Looking back at Star Wars Weekly – issue 6

Warriors of the Death Star: Star Wars Weekly 
cover by Howard Chaykin

Episode Nothing is back after a lengthy gap. My apologies.

I'll return to discussing the film itself soon, but today, another look at the Marvel comic strip adaptation, as we in Britain experienced it in Star Wars Weekly.

Selling Star Wars: Fox boss Peter Myers on the film's original release

Audiences outside Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood,
the cinema most associated with Star Wars

Did 20th Century-Fox know what it had on its hands with Star Wars?

Many books and articles written about the film's first release have insisted that George Lucas had a much better idea than Fox about how to market the movie. 

Peter Cushing: a birthday tribute

Peter Cushing reunited with Dave Prowse in Star Wars

The presence of Alec Guinness ensured the critics would pay some attention to Star Wars – but the name that would have attracted the interest of genre fans was that of Peter Cushing.

Cushing would have been 101 today. (Thanks to the fundraisers of @UKGarrison for reminding me of that on Twitter this morning and inspiring this blog post.) So it's a fitting time to consider his contribution to the most successful film of his long career.

Biggs Darklighter - the original Rebel

"The Rebellion's spreading, Luke": Garrick Hagon as Biggs confides in Luke Skywalker

I can distinctly remember a thought that crossed my mind about half an hour into my first viewing of Star Wars, one fateful Saturday afternoon in February 1978.

It was at just about the point when Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the droids were arriving at Mos Eisley, heading for their first meeting with Han Solo.

Looking back at Star Wars Weekly – issue 5

'Win the cast of Star Wars': the cover of Star Wars Weekly issue five

"Win the cast of Star Wars – great contest inside!"

So ran a strapline on the front of Star Wars Weekly issue 5 in the UK, on March 8 1978.  Win the cast of Star Wars? That really did sound like a hell of a competition.

Mr. Star Wars - George Lucas in 1977

Quietly single-minded: George Lucas 
shooting Star Wars in 1976

What do we know about George Lucas – the young man with enough drive and imagine to make the most successful movie the world had ever seen?

Today, of course, he is a multi-billionaire , a retired company head, semi-retired film-maker, a philanthropist, and the object of roughly equal adoration and derision from Star Wars fans. But who was he back in 1977, when he turned 33 just before his long-planned space film was released?

Looking back at Star Wars Weekly – issue 4

It may take some liberties with story of the film, but
Star Wars Weekly # 4 has another impressive cover

Issue 4 of the UK's Star Wars Weekly – dated February 29 1978 – really shows how big a deal Star Wars had by now become for for British children.