Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Jan 16, 2017 1:52:39 GMT -5
Strangely, the likeness to the actors seems to come and go, in some strips it looks like a scene right out of the films while in others they just look close enough to be recognizable. I've often wondered that if the few panels with the real, photorealistic characters were traced.
Traced--perhaps from light table projection, considering the period. From the strip you posted, we see exactly how traced some of the work was...  Yeah, Williamson used abundant photo references in his work on SW -- not just Lucasfilm stills either, but photos he'd taken of his wife, friends, daughter etc to get character poses right. His work deftly blends those photo references into his own dynamic art, with a master's eye for sequential storytelling. |
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Post by rom on Mar 1, 2017 20:54:06 GMT -5
Thankfully, IDW & Marvel will finally be reprinting the classic SW Newspaper strips from the late '70's-early '80's in the original, unedited format. Volume 1 is scheduled to be out this April - this will apparently focus on the Russ Manning strips (the first ones): www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC160604This is amazing news. Though Dark Horse reprinted these stripes in the floppy comic format in the '90's, they were edited to form a more coherent storyline. It will be nice to read these in the exact format I read them as a little kid back in the day - I remember cutting them out of the newspaper & taping them to cardboard so I could go back and re-read them. Note that Russ Cochran publishing came out with the Al Williamson/Archie Goodwin strips in an unedited format in a 3-volume HC set back in the early '90's. Great set (I've read these, but don't own them) but this is prohibitively expensive these days. So, it will be nice to get these unedited strips in a much more affordable format - presumably they will be in the next two volumes of this series. |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197
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Post by Confessor on Mar 2, 2017 18:53:54 GMT -5
We were just discussing this and the Marvel republishing of the Dark Horse Classic Star Wars reprints over in the "Ask a Quick Question and Let The CCF Help You Thread".
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Post by rom on May 13, 2017 10:44:43 GMT -5
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197
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Post by Confessor on May 14, 2017 8:11:48 GMT -5
I'll definitely be getting this. Though I may have to wait a few months. Or maybe I'll ask for it for my birthday in October. |
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Post by rebeljedi on Jun 3, 2017 15:59:04 GMT -5
I just recently got around to reading the Star Wars Epic Collection: The Newspaper strips Volume one. I was surprised because I knew it contained all nine issues of Classic Star Wars The Early Adventures along with all three issues of Han Solo at Star's End and the first four issues of Classic Star Wars but it also includes the Constancia Affair, the Kashyyyk depths, and Planet of Kadril which if I remember correctly were not reprinted for Dark Horse's Classic Star Wars series.  |
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Post by rom on Jun 4, 2017 15:46:17 GMT -5
I just recently got around to reading the Star Wars Epic Collection: The Newspaper strips Volume one. I was surprised because I knew it contained all nine issues of Classic Star Wars The Early Adventures along with all three issues of Han Solo at Star's End and the first four issues of Classic Star Wars but it also includes the Constancia Affair, the Kashyyyk depths, and Planet of Kadril which if I remember correctly were not reprinted for Dark Horse's Classic Star Wars series. Yes, IIRC the Planet of Kadril was never reprinted in DH's earlier Classic SW newspaper strip collections (from the '90's). Starting in 2017, these SW newspaper strips are actually now being re-reprinted in two recent formats: The IDW/Marvel HC Volume 1, which reprints the Russ Manning strips & The Planet of Kadril strips in their entirety (in the original b&w & color Sunday strips). Han Solo at Star's End & The Williamamson/Goodwin strips will be reprinted in Volumes 2 & 3. And, these revised Dark Horse collections (that you mention above). |
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Post by rebeljedi on Jun 5, 2017 11:02:34 GMT -5
I just recently got around to reading the Star Wars Epic Collection: The Newspaper strips Volume one. I was surprised because I knew it contained all nine issues of Classic Star Wars The Early Adventures along with all three issues of Han Solo at Star's End and the first four issues of Classic Star Wars but it also includes the Constancia Affair, the Kashyyyk depths, and Planet of Kadril which if I remember correctly were not reprinted for Dark Horse's Classic Star Wars series. Yes, IIRC the Planet of Kadril was never reprinted in DH's earlier Classic SW newspaper strip collections (from the '90's). Starting in 2017, these SW newspaper strips are actually now being re-reprinted in two recent formats: The IDW/Marvel HC Volume 1, which reprints the Russ Manning strips & The Planet of Kadril strips in their entirety (in the original b&w & color Sunday strips). Han Solo at Star's End & The Williamamson/Goodwin strips will be reprinted in Volumes 2 & 3. And, these revised Dark Horse collections (that you mention above). I wonder if there is going to be digital versions of those IDW books? Currently their only available in print. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 15, 2018 16:00:56 GMT -5
The Paradise Detour July 11th-October 2nd 1983 Written by Archie Goodwin Art by Al Williamson LA Times Syndicate Summary: After escaping the Imperial fleet and it's new Super Star Destroyer the Rebels blast off for their new base on Hoth, but when Luke, Han and Chewie follow in pursuit they find themselves coming up short and in need of repairs. First it seems like our heroes have found paradise but trouble soon finds them!
