radio play, although I didn't tape it because I had no means of taping directly from radio at the time. And, of course, the UK Marvel comic and the Palitoy (later Kenner) toys, were a big part of my obsession with SW. A great moment of my fandom was when the local library acquired the boxed sets of the radio plays. It was only a few years and a couple of moves ago that I let my taped cassette tapes go. I still have all three radio plays on cassette. I've even kept a cassette player in my hi-fi just so that I can play them and the BBC radio adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which I also have on audio tape.  |
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Post by Confessor on Jan 8, 2017 11:37:33 GMT -5
I can relate to this so much. I too taped Star Wars off of TV on 24th October 1982 - I remember the date because it was 2 days after my 10th birthday and I got a blank VHS tape for my birthday, specifically to video it. Don't know if you got many of the adverts prior to it stating on tape when you videoed it, but there was a trailer for Disney's kid's horror film, The Watch in the Woods just before it started. Do you remember that? I watched that VHS over and over, until it started to badly degrade. Without exaggeration, I must've watched that copy of the movie in excess of 200 times. I know this because I counted my viewings back then. My copy was taped on a Philips V2000 recorder - which was nether VHS of Betamax but the double sided tapes. It had no pause button so record or stop was pressed leaving a slight second gap which usually was filled with what was taped over - in this case the 1982 production of 'HMS Pinafore'. It produced this strange version of A New Hope which had a cameo appearance from Frankie Howerd at one point! Oo er missus That version shown on ITV had a different audio track from the VHS and pan and scanned a different part of the screen to the VHS. Beru sounded better. There was 'Close the blast doors' which I think got reinstated and that green R2 unit from the briefing scene was not to be seen...I'm rambling on now. I will keep an eye out for other threads especially any XMen circa the Romita Jnr first run which coincided pretty much with the post ROTJ stories. Ah, yes...I recall the V2000 recorder. I think at least one of my friends back then had one. I also remember the audio track on the TV broadcast as well, with the "close the blast doors" line, that was missing from many of the late '80s and '90s home video releases. I'm gonna go out on a limb here though, relying on hazy childhood memories, and say that I think that the ITV version was the same pan and scan version as the very first rental VHS release, which would've appeared in UK video shops circa 1981 or so (??). I'm not talking about a version you could by and take home -- this would've been before pre-recorded videos were available to buy in the UK -- I'm talking about the initial VHS version that you could rent from home video shops. The reason I think it was the same as the ITV version, is because, back then, my Dad would go to the video shop every Saturday and pick up a movie for him and my Mum to watch and he'd also get me and my brother something. Usually we told him to rent Star Wars. Sometimes we'd mix it up, with something like Battle Beyond the Stars, The Black Hole, or the first Battlestar Galactica movie, but 9 times out of ten, it was Star Wars that we rented. So, I had probably watched that rental VHS version of the first SW film maybe 20 times or thereabouts by the time the film came on TV. In fact, that's partly why I was given a blank video cassette for my 10th birthday to record the TV broadcast with...so that my Dad wouldn't have to keep renting it from the video store every week!  Anyway, my point is, that I don't remember things like "close the blast doors" or Beru's different voice being unique to the ITV version when it came on TV. However, when I finally invested in a bought VHS copy of the film in the early '90s (after my home recorded version was rendered almost unwatchable from repeat viewings), I clearly remember noticing the absence of certain lines and a different actor dubbing Beru's lines. Maybe my memory's playing tricks on me....but that's how I remember it. Also, I swear I remember both the first rental video release of SW and the ITV broadcast having the "Episode IV - A New Hope" subtitle in the opening crawl, which goes against a lot of what I read online about home video releases of the film. |
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Post by Confessor on Jan 8, 2017 12:21:57 GMT -5
