CLASSIC IMAGE: DISABLING THE BLOCKADE RUNNER!

The dreaded Star Destroyer Devastator has swiftly caught up with its Rebel Alliance prey over the far-off world of Tatooine, as its heavy weapons array soon outclasses and disables the fast but less well shielded diplomatic marked Blockade Runner and its vital solar fin.

A hit!

The opening scene as brilliantly rendered by Howard Chaykin for the first issue of Marvel's comic adaptation, from 1976.

'STAR WARS' AT 45: A TATOOINE DAY IN THE LIFE...

At work within the distant vaporator fields, Luke Skywalker is soon distracted by a sight in the skies above.

With a very young Luke Skywalker at the Lars Homestead now revealed in the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series, here's a look back to the icon hero's originally planned introduction in the original Star Wars of 1977- the memorable sequence, now a legendary deleted scene, that would see a bored Luke working to repair a moisture vaporator, with help from a soon malfunctioning Treadwell droid buddy, out in the Tatooine wilderness. Shot at the Tunisian salt flats of Nefta between 23rd and 25th March, 1976, Luke's task is interrupted via a mysterious sight in the clouds...

Luke, wearing a floppy goggle hat that would not be seen in the completed film, adjusts a control box linked to the malfunctioning vaporator.

Great deleted establishing image.

Temporary lens flare for visual reference -it was planned that ILM would provide an optical insert replacement had the scene not been deleted relatively early in the film's US post production phase.

Looking up, distracted.

Another scene from the deleted footage.

Posed publicity image from the scene.

Close-in posed image of Luke using his macrobinoculars.

Luke leaves the now malfunctioning Treadwell to its own devices.

Publicity image taken linked to the scene.

A great behind the scenes shot captured between takes. Note the technician attending to the Treadwell droid. Image: Kurtz/Joiner Archive.

Treadwell droid photo image taken on Death Star set at Elstree during Summer 1976- presumably for later potential magazine publicity linked to John Stears' work on the film.

The blue Treadwell would also return for active duty in The Empire Strikes Back, presumably the original version built by John Stears and his UK practical effects team (held in storage after prior 1976 filming?), for a fun little moment atop the Millennium Falcon, where it would confer with an irritated Han Solo within the Hoth Rebel base.

The deleted scene as rendered by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin for the original Star Wars Marvel Comics adaptation, published from the end of 1976 onwards.

And here's several posed images linked to Luke at the vaporators.

Luke poses for some repair work.

A shot not originally released in the seventies, showing Luke without his leg 'wrappings'.

This posed image of Luke wearing his poncho was likely taken during a filming break at one of the Lars Homestead vaporators, later in the Tunisian filming.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: A STAR IS GONE, A HERO IS BORN!

The power and technological might wielded by the Empire ultimately proves no match for the powers of the Force and the heroic, instinct-using talents of a young farmboy from Tatooine, delivering the torpedoes that ultimately lead to the chain reaction destruction of the Death Star battle station, just as it was about to extinguish his friends lives on Yavin IV.

No disrespect intended whatsoever to Richard Edlund and ILM from back in the day, but this artistic visual explosion rendering is surely more striking to behold than the one seen in the finished film. The art, originally from Howard Chaykin and Steve Leialoha for the MARVEL STAR WARS US comic Issue 6 (1977), may even have subconsciously influenced the decision by Lucas to add on explosive detonation rings to both Death Star explosions and the destruction of Alderaan for the later Special Edition visual effects upgrades of 1997.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: 'ANGRY MOSQUITOS'!

The small but determined force of Rebel X-wings close-in on the goliath that is the Death Star space station in this superb art by Howard Chaykin for the original STAR WARS Marvel comic series adaptation (issue 6). The X-wings are still referred to as Blue Squadron, with the change to Red happening whilst the comic adaptation was presumably already too far gone into production to make corrections.

Unlike the film version's fifteen minutes, the Death Star firing range point in the comics was thirty.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: 'DEATH' FROM DARTH!