Plot: Following up on the heals of Doom Mission and Race for Survival Goodwin really seemed to have gotten a head of steam and was plowing forward into some fun adventures on Hoth leading up the Empire Strikes Back but unfortunately this isn't just a detour for our heroes but forward momentum as well. Now, there have been some fun genre bending stories involving Star Wars, in fact the very concept of the series is a blending of fantasy and science fiction but in this series when Goodwin has tried in the past with stories like the Night Beast and the Serpent Masters he's continually fallen short and this latest chapter is sadly no different. While a story of Luke over coming the mind tricks a witch could have provided us with interesting character development too much of it came off as just an extended version of the cave scene from Empire only with out the creepy atmosphere and feeling importance. On top of that what really killed it for me were the references to the Night Beast and the Serpent Masters; maybe it's just me and readers loved those stories as this was coming out but they were serious turkeys in my eyes and they drag down an already forgettable story. Worse still is the placement of the story; after the build of the last two in finding a new base I had a tremendous amount of excitement and this detour just killed that, side stories have a place and purpose but this was not it.
Art: Williamson's character work is spot on here and I liked his slow reveal of the witch and her wasted form but sadly he isn't given a lot to do here.
Grade: 5/10 |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Jan 15, 2018 22:38:41 GMT -5
It's been a good long while since I last read this adventure, but my memory of it is much as you say: that it's pedestrian and even a bit dull. The Force Whitch should've been a great character, but she ends up being just a bit "meh"...although the creepy nature of this story does at least make it a pretty memorable chapter of the newspaper strips.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 16, 2018 11:04:13 GMT -5
It's been a good long while since I last read this adventure, but my memory of it is much as you say: that it's pedestrian and even a bit dull. The Force Whitch should've been a great character, but she ends up being just a bit "meh"...although the creepy nature of this story does at least make it a pretty memorable chapter of the newspaper strips. I think I would have been much more favorable towards a little side adventure if I wasn't so excited to get to Hoth and start some Empire Strikes back era adventures. The placement of the story in the time line just makes it a grind, but there were some cool scenes art wise. I could watch Williamson just draw paged after page of vaguely Greek ruins and be happy for some time. |
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Post by tarkintino on Jan 16, 2018 11:29:58 GMT -5
While "The Paradise Detour" was not the best non-movie Star Wars story, I was always happy to see more adventures in this period, especially if it did not always refer to the movie plots. After all, the characters did do other things besides waiting for "the big one" plot of the films. And of course, Al Williamson's work was a joy to see week after week.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 16, 2018 16:19:42 GMT -5
While "The Paradise Detour" was not the best non-movie Star Wars story, I was always happy to see more adventures in this period, especially if it did not always refer to the movie plots. After all, the characters did do other things besides waiting for "the big one" plot of the films. And of course, Al Williamson's work was a joy to see week after week. I definitely have a lot of love for plots that don't relate to the films, I loved pretty much all of Russ Manning's strips for instance, that's part of what makes the universe feel so big and lived in...but this one just felt like so much treading water. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jan 16, 2018 18:09:42 GMT -5
A New Beginning October 3rd-December 25th, 1983 Written by Archie Goodwin Art by Al Williamson LA Times Syndicate Summary: Han, Luke and Chewie finally make it to Hoth only to find that their presence has brought unwanted visitors from Han's past. Plot: This is the story I had been waiting for after all the lead up of leaving Yarvin, and as an introduction of the dangers of the Rebel's new home Archie certainly doesn't disappoint. It's a story full of action and intrigue that has a great spotlight on both the relationship between Han and Luke but also a look at Han's more colorful past as a pirate and smuggler. That mix of character moments, action and even a creature feature really makes the story sing and gives it an authentic Star Wars feel. On top of that while the plot is tied to Empire Strikes Back it's only tangentially so it still feels like its own story and it does that with out feeling redundant or lessening the impact of any elements of the film. About the only draw back I have for the story isn't actually a fault of its own but of my own expectations; knowing the history of the cut scenes of the Wampas from Empire I got really excited when Luke said he had found a cave so I was slightly let down when the slug appeared rather than a giant abominable snow man. Art: While there were some of the best shots of space I've seen so far in this strip there were a few really blatant traces by Williamson(like the one below) that took me out of the story momentarily which is always a shame when it comes to art.
 It's not an egregious error but it's one that keeps this story from being a perfect entry. Grade: 9/10 |
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Post by rom on Jan 17, 2018 11:20:01 GMT -5
Thanks for keeping this thread alive & for the scans. The SW newspaper strips by Russ Manning & then Al Williamson/Archie Goodwin are some of my favorite early SW EU out there. In some ways, I actually prefer them to the Marvel SW comics of that time.
Anything Star Wars related that Al Williamson drew was pure gold. He was definitely the best Star Wars comic book artist out there, and when I was reading these stories in many cases I was paying more attention to the art than the writing. Al put so much detail in his art that seeing these panels is a true visual feast. I guess my point here is that even if some of the stories may have been weak (and I'm not saying they were), Al's superb art elevated the strip to a great extent - much more than it would have been in the hands of a lesser artist.
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