Star Wars #107As for why the series was cancelled, Duffy has given conflicting explanations about that over the years. Back in 1987, she told Starlog magazine that the main reason Marvel decided to cancel the comic was because the increasingly restrictive instructions coming down from Lucasfilm about what she could or couldn't do with the franchise's main characters made it increasingly difficult for her to write interesting stories. Duffy reiterated this in a 2005 interview with Back Issue magazine: "The restrictions from Lucasfilm are what effectively canceled the book. It got to the point where they said that I couldn't do this and that with the characters … we got the feeling that whoever was in charge of approving all this at Lucasfilm didn't want there to be a comic book at all anymore." In 2011, Duffy also revealed that Lucasfilm's restrictions even extended to her own original characters: "It was a bit strange because Lucasfilm started to tell us what should happen (or not happen) to the characters that I (or Marvel) had created. I thought that was a rather alarming evolution." Duffy holding to that "restrictions" defense always appeared weak, since it would not be long before Dark Horse's adaptations seemed to be free to get the feel and characters right--at a time when Lucas was already preparing to return to Star Wars, so theoretically, he (or/and Lucasfilm) would have been more protective over franchise storylines and their impression on the audience. I get what you're saying, but I think it was likely a case of Lucasfilm suddenly realising that a SW comic could be useful to them again, in terms of raising awareness of the franchise in the early '90s. Let's not forget, Marvel's SW comic was initially conceived as a marketing tool. Nothing more -- nothing less. It was meant to publicise this new space fantasy film to comic book fans. By the time you get to the post- Jedi era, Lucasfilm no longer needs to sell "Star Wars" to the world, and George Lucas himself, is ready to turn his back on the franchise. So, as Duffy says, Lucasfilm got to a point where they no longer needed or wanted a SW comic on the shelves anymore. It was only after the commercial failure of George's post-SW films, like Labyrinth, Howard the Duck, Willow and the Radioland Murders, that he started to get interested in SW again. If I were a cynical man (which I am!), I'd say that George realised that SW was his cash cow and that he better concentrate on reviving that in the 1990s, with the comics, novels, a new line of action figures, widescreen video releases, Special Editions and, finally, The Phantom Menace, if he was gonna keep the money rolling into Skywalker Ranch. So, viewing the post-ROTJ Marvel issues in the context of their times and where Lucasfilm's focus was at that point (i.e. not on Star Wars), I can totally believe Duffy's claims about every more restrictive instructions coming down from Lucasfilm and how that hindered her. Although, as I've noted in several reviews, I think this coincided with Duffy "going off of the boil" herself as the title's writer. However, by far the most glaring problem with the artwork is Luke Skywalker's overall appearance. The former skinny farm boy from Tatooine and lithe-bodied Jedi Knight has suddenly turned into...Rambo!  You are not kidding...  I'm not sure what the motivation was: influenced by the popularity of Rambo, which (by the time this issue was written) probably captured the imagination of teens/young adults more than Star Wars? Someone was a little to into Stallone (i.e. a crush  ), and wanted to see that in the title, no matter how inappropriate? Either way, you know a Star Wars comic's last thread of legitimacy snapped when it channeled other movies for inspiration instead of its own massive history and legacy.Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. |
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Post by huladollar on Jan 8, 2017 14:48:19 GMT -5
Adding my voice to those thanking you for these reviews, Confessor. I've been faithfully checking in for updates almost every day ever since I first came across this thread, two summers ago now (I think). The issues themselves may have lost steam here toward the end, but your reviews, and the follow-up posts from the commentariat, were always great.
I'll echo what other posters have said above that, for me, these comics were Star Wars back in the '70s and '80s, along with the action figures, the Wookiee Storybook, etc., just as much as the movies were. Reliving them through your reviews, as well as my re-read a couple of years ago thanks to the Dark Horse Omnibuses, were a great way to bring back those feelings of childhood.
I'll keep checking in for the Droids and Ewoks retrospectives, and, yay, Tintin! I owned a few Tintin books back in the day but, sadly, never managed to get them all. It will be fun to check in what see you and other posters have to say about them.
Thanks again, and eternal props for the good work!
