Star Wars Purist

TV's Frink said:

No, you shouldn't. Also, you should go outside more, and you should call your Mom more than once a month, even though she says you don't have to.

I don't get the point in posting this as a response.  For one thing, I go outside and swim in my pool several hours a day, and I live with my parents now as I'm back from my Freshman year of college this Summer, so you are mistaken in both claims.  If this was meant as humor and not an insult, then I still don't see the point in your response, since this is a Star Wars OT fan-based website and a post, such as I have posted, is completely appropriate and I should not be mocked, insulted, or so on on this site of all sites.

 I would expect this from non-fans, thugs, and Prequel "Youngling" fans (stupid word for stupid people) who would find these old Star Wars comics "boring" and "stupid" because they lack CGI and Jar-Jar every panel. haha! 

He killed Luke's father, according to Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. 

...Even if it's been ret-conned for super obvious reasons since 1980, it still does count...from a certain point of view. 

Wow! The B&W daily strips are amazing! 

No. That's the first volume of the Star Wars Marvel comics.  I'm talking about this...

http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Pursuit-Classic-Star-Volume/dp/1569711097/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339525909&sr=1-2&keywords=classic+star+wars

I know that they are from Archie Goodwin's newspaper strips, and apparently they were very well illustrated and scripted comics, however, I heard somewhere that the "Classic Star Wars" collections have been edited, which I hope doesn't mean curtailed or abridged.  

I'm a big fan of the Marvel Star Wars comics (particularly Goodwin's work), and I hope that these Classic collections are something that you can recommend! 

I also would have liked to have seen a more noble Republic as well.  Something a bit more Romanesque, but that's just me! 

Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi can be seen as an allegory of the American Revolution...well, if one has a loose definition of "allegory" that is.  Regardless, nothing supports this notion more than a Rebellion taking place against a tyrannical Empire (a conflict still rooted in US Culture) and, of course, The Rebels speaking in American accents and the Imperials British.  

I've always found it extremely strange, and almost disconcerting, that few fans of Star Wars, or even casual watchers of the film, speak of this obvious disparity in accents! It was such a vital element to separating "Us v. Them"/The Rebels from the Empire/the "Good Guys" from the "Bad Guys", yet it's so scarcely acknowledged, and George Lucas of all people seemed to drop it entirely from the Prequels, other than Ewan's Young Obi-Wan and "Darth Sidious" (will never get over that terribly stupid and pointless title).  

Some people on this very Forum, though, have pointed out that Darth Vader, despite being voiced by the Deep South born American James Earl Jones, speaks with British pronunciation and an accent.  It may be a bit "uneven" in this regard, (on the Tantive IV in Star Wars he sounds particularly English and in much of the original film, whereas in Empire and ROTJ he doesn't seem nearly as British, although still having quite an English flavor to his vocal phrasing).  Furthermore, once finally unmasked in Return, Vader as Anakin Skywalker is portrayed by a longtime British (as in VERY British) stage and BBC actor, with an extremely strong and undeniably authentic, natural English accent.  

In conclusion, Anakin should have had a British accent in the Prequels. 

Luckily, I don't consider the Prequels "canon" and thus don't "have" to accept anything from those films as the true background history to the OT and the old EU (and some select current EU material) that I consider truly part of my personal SW canon.  

Additionally, I always imagined the British/English accents to be representative of the proper speech of the "Core" political worlds to the Republic and/or Empire, as in Coruscant/Had Abbadon (whatever you want to call "Imperial Center"), Alderaan, and so on), and that the "American" accent(s) generally were spoken for the following reasons: 

1.) They were from the "Outer-Rim" worlds and/or had no or too short of exposure to the "proper" Core-World pronunciation of "Basic".  Example: Luke, raised on Tatooine, and having been there his whole life away from Galactic affairs until the later in the first movie (No, that's not a typo. SW is the first movie).  "Anakin" even though, if you don't accept the Prequels as canon, he was probably born on Tatooine and lived his youth much like Luke, spent several decades in the middle of Galactic affairs prior to Star Wars and thus probably acquired the English accent after "hanging out" with Obi-Wan and all the Core-World Republic magnates and presumably living in the heart of the Republic when not embarking on "Idealistic Crusade(s)" during the Clone Wars.