As seen in movie theatres, the seeming self-sacrifice of Obi-Wan Kenobi to a hungry-to-kill Darth Vader was simply but effectively achieved thanks to practical and visual effects trickery. But in the 1977 MARVEL COMICS adaptation of the film with Issue 4, his demise prior to ultimately disappearing under his cloak looked particularly gruesome - certainly a scary visual image I'll never forget - from artists Howard Chaykin and Steve Leialoha. With the film still in post production whilst the comic was being produced, and with scant scene/publicity stills imagery available, there was no way for the duo to know what the "death" would ultimately look like- their artistic interpretation, however, would certainly prove memorable.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING!

There's no time to think of the risks, of what could go wrong, as Luke and Leia swing the chasm away from the Stormtroopers. And Leia's prior kiss to Luke...? That means more to him than just a good luck incentive, in the days before their family lineage was revealed and it was all ruined for him!

A thrilling moment captured in comics form by Howard Chaykin and Steve Leialoha for Issue 4 of the US MARVEL COMICS adaptation of STAR WARS from 1977.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: CELL BLOCK BATTLE!

Getting into the Death Star cell bay to rescue Princess Leia was one thing, but trying to get out of there with her...? Well, that's going to be a lot more difficult, as our unlikely quartet discover when Stormtroopers rush the scene and pin them down, in this great image from artists Howard Chaykin and Steve Leialoha, launching issue 4 of the original US STAR WARS comic from MARVEL in early 1977.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: "SORRY FOR THE MESS!"

The original "Han shoots first" scene with Greedo, as presented in the original 1976 Marvel Comics adaptation: Issue Two, 1976. Art by Howard Chaykin. Adaptor Roy Thomas uses most of the dialogue as originally scripted and filmed beween Harrison Ford and Paul Blake at Elstree.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: THE CAPTURED PRINCESS!

The search for passengers of the Blockade Runner ordered by Darth Vader has proven successful, as top Rebel operative Princess Leia Organa is cornered and stunned by Imperial Stormtroopers, but not without putting up a good fight first, in this memorable work, using the fullest possible artistic dramatic license, by Howard Chaykin, for the first issue of the 1976 MARVEL comic adaptation of STAR WARS.

THERE AND BACK AGAIN! 'STAR WARS' RETURNS TO MARVEL COMICS...

Howard Chaykin's barnstorming 1976 art from the classic first sell-out issue of the original STAR WARS comic adaptation success for MARVEL gets a 21st century upgrade from the equally respected and iconic Alex Ross, as the franchise, after a prior supremely successful reign at DARK HORSE, returns to its original comic launcher with special reprints and an all-new series for our main characters, via the creative cream of the company's most dedicated talents, alongside further spin-offs for Princess Leia and Darth Vader in the months ahead.

Now, let's hope the run goes beyond 107 issues this time out!

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STAR WARS AT 35: A CHAT WITH HOWARD CHAYKIN!

The first commercial poster art for the original STAR WARS from 1976. Image and art: Howard Chaykin (via the SPACE: 1970 website).

Today I attended London's first Super Comic Convention event at the EXCEL CENTRE in the heart of Docklands, where, amongst the masses of comic book aficionados and costumed characters waiting for the chance to witness Stan Lee for the first time, I got to meet and talk with the legendary artist Howard Chaykin, a true icon of the American comic book industry whose early work would include the sci-fi epic CODY STARBUCK (which was an early inspiration for George Lucas when devising STAR WARS in the early seventies), AMERICAN FLAGG! and lots of work for the MARVEL and DC comics universe. Of course, to STAR WARS fans he is remembered for his brilliant work in adapting the original first film as part of a six-issue comic series for MARVEL in late 1976 and 1977, and his legendary advance art poster for the film that was sold at the San Diego Comic Con in 1976 that promoted the film to an audience then not yet used to Darth Vader, Chewbacca or Princess Leia.

Artist Howard Chaykin.

STAR WARS comic writer/adaptor Roy Thomas and Chaykin at the San Diego COMIC CON promoting the then upcoming STAR WARS comic series.

