CLASSIC ART: IN THE HAND OF THE DARK SIDE!

Jack Kirby, the legendary visual co-creator of the incredible MARVEL COMICS universe, alongside that other icon in super-scribe Stan Lee, gave us so much incredible action, heroism and scary villainy across hundreds of colourful comic issues, capturing readers imaginations so fiercely, so the artist must surely have felt quite at home penning this sadly one-time-only piece of STAR WARS art, featuring the incredible galaxy-spanning conflict between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader (who was very much the Doctor Doom-esque villain of this particular franchise, in so many ways).

This great 1994 composition is one of the many fine pieces reproduced this March 15th, 2016, with the release of the next chapter in the ABRAMS book series chronicling the superb STAR WARS TOPPS photo card sets that would become so cherished: this time focusing on the diverse art magically brought to life for its three-year spanning STAR WARS GALAXY, in a lovely, right-size hardback once more compiled and charted by the enthusiastic original editor and writer for the linage: Gary Gerani.

Here's the book press release notes:

Ten years after the release of Return of the Jedi, the Topps Company reintro­duced the Star Wars universe to collectors with a series of trading cards. Illustrated by the biggest names in science fiction, fantasy, and comics—including Kyle Baker, Moebius, Jon J Muth, William Stout, and Walter Simonson—George Lucas’s galaxy is reinterpreted in each artist’s style, portraying favorite characters, re-creating classic moments, and even inventing new scenes the illustrators always wanted to see. These trading-card images became instant fan favorites and the benchmark for visual reinter­pretations of Star Wars to come. For the first time, this collection showcases the complete New Visions series; rare promotional images; an introduction and commentary by Gary Gerani; and an afterword by Drew Struzan, and cover art by Joseph Smith.

Featuring over 170 artists including Michael Allred, Sergro Aragonés, Simon Bisley, John Bolton, Bret Blevins, Timothy Bradstreet, Dan Brereton, June Brigman, J. Scott Campbell, Paul Chadwick, Howard Chaykin, Mark Chiarello, Gene Colan, Amanda Conner, Geof Darrow, Jack Davis, Steve Ditko, Colleen Doran, Dave Dorman, Steve Fastner, Bob Fingerman, Frank Kelly Freas, Rick Geary, Dave Gibbons, Keith Giffen, Jean "Moebius" Giraud, Mike Grell, Scott Hampton, Jeffrey Jones, Kelley Jones, Michael Kaluta, Gil Kane, Cam Kennedy, Karl Kesel, Sam Kieth, Jack Kirby, Ray Lago, Rich Larson, Jae Lee, John Paul Leon, Esteban Maroto, Michael Mignola, Ralph McQuarrie, Linda Medley, C. Scott Morse, Mike Avon Oeming, Jimmy Palmiotti, George Perez, John Pound, George Pratt, Joe Quesada, P. Craig Russell, Zina Saunders, Mark Schultz, Bill Sienkiewicz, Joseph Smith, John K. Snyder III, Jim Starlin, Ken Steacy, Brian Stelfreeze, Dave Stevens, Drew Struzan, Boris Vallejo, John Van Fleet, Charles Vess, Jill Thompson, Angelo Torres, Tim Truman, Al Williamson, Gahan Wilson, and more

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Gary Gerani is the creator, editor, and writer of hundreds of Topps trading card sets and the author of Topps’s Star Wars series. Gerani lives in Los Angeles.

The Topps Company, Inc., founded in 1938, is the preeminent creator and brand marketer of sports cards, entertainment products, and distinctive confectionery.

Get the book here: Star Wars Galaxy (Topps): Amazon.co.uk: Gary Gerani: 9781419719134: Books

Look out for the AFICIONADO review shortly.

CLASSIC STRUZAN: 'THE CRYSTAL STAR'

Luke Skywalker is front and centre of the action in Drew Struzan's exciting cover for Vonda N. McIntyre's 1994 Expanded Universe hardback tale, The Crystal Star. And let's face it, the cover really was the most popular thing about a book that quickly and sharply divided fandom on its original release twenty years ago. I personally found it a chore to read- a shame as McIntyre is a solid author- with characterisations for our core heroes that felt way off base in most respects.

CELEBRATING THE ROAD BACK, AND THE PATH AHEAD...

Twenty years ago today (1st November, 1994) - and it really does feel like it was only yesterday!- George Lucas, after fulfilling his dedicated parental duties, and his daily ritual of watching the early morning news, sat down at his favourite desk, using his favourite paper pads and pencils, and began writing the story treatment, later scripts, for what would become the next trilogy of STAR WARS films- the long-awaited Prequel adventures of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi- at his home in Northern California. This was the day that many STAR WARS fans thought would never happen, but finally did, opening up the immense floodgates to a new universe of storytelling and characters, pioneering visual effects wonders, spin-off animation, comics, books and merchandise that would resuscitate the franchise and place it forever more in the entertainment/sci-fi/fantasy league stratosphere. Now, George Lucas has sadly retired, but in an equally unexpected move two years ago, would overturn his original 2008 decision to not let anyone else take the reins of his beloved universe, and actually give it over to trusted friends and colleagues to continue its groundbreaking legacy with the final trilogy of post Classic-era adventures, coming to movie theatres, alongside further intriguing spin-offs, from 2015 onwards. It was a move that would delight and enthral generations worldwide as soon as the Disney/LUCASFILM press release was issued that fateful and exciting day of 30th October, 2012.

