Good shot kid! (13)
Last Updated (Thursday, 19 January 2012 20:30) Written by Administrator Friday, 27 May 2011 00:00
You'll Make a Space Pirate Yet!
See a partial Special Edition here »
Howard Chaykin's shameless rip-off of mine - 1977. I think we all know which version is better?
Here... how come Han says 'Space Pirate'? He's a smuggler.
Blammo! The Action Really Starts
"These Stormtroopers are crazy!"
Things are really hotting up today comic fans! From here on to the end it's pretty much non-stop blasting, explosions, gore and wise-cracking.
Sorry to have to tell you that. Han's caught mid-stride, blasting and shouting encouragement to Luke - who's just blown an enemy trooper to pieces. That's right - no neat laser wounds here; nothing short of blood drenched dismemberment.
Chewie's Getting his Hands Dirty
Chewie's still really getting in there slugging away. I must have thought he needed to do more to help. He didn't do an an awful lot in the film did he? He didn't even get a medal at the end-scene award ceremony (BMS). He's much more of the loveable, nervous, big teddy bear; who gets spooked easily.
Art Notes: Open Letter to Chaykin?
Does he look guilty to you?
And speaking of pirates, this Chaykin fellow. I don't know how he did it, but he did it. Back in 1977 he somehow heard that a 9 year old comic-prodigy in a tiny village in County Kildare in Ireland was adapting hit movie Star Wars into a comic. The - let's face it - inexperienced Chaykin, terrified of failure in his own upcoming adaptation effort, somehow saw this precocious masterwork and borrowed elements from it. We all know this to be true, readers. Just look at him (left). Let's call it Exhibit A. "He's obviously GUILTY your honour". Evasive. He can't even look straight at us.
I think the time has come for me to write an open letter to the interweb and challenge this rogue. This - this - PRETENDER! There, I said it. Little does the unsuspecting, shameless one know that I will sue him for literally hundreds of dollars. What think ye readers? - says I in the mould of a pretentious 1st year college student.
Oh, and I'll tell you another thing about how crafty this artist is: he actually drew his one - after seeing mine - like, a year BEFORE I even saw the film. I don't know. Wormholes or something.
Oh, and Lucas? You're next.
Thanks for reading! Care to comment?
Comments
Just send me a case of Guinness, and a 5th of Jameson, and I'll sign the royalties over to you!
Or you could just deny everything, and live with the tremendous guilt that will fester inside you!
Dan Pollard asked the same question a while back, re: the expletive-speec h-bubbles that had puzzled me > starwarsage9.com/.../...
For now, some reason, I'm imagining him saying it in a mock Freud/Psychiatr ist voice!
That officer in the background is smart for running, I would too!
I realise now - only after seeing Chaykin's version - that Chewie is whacking the fleeing officer. The flow of action isn't - to me now - immediately obvious
This brings back a lot of childhood memories. I first saw the movie at age 4 in 1984. It was broadcast on Swedish channel 1 on a weekday evening. I wasn't allowed to stay up for the whole movie, but it was indeed a life-changing experience. Within a week, I had recieved my very first action figure (R2D2), picked up the audio dramas (kids version in swedish, tape with book, I might actually have learned to read from it), christened our vacuum cleaner R2D2, and finally seen the rented movie on grandpas VHS.
You've also awokened my memories of the novelization. My parents were rather cheap when it came to renting movies: they refused to rent any movie twice. Then I stumbled on the novelization at a flea market. It was my only way of reliving the story for years and I adored it. Remember that Chewie actually got his medal at the end in that version?
Then I got to see the movie again in 1994 (!) when the whole trilogy was broadcast on Swedish television.Shor tly after that, they were released in stores.
So, thank you John for sharing this with us. You'll never love a story again like you did as a kid right? That love shines through in the pages of your version of STAR WARS. Its simply wonderful. And hilarious.
I have to say that I feel very charmed and moved by your own story. So is my wife. And by your enthusiasm for this site. Thanks so much. I might even print this and stick it on my wall.
I hope you'll spread the word. When you finish this, you might like to head over to a slightly less youthful, and admittedly less funny or charming sister site: ALIEN age 11: Sight Unseen. Literally drawn without having seen the film at all!
Many thanks again,
John
PS: I love Sweden, wonderful country. I wish we lived there!
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