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Post by Confessor on Jan 11, 2017 10:43:26 GMT -5
I do find it weird that Lumiya ultimately never fought Luke again after their climatic duel in #96 and they actually never interact again after #97 (at least until the 2007 novel Exile). When I first learned about the Marvel comics over on the Jedi Council Forums about fifteen or sixteen years ago I got the impression they had clashed much more often. Having actually read the comics you could almost make the case that Leia is as much Lumiya's real archnemisis as Luke - Leia is the first one of our heroes to meet her and the climax here is between Leia and Lumiya. Yeah, I agree that it's a shame Lumiya was so under-used in the series. She definitely had the potential to be the villain of the post-ROTJ continuity, but, for whatever reason, Jo Duffy chose to use her less that she perhaps should've done. That's an interesting point about the Dark Lady being every bit as much Leia's enemy as she is LUke's. You're right, of course, but that's not how I tend to think of her, so thanks for bringing that to my attention. I was far too young to read the Marvel run when it first came out but having read it in the Dark Horse omnibuses and especially having had the chance to read the thoughts of an original fan I really like it. This was a terrific thread and aside from getting to see what others liked about these stories I learned a lot. I can understand you missing this series Confessor, but if it is any consolation you've probably helped a lot of other fans rediscover it. I eagerly look forward to Tintin! Thank you for the kind words, my friend. And let me thank you for participating in this thread with some thoughtful input and comments. This thread wouldn't have been half as good with yours and others regular comments. Adding my voice to those thanking you for these reviews, Confessor. I've been faithfully checking in for updates almost every day ever since I first came across this thread, two summers ago now (I think). The issues themselves may have lost steam here toward the end, but your reviews, and the follow-up posts from the commentariat, were always great. Thanks you, huladollar, it's been a pleasure to have you following along and commenting as we've gone along. I'll echo what other posters have said above that, for me, these comics were Star Wars back in the '70s and '80s, along with the action figures, the Wookiee Storybook, etc., just as much as the movies were. Reliving them through your reviews, as well as my re-read a couple of years ago thanks to the Dark Horse Omnibuses, were a great way to bring back those feelings of childhood. I'll keep checking in for the Droids and Ewoks retrospectives, and, yay, Tintin! I owned a few Tintin books back in the day but, sadly, never managed to get them all. It will be fun to check in what see you and other posters have to say about them. Thanks again, and eternal props for the good work! You're very welcome. |
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Post by Confessor on Jan 11, 2017 12:01:47 GMT -5
Ewoks #1–14Cover dated: May 1985 – July 1987 Script: David Manak Pencils: Warren Kremer/John Romita Jr. (some pencilling in issue #10) Series inkers: Marie Severin/Warren Kremer/Jon D'Agostino/Jacqueline Roettcher Series colourists: George Roussos/Marie Severin Letters: Grace Kremer Cover art: Warren Kremer (Marie Severin inks on issue #1)  Comments: This is the first of two series overviews that I'll be doing to finish off my reviews of Marvel's Star Wars comics from 1977–1987. It should be noted that the Ewoks and Star Wars: Droids comic series aren't part of the main Marvel Star Wars continuity, and were both conceived as tie-ins for the Ewoks and Star Wars: Droids kids' cartoons that were first broadcast in America in 1985. As such, both series were published under Marvel's STAR Comics imprint, which was aimed at a much younger audience than the regular Marvel comics were. Weirdly, the fourteen-issue Ewoks comic series launched over six months before the cartoon it was based on began to air on U.S. networks. I have no idea why that would be the case, but perhaps Lucasfilm intended the Ewoks comic to generate interest in the forthcoming TV series or maybe the cartoon's debut was unexpectedly delayed? Regardless, the comic series featured original stories by David Manak and did not adapt episodes of the television show. Manak's stories – which are set roughly six months before the events of Return of the Jedi and just prior to season one of the Ewoks cartoon – very much capture the light-hearted flavour of the TV show and, it goes without saying, that your personal tolerance for both the Ewoks as characters and Saturday morning kid's television as a whole, will be deciding factors in how much you enjoy this series. Myself, I have no problem with the Ewoks, but I'm much less fond of kid's cartoons. Even when the Ewoks TV show first aired in the UK in the late '80s, I was not a fan, being a bit too old to really enjoy it, since I was probably 14 or 15 at the time. That said, the Ewoks comic is actually pretty fun, for what it is. The central characters are surprisingly engaging and the stories are fairly good, stand-alone adventures, which normally have some kind of moral to them, as you might expect from a series aimed at children. Just like in the cartoon, the Ewoks themselves speak English here (or Basic/Galactic Standard to use its proper name), but then, clearly, getting the plot across to readers using nothing but growls, whistles and squeaks would be rather problematic. Over the course of its fourteen issues, the series shows us a lot of different environments and various creatures that live on the Forest Moon of Endor – including some very bizarre things, like sentient rocks and even a sentient mountain at one point! It also sets up stuff that we later see in the cartoon series. For example, we see the Ewoks' first encounter with the cartoon's principle villain, Morag, and the evil Duloks. We also see, in issue #2, Princess Kneesaa get given the pony-like Baga, her pet Bordok, who is frequently seen in the cartoon...  