On behalf of fans everywhere, STAR WARS AFICIONADO today sends its heartfelt thanks to George Lucas for creating the STAR WARS universe, continuing the STAR WARS universe, and for making it what it is today- the greatest cinematic story ever told...

“There are a lot of interesting aspects to the next stories, but if I were to use them the way I’d done the other STAR WARS films, they’d be astronomically expensive, over $100 million. Nobody can afford to make a film for $100 million today. So we have to sort of re-invent the wheel. What I want most is to be able to do the more fantasy-orientated, high-imagination movies and be able to accomplish them with a reasonable amount of money. It all depends on how fast the technology falls into place, but it’s coming along pretty fast now.”

“I plan to start working on the screenplays soon, and hope to be in production of the trilogy within the next two years. I think they’ll be done in the next four or five years. But it really depends on how fast we can make these technological changes.”

“We did a test (of the dinosaurs) for Steven Spielberg, and when we put it up on the screen I had tears in my eyes. It was one of those moments in history like the invention of the light bulb or the first telephone call. A major gap had been crossed, and things were never going to be the same. You just can’t see them as anything but real. It’s just impossible. Maybe 20 years from now, 50 years from now, they’ll look clumsy. But I’m not sure that will happen. I think we may have reached a level here where we have actually created reality, which of course, is what we’ve been trying to do all along.”

GEORGE LUCAS INTERVIEW WITH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - 1994/5

THE NEW HOPES! THE 'JEDI ACADEMY' TRILOGY CONCLUDES WITH 'CHAMPIONS OF THE FORCE'

Moving at lightspeed pace, the concluding part of Kevin J. Anderson's STAR WARS adventure-fest, now celebrating a landmark twentieth anniversary, gets off to a memorable and fiery start. One week on from Book Two's cliffhanger, the Sith-influenced, revenge-fuelled Kyp Durron uses his fearsomely powerful Sun Crusher weapon to destroy the Imperial Training facility world of Carida, though his rescue attempt of his brother, now a Stormtrooper, proves tragically doomed to failure, sending him into a firestorm of pain and anguish. As Kyp threatens further intergalactic annihilation, can his friends Han Solo and Lando Calrissian win him back from evildom's grip?

Meanwhile, back on Yavin Four, our Jedi icon Luke Skywalker's body is now in a cadaverous state- his mind and spirit trapped in a Force limbo controlled by the feared Exar Kun, determined to extinguish his heart of good forever by using Luke's now dispirited and unsure what to do trainees against him. Arriving at the Academy, its here that Princess Leia, despite her pain at Luke's condition, gives one of her finest moral-boosting speeches, ending his disciples continued state of quiet disarray, pulling them together in this difficult time, in a way that will see them ultimately taking the fight, with a little help from the Jedi-sensitive babies Jacen and Jaina Solo (finally getting some good moments in the trilogy), to the Dark Spectre plaguing the Massassi temples. Unfortunately, Leia's inner strength isn't available to them for long, soon making a desperate journey to Anoth, the secret location of her third baby-Anakin, in order to stop him from being kidnapped by the remaining Imperial fractions of Carida, intent on grooming him as their new Dark Side leader- a memorable sequence for Timothy Zahn's created character of minder/nursemaid Winter, gamely holding off the advancing firepower of Anderson's new Imperial creations, the Spider Walkers, thanks to a little technological help, nicknamed FIDO, created by Admiral Ackbar...

Finally, lovable Falcon first-mate Chewbacca, intent on freeing his Wookiee slave brethren at Kessel, brings Threepio, and assists General Antilles and his assault team, as they make their bid to capture the no longer Imperial protected Maw installation. But time and courage ultimately prove not on their side, as the Maw's protective Death Star prototype soon escapes the conflict, now fully armed and operational, ready to cause destructive turmoil to the New Republic, of which Imperial Admiral Daala, having previously cheated death from Kyp Durron's attack in book two, additionally brings further chaos. How can they be stopped?

Ending on a huge space battle, and a lone act of almost self-sacrifice, the ending of the Jedi Academy trilogy reminds us of those nostalgic days when the Expanded Universe had lots of future potential, not yet a bloated, continuity trapped beast. Champions of the Force wraps things up with fast paced enthusiasm and efficiency, of which all prior plot/character strands are generally, satisfyingly tied up. Only the lack of really memorable material for Luke and Leia in the drama stakes proves disappointing.

