The Sheila Variations

When Teh Lucas (May his beard be ever ragged and full of rotten beans) re-released the Original movies with "upgrades" - the library of a nearby city wanted SW fans to display their collections in their cases as part of the 'celebration' - and amazingly enough there were only two people who took up that offer, me and someone who had collected all the 3.5" toys. I on the other hand had focused on ...you guessed, Han Solo...and so had numerous figures and pictures. I had collectors plates, vinyl figurines, one of the skycar models, comic strips, the Marvel comic books (all but 4 of the 107 issues), and Hallmark Christmas tree ornaments. I was PROUD of this collection. I still have some of all of that, including the marquis posters for SW and ESB - the ESB one was something Id had my eye on since I came out from the darkened movie theatre and was teary eyed over the supposed loss of Han. I WANTED THAT POSTER...so I spent a lot of time hunting it down...which was not very easy considering there were a lot of fakes out there and often I was seriously deficient in the funds it would take to acquire one. I did it though and I had it framed, along with the Tom Jung SW poster.

Ive become so disgusted with Lucas in past years though...especially in the aftermath of SW:TPM - collecting SW memorabilia used to MEAN something...but with all the new stuff flooding the market, it basically nullified all my hard work in gaining items that used to be quite unique. Not to mention how he insisted on foisting his inability to write good dialogue and his refusal to let the people he hired to develope his world do what they do best.

Anyway, back in the day, SW was a fun thing to be a fan of...

Thanks for the link, Sheila! It has been a fun week of posting about Star Wars!

Sharon, please don't take this personally as I've read similar statements by others, but I honestly don't see how any tinkering by Lucas can evaporate the joy one would have with the Star Wars we all grew to love over the years. Your vintage items are no less important because of all the new and reproduction stuff out on the market and your own fun memories of Star Wars shouldn't have to be tarnished because you don't like what has been done lately.

I for one refuse to acknowledge that a book exists in which Chewie was killed. It pissed me off that Lucasarts advocated for this to happen. I also don't like many of the things that I read they are doing in the newer Star Wars novels. But I refuse to let it make SW any less fun for me and I hope you would as well. It is still fun, and geekishly cool, to be a Star Wars fan. And, in my opinion, it is even cooler to be one who was in on it from the beginning. Despite the greed involved in much of the overmarketing of SW, it has had the fortunate benefit of creating an entirely new generation of fans who share their parents love of the original works.

Again, this is my opinion and I hope it doesn't sound like I'm berating you. More than anything I feel saddened that outside influences have diminshed your love for what is still a worthy suitor.

I was buuuuuuummed with the whole gredo-shooting-first debacle - I felt betrayed, I admit it.

However, my loyalty to Star Wars - and my nostalgia for, basically, my own childhood - has proved to be a stronger force (heh heh) than any annoyance. I'm not sure how that works.

I'm also in the minority, I suppose - but I loved Sith. Hayden Christensen was not good - and the birth-scene was ludicrous - and there was so much that was wrong ... but ... for me, it worked.

I mean, if you look at the original star wars - it's not like that was a brilliant script. There's a lot of corniness in it ... and also a lot of bad or obvious acting. (Not from Han ... never Han ...) - but it works, as myth.

I felt LOST during the whole phantom menace, attatck of the clones time ... almostt left OUT. Like Lucas didn't care about my personal nostalgia for the series. That feeling (for me) passed.

I still am pissed about gredo shooting first!

Carl V - I haven't read all the posts in the star wars blog a thon - but there's a lot of gems there. It's been fun -because the opinions ahve such range. Posts contradict each other, complement each other .. you can really see the influence these movies had. Very cool.

And again: awesome post - loved the images.

Sheila,

I remember reading Splinter of the Mind. Too funny! What amazing cover art all of those books had. Besides acid wash denim, for us eighties children Star Wars was such a part of "our" lives. I am so happy to have these stories imprinted forever in my head. What a fantasy land.

Thanks,

chuck

Carl V - no offense taken at all! And you are right - I shouldnt let that interfere...and I was more pessimistic than I intended when I first started writing all of that...I was remembering how frustrating it was, however, to have done so much research in the market value of my collection, only to find it was not what it seemed. More a lesson in economics and market for me than anything else LOL...but I have not banished SW from my life completely...ESB is too much a part of the courtship of my husband and I (long story) and I still have quite a bit of my collection left. Far too many good memories.

God bless!

Sharon - Oh God, i would love to hear the ESB story someday. (It WOULD have been a great blog post for the star wars blog a thon if you hadn't CLOSED DOWN YOUR WONDERFUL BLOG!!!) haha just teasing.

ESB is a huge thing in my life too - it just awakened so many things in me - what a wonderful movie-going experience. Man - It's still in my top 5, for all time.

I was thinking the same thing, I would love to hear that ESB courtship story. Glad I didn't offend, Sharon. I was feeling bad and really worried that I might have.

And you're not alone in the liking Sith department. Everyone I went with really enjoyed it and I find 95% of it to be truly worthy of the Star Wars name. I actually find a high percentage of Clones that way as well. Not that high, but I enjoyed alot of it. Menace is just what its name implies... ;)

If you like Star Wars art, you should definitely check out Ralph McQuarie's website, he was the concept artist for the films.