Actually, I have to say that Kneesaa is quite a good role model for young girls; a number of the stories contain scenes in which she earns the respect and admiration of the wider, patriarchal Ewok society, with her bravery and wisdom, and she often ends up saving her friends from trouble too. Ewoks #10 features the second part of a crossover story that began in Star Wars: Droids #4, in which R2-D2 and C-3PO are accidentally catapulted into the future via a timewarp, where they land on Endor and encounter the diminutive furry warriors. While it's a charming enough story, it's problematic from a continuity perspective, since this meeting between the droids and Ewoks takes place six months before Return of the Jedi, and it's clear from the Ewoks' reaction to 3PO in that film that they've never encountered anything like him before. As for Warren Kremer's artwork, it's actually pretty nice and is very much in keeping with the look of the cartoon series. I also really enjoy the amount of detail Kremer packs into each panel...    The art in issue #11, "The Incredible Shrinking Princess", in which Kneesaa and a number of other Ewoks get shrunk down in a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids or Land of the Giants style adventure on the floor of the forest, is also very good...  There's a fair amount of humour in Kremer's artwork too. While the script never once raised a smile from me on this read through, some of Kremer's slapstick visuals certainly did. Overall, Ewoks features some charming stories and, actually, I would think these comics would be great if you're looking for some vintage Star Wars fare for younger children. It's not a series that I feel the need to return to very often, but it's fun nonetheless and, for me, is probably more enjoyable than the cartoon itself.
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Post by Rob Allen on Jan 11, 2017 14:03:36 GMT -5
It looks like Warren Kremer was having fun drawing something new after decades of drawing Richie Rich and Casper.
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Post by Confessor on Jan 11, 2017 17:17:24 GMT -5
It looks like Warren Kremer was having fun drawing something new after decades of drawing Richie Rich and Casper. I had no idea that he'd done other kid's comics, but it certainly makes sense that Marvel would get such a stalwart of children's comics in for this series. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2017 17:29:57 GMT -5
However, by far the most glaring problem with the artwork is Luke Skywalker's overall appearance. The former skinny farm boy from Tatooine and lithe-bodied Jedi Knight has suddenly turned into...Rambo!  I mean, seriously...what is up with that?! Luke's hair seems to have grown a full five inches since last issue and he's suddenly gotten very buff indeed. The fact that he's constantly shirtless throughout the issue, brandishes a huge laser cannon and sports a ridiculous headband leaves me in no doubt that Martin was attempting to tap into the popularity of the Rambo films in the mid-80s. I have to wonder if this was supposed to be the start of a new, "action hero" direction for the character, which Duffy and Martin had planned to introduce with this issue, before they learned that it was to be the last? The mind boggles! Are we sure they weren't just ahead of the curve and preparing us for the Power of the Force line?   |
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Post by Confessor on Jan 11, 2017 20:11:58 GMT -5
However, by far the most glaring problem with the artwork is Luke Skywalker's overall appearance. The former skinny farm boy from Tatooine and lithe-bodied Jedi Knight has suddenly turned into...Rambo! I mean, seriously...what is up with that?! Luke's hair seems to have grown a full five inches since last issue and he's suddenly gotten very buff indeed. The fact that he's constantly shirtless throughout the issue, brandishes a huge laser cannon and sports a ridiculous headband leaves me in no doubt that Martin was attempting to tap into the popularity of the Rambo films in the mid-80s. I have to wonder if this was supposed to be the start of a new, "action hero" direction for the character, which Duffy and Martin had planned to introduce with this issue, before they learned that it was to be the last? The mind boggles! Are we sure they weren't just ahead of the curve and preparing us for the Power of the Force line? LOL... nothing could've prepared me for the Power of the Force line! |
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Post by tex1272 on Jan 12, 2017 11:23:32 GMT -5
Ya know, the Hiromi might have been a better fit in the Ewoks universe.