AFICIONADO RATING: Genuinely keeping the spirit of the post ROTJ era alive and well,  forging new characters and new scenarios for future books to exploit, Champions of the Force may not boast the sophisticated writing style of Timothy Zahn,  but Kevin J. Anderson's enthusiasm for telling a good yarn shines through. IMHO, it's certainly worthy of reprinting within the new LEGENDS branding of the STAR WARS book publishing program. 3.5 out of 5

GUERILLA WAR! REMEMBERING 'DARK APPRENTICE' - BOOK TWO OF 'THE JEDI ACADEMY TRILOGY'

Book Two of Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy- Dark Apprentice - speeds along as AFICIONADO celebrates both its place in the Expanded Universe and as an ambitious action successor to Timothy Zahn's opening trilogy- quite big shoes to step into!

Whereas Han and Chewie had the most action in Book One, this time out the adventure feels much more of an ensemble piece, particularly continuing to show us more of the mentioned but previously unexplored realms of the STAR WARS film universe. Now removed from the Maw sector of Kessel, wannabe Imperial tyrant Admiral Daala, thirsting revenge on the New Republic for the defeat of Tarkin and the Empire as a whole, begins her series of hit and run guerilla assaults alongside her remaining Star Destroyer fleet- first on a Rebel transport, then on the newly seeded colony world of Dantooine (literally massacred by spacial bombardments and AT-AT's). Then comes the big attack: on the undersea realms of the Mon Calamari (realised by the author in 1994 in a subtly different, but no less effective way to how it would eventually appear in THE CLONE WARS animated series). This is easily one of Book Two's highlights, where Admiral Ackbar, disgraced after almost prior killing Leia in a B-wing shuttle crash (later discovered as sabotage), gets to show his mettle as leader and strategist, whilst also saying a new variation on his classic line from ROTJ: "It's a Trap!" Meanwhile, other Imperial fractions on the training world of Carida gather strength in their plans to wrestle control from the New Republic: firstly, secretly poisoning Mon Mothma with a unique wasting virus, then planning to use an elite Stormtrooper squad to capture Leia and Han's third child, Anakin, from the safety of his secret location on the planet Anoth. More on this to come in Book Three.

Things aren't getting any easier for Luke in his setting up of the new Jedi Academy, either. Firmly settled on the Fourth Moon of Yavin (where Anderson reveals more about the planets history and its abandoned Massassi temples),  he has gathered his first twelve students, plus an inquisitive Mara Jade (a bit more friendly now towards her once enemy), but one- Gantoris- is soon murdered in mysterious circumstances (before his demise, linked to a fateful prophecy, he wields an impressive, extendable lightsaber blade weapon to Luke in a show of Dark Side strength), whilst the Master's most powerful star pupil, 18 year old Kyp Durron, previously rescued from Kessel by soon friend Han Solo, equally turns (perhaps too quickly in novel time) to evil, caught in the temptations and machinations of the reappeared spirit of one of the early Sith Lords: the formidable Exar Kun- leader of The Brotherhood of the Sith. Luke, previously resisting Kun's temptations (having used the appearance of the Sebastian Shaw version of Anakin Skywalker), soon has no choice but to battle both Kun and Durron. But will he be powerful enough?

In between all these events, Han and Lando are sidelined, engaged in constant friction, and Sabaac match battles, over ownership of the Falcon, General Wedge Antilles, on numerous assignments for the New Republic, gets to fall in love with one of the alien designers of the Death Star, whilst Chewbacca wants to free some prior prison-held wookiees from slavery on the Kessel Maw Imperial installation. Finally, young Jedi offspring Jacen and Jaina Solo get to show their Force powers after getting separated from Threepio and Chewbacca, going off to explore the underbelly of Coruscant/Imperial Center, in what is ultimately one of the weakest parts of the book.

Keeping the EMPIRE tradition, Dark Apprentice ends on an intriguing cliffhanger note, as Dark Forces of evil build: Durron, bordering on final Dark Side capabilities, salvages the Sun Crusher weapon and uses it against Daala's fleet, with catastrophic results, whilst Luke Skywalker's previous attempts to stop Kyp, and the corrupting influence of the immensely powerful spectre-like Exar Kun,  prove dangerously ineffectual. Soundly defeated, his mind separated from his body in Force limbo, it seems that his Jedi colleagues are now seemingly powerless to help him!

AFICIONADO RATING: A solid enough mixture of old and new from Anderson. 3 out of 5

CLASSIC ART: ENTER THE ICONS!

The gang's all here in this intriguing 1994 poster art celebrating the iconic heroism and villainy present within the spellbinding Classic Trilogy. If anyone knows more about this image-what it was for and who painted it (can't quite work out the signature in the bottom left corner)- please get in touch...

An enjoyable clips tribute to the Classic Trilogy, and a nice warm-up to the upcoming EPISODE VII:
▶ Our Only Hope - Star Wars The Original Trilogy | Cinematic Tribute - YouTube