Funny, frank, opinionated and self-deprecating- a kind of love-him or hate-him personality akin to Harlan Ellison of the SF book world, with a love of Ravioli (since his days as a starving artist), but not of the kind served in Italian restaurants!- Chaykin was great to meet, and the other fans clearly enjoyed his talking about his work and career, and doing art for them, as much as I did. Of STAR WARS, he recalled he never saw any footage from the film when doing the 1976 adaptation, though he had 400 stills from the film as reference but he didn't like the images, which he felt were too inert, nor the sets, which he felt looked like something from an IKEA Catalogue. He visited the ILM model shop and saw a huge room full of model kits and rows of tank models kits in particular, in an area with a constant smell of glue in the air. Amongst the film models built or being built, he saw work being done to the underside of Darth Vader's Star Destroyer from the beginning of the movie (which he said was the length of a canoe), saw the surface of the Death Star and four varying sized Millennium Falcon models. He was impressed with the model work and the detail involved but didn't think the original film was going to be a success. "If I had known, I'd have worked harder," he told me, humorously.

A fun interpretation of our characters by Chaykin for MARVEL from the late seventies.

It was great to meet Mister Chaykin and STAR WARS AFICIONADO continues to wish him the very best of success with all his future illustrative endeavours.

Howard Chaykin profile/interview: Graphic Novel and Comic Book Creators in New York City - Graphic NYC and How Star Wars Saved the Comic Book Industry

RETURN OF A COMICS LEGEND: HOWARD CHAYKIN'S "EMPIRE"!

Kudos to the team at STAR WARS INSIDER for its slightly improving issues recently. There's been a few new bits of information filtering through about the behind the scenes, attempts at a few more interviews, here and there rare or rare-ish pictures and some special commissions linked to the film series and the new CLONE WARS. Today's news that legendary comics artist Howard Chaykin has contributed a brand new cover for STAR WARS INSIDER's December issue (pictured above), is an excellent new step in the right direction. I have long been fascinated by Chaykin's art for the early STAR WARS comic adaptation, he was specially selected by Lucas due to his work on his sci-fi epic CODY STARBUCK- and gamely visualised a universe in 1976 and 1977 that was still in flux production wise. The adaptation of STAR WARS, one of the very few early clues to the public as to what the film was going to be about, may not look like the universe that was later recreated by Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon for their movie adaptations of EMPIRE and JEDI, but it has a wondrous comic book hybrid feel about it that, thirty four years on, is still ambitious and exciting to look at, and which, with its exciting style, inspired the dreams and ambitions of many young artists who would follow in Chaykin's large foot-steps.

Chaykin's original poster art which appeared at the San Diego COMIC CON in 1976

"Enter Luke Skywalker - will he save the galaxy or destroy it?" Chaykin's adapted poster, now a cover for the launch of the STAR WARS US MARVEL comic.

This new EMPIRE art, of which Chaykin has taken his cues from what he originally did for the limited edition San Diego COMIC CON poster of 1976 (which was then adapted for the cover of STAR WARS MARVEL COMIC number 1) is very nicely done, and I'm sure this issue of INSIDER, with an accompanying behind the scenes feature about Chaykin at MARVEL for STAR WARS, will be a huge success.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DEATH STAR BATTLE STATIONS!

As alarm lights blaze and sirens fill the air within the corridors of the Death Star, elite TIE fighter pilots rush to their ships, ready to engage the attacking Rebel X and Y-wing ships, in this deleted scene from STAR WARS, filmed by Gary Kurtz's second unit at some point in July 1976 at ELSTREE. A partial clip from the deleted footage would later be used in RETURN OF THE JEDI.

I'd have love to have seen a sequence where we see the pilots actually get into their TIE ships and take off. In the film we see Vader and his wing men depart the docking bay, but there's a great moment in the MARVEL comic strip adaptation of the time (above image) where we see Vader actually getting into his ship.

I wonder if that was just writer Roy Thomas/artist Howard Chaykin's visual idea, or whether there was a scripted scene that was possibly filmed? Or perhaps the scene was planned for but unfilmed due to time and money pressures- Script Continuity Supervisor Ann Skinner has the scene in her shooting script (currently held in the British Film Institute), so it looks likely. Perhaps the Blu-ray will solve the many mysteries once and for all...