And also, a Hiromi is featured on #107's cover. Must have been some of what Duffy had to cut at the last minute. |
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Post by Confessor on Jan 12, 2017 11:33:23 GMT -5
Ya know, the Hiromi might have been a better fit in the Ewoks universe.
And also, a Hiromi is featured on #107's cover. Must have been some of what Duffy had to cut at the last minute. Yeah, you're right. I hadn't thought of that. Interestingly, the Hiromi debuted in SW #94, which came out the same month as Ewoks #1. I noted in my review of that issue that, with an Ewok standing proudly on the front cover, SW #94 almost looked like an issue of Ewoks. I wonder if the Hiromi's introduction into the main SW series was an attempt by Duffy and/or Marvel to bring that book more in line with the cartoon tie-ins that Marvel were now publishing? For that matter, given that SW #94 was also Cynthia Martin's first issue as penciller, I wonder if she was brought in because her cartoony style of art was also more in line with the Ewoks and Star Wars: Droids cartoons? Hmmmm...interesting. |
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Post by tarkintino on Jan 14, 2017 18:28:01 GMT -5
Ewoks #1–14Overall, Ewoks features some charming stories and, actually, I would think these comics would be great if you're looking for some vintage Star Wars fare for younger children. It's not a series that I feel the need to return to very often, but it's fun nonetheless and, for me, is probably more enjoyable than the cartoon itself. Oh. The Ewoks comic. I think its safe to say most Star Wars fans and franchise historians agree that their appearance in Return of the Jedi marked the "kiddie" influence on Star Wars that has never really lost its grip. Like others, by the time this title hit the racks, I was far beyond the target reader age, but I do remember this and the Droids title in bookstores and thinking it would not last, as the gas had really run out of the franchise by that time. I thought the look of the inks seemed familiar: Jon D'Agostino was a longtime inker at Archie Comics, working with the likes of Dan DeCarlo and Stan Goldberg. |
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Post by Confessor on Jan 19, 2017 13:28:06 GMT -5
I thought the look of the inks seemed familiar: Jon D'Agostino was a longtime inker at Archie Comics, working with the likes of Dan DeCarlo and Stan Goldberg. Interesting info there, Tarkintino, I didn't know that. Along with Warren Kremer, who Rob Allen informed us was a regular artist on Richie Rich and Casper, this series clearly had a team of veteran kid's comics creators on it. |
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Post by Confessor on Jan 19, 2017 14:09:53 GMT -5
Star Wars: Droids #1–8Cover dated: April 1986 – July 1987 Script: Dave Manak/George Carragone (in issue #5) Pencils: John Romita Jr. (issues #1-4)/Mary Wilshire (issue #5)/Ernie Colón (issues #6-8) Series inkers: Carlos Garzon/Al Williamson/Jon D'Agostino/Joe Sinnott/Jacqueline Roettcher/Marie Severin Series colourists: Marie Severin/George Roussos Letters: Grace Kremer/Ed King Cover art: John Romita Jr. (issues #1-5)/Joe Sinnott (inks issue #3)/Ernie Colón (issues #6-8)  Comments: This is the second and final series overview that I'll be doing to finish off my reviews of Marvel's Star Wars comics from 1977–1987. Just like the Ewoks comic, Star Wars: Droids wasn't part of the main Marvel Star Wars continuity and was instead a tie-in for the kids' cartoon series of the same name. Like the Ewoks comic, this was published under Marvel's STAR Comics imprint and was aimed at a much younger audience than Marvel's regular comics were. Weirdly, Star Wars: Droids began publication after the cartoon it was based on had finished its one and only season on U.S. TV. Admittedly, there was "The Great Heep" Droids special, which aired in June 1986, but basically the TV series was done when issue #1 of this comic appeared. I can only assume that at the time there were plans for a second season of the show. Like Ewoks, this series was written by Dave Manak, with the exception of issue #5, which featured George Carragone as its guest writer. It goes without saying that the amount of affection you have towards the Droids TV show will definitely have a bearing on how much you enjoy these comics. As I noted in my review of the Ewoks series, I'm really not a fan of Saturday morning kid's television generally, but I have to admit that Manak captures the light-hearted flavour of the cartoon well enough. The early part of the run features stories in which the droids seem to be perpetually in search of a master, and, unlike the Ewoks series – which consisted of done-in-one, stand-alone stories – there is actually some continuity between issues, which I like. In addition, issue #4 crosses over with Ewoks #10, via timewarp shenanigans. There's an abundance of children or child-like aliens among the comic's supporting cast too, which is perhaps unsurprising, given that this is very much a kid's series. The Wookieepedia website tells me that the first five issues of this series take place at least 15 years before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, and just prior to the Droids TV show. However, the series ends with a three issue adaptation of Episode IV, as seen through the eyes of R2-D2 and C-3PO. For me, this adaptation is by far the most interesting part of the run. Entitled "Star Wars: According to the Droids", it is very much in line with what George Lucas, having been influenced by Akira Kurosawa's film Hidden Fortress, was going for in A New Hope. In Kurosawa's movie, the story is seen through the eyes of two lowly peasants and in Star Wars, we are supposed to see the story unfold from the perspective of the film's lowliest characters, which are R2 and 3PO. Of course, Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin had already adapted A New Hope in issues #1-6 of the regular Star Wars series and Dark Horse Comics adapted it again in 1997, but "Star Wars: According to the Droids" is the forgotten third comic adaptation of the movie. In and of itself, it's very much in keeping with the childish bent of the cartoon series and, as such, the spaceships, characters and dialogue look and sound very different to how they do in the film. Just take a look at the famous opening sequence of the film, as seen through the prism of the Droids comic...    This re-telling of Episode IV also adds some weird elements to the story, such as when R2 and 3PO, shortly after landing on Tatooine, fall into a sinkhole and discover an underground tunnel system populated by mole-like creatures...  What? You don't remember that from the film?! OK, how about that time when, after escaping from the Lars' moisture farm, R2 sneaked through a Tusken Raider encampment by hiding himself underneath a Bantha...  Or that time when the droids evaded Imperial stormtroopers in Mos Eisley by hiding out at the Acme Droid Service shop?  No? Not ringing any bells? Well, surely you must remember that time when R2 and 3PO got in the middle of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader's climactic lightsaber duel on board the Death Star?   Yeah, these additional scenes are very, very strange. However, one additional scene that is kind of interesting – as opposed to out and out ridiculous – is to do with the homing beacon that the Empire put on board the Millennium Falcon. According to issue #8, it was actually a homing droid which then dropped from the underside of Han Solo's ship once it was docked and attempted to destroy the Rebel base on Yavin 4. Of course, that doesn't make much sense when you remember that the Death Star itself was supposed to destroy the entire moon of Yavin 4, but there it is. As for the artwork in this series, the first four issues are drawn by John Romita Jr., who does a good job of aping the animation style of the Droids cartoon. He keeps the illustrations fairly simplistic and cartoony, but no more so than the TV series...   This series also sees the return of the magnificent Al Williamson (who is probably my favourite Star Wars artist) to a Marvel comic, but alas only as an inker on a few issues. For the "Star Wars: According to the Droids" story arc, Ernie Colón comes on board as the penciller, providing art that is a little more detailed than Romita Jr's and noticeably less like the cartoon series. Still, in some way, I prefer Colón's issues, even though they do look less like the TV show. Overall, this series definitely feels more Star Wars-y than the Ewoks comics, but, aside from the three Episode IV tie-in issues, it lacks the charm of that series. Manak's original storylines are all pretty forgettable and the artwork isn't nearly as nice as Warren Kremer's illustrations in the Ewoks. Still, if you can find issues #6-8 – the "Star Wars: According to the Droids" ones – at a reasonable price, then I would recommend picking them up, if you're a fan of Star Wars – if only to see such a weird take on the first Star Wars movie. Other than that, this series is for hardcore collectors only and probably best avoided by anyone else.
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), and wanted to see that in the title, no matter how inappropriate? 