2.) Alien creatures speaking the Human Language: Some, like, Yoda, have an American/Non-English accent (despite his Object-Subject-Verb word order permutation).  

3.) Characters "born" and raised in a Core world who...abandon it.  This seems to be Princess Leia (lol) who spent 18-20 years living as the Princess of the Alderaanian Royal Family.  We clearly hear her speak in a British accent (albeit a technically "false" one. Sorry, Carrie!) when she's aboard the Tantive with Vader and aboard the Death Star with Tarkin and Vader.  This hints that the English accent is the standard of diplomacy and formal conversation in the Empire, hence why Leia speaks in "one" to Vader and Tarkin in Star Wars and why almost every Imperial (if not every one) has a British accent...sans the Stormtroopers (which can be explained by them being the "commoners", perhaps?). However, whenever she's in Rebel company, she has the accent and pronunciation of a loud and proud American Girl. 

Obviously, this disparity was purposed to bring about deeply ingrained American cultural/historical positive correlations between Individualism/Freedom/Liberty/Rebellion with Americanism and the history of the American Revolution, and to effectively show the difference in "status" and rigidity/grandeur (?) between the Rebels and the "Imps", however, why this was largely lost with the Prequels and wasn't upheld with Anakin somehow, just seems...wrong. The guy got an "accent" in 20 years...and it's even stronger when his mask is off!! 

What are your thoughts? 

So many promising one-offs in the Star Wars comics throughout the years have never gone on beyond one issue. Whether its Storyteller, or "Tales from Mos Eisley" or even "Silent Drifting" from Marvel (the 1978 one that shows the young Obi-Wan during the Old Republic)...they just didn't get anything but one try. 

I see the Legacy Comics era leading up to that era sooner than one would think.  When I read the Legacy comics and even the "Legacy" era SW books, I have a feeling that there will be an almost apocalyptic ending for it all, and that eventually Lucasfilm will gear up for stories as far in the future as the "Knights of the Old Republic" stories are in the past.  I wonder if the era in "Storyteller" is the "present" in which the entire Star Wars film series is set.  In other words, that time period may very well be the time in which the Star Wars tales we know and love are a from "A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away".   I would hope that after that boy gets the saber, he becomes a Jedi and discovers he has The Force in a setting wholly dissimilar from that of ANY Star Wars era told up to now.  -

According to the ROTJ novelization, The Emperor knew of Yoda (although he had to reach far back into his memory to recall the little green Jedi Master), however Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker had no knowledge of Yoda and even, if I remember correctly, expressed to Luke in his unmasking that he wishes he would have met the ancient Jedi.  

According to the same novelization, Owen Lars was Obi-Wan's brother, so says Obi-Wan himself to Luke on Dagobah.  Personally, I think this is kind of sketchy since Owen and Beru seem to speak of Luke's Father as actually being Owen's brother and Owen actually being Luke's brother and Owen speaks of Obi-Wan as an outsider who took Anakin out on a damn fool idealistic crusade. Weird.  Furthermore, it's unclear whether or not both Anakin and Obi-Wan were supposed to be Owen's brothers, thus making them siblings and Obi Wan...Luke's Uncle! :0  

Additionally, The ESB working script explained Vader's injuries and the necessity for his life-preserving armor due to falling in a nuclear reactor rather than falling into a molten pit of lava like Lucas himself stated in 1978 and what the ROTJ Novelization and Lucas's own Prequels agree with. I guess you could assume that Vader's unmasked and bald head is a result of the radiation/cancer from falling in the reactor rather than falling into the pit, and also it seems like his obvious respiratory problems may be present because of lung cancer or something effecting the same issues.  

This is a stretch, but I believe that the X-Wings were supposed to have been the main starfighters of the Old Republic used during the Clone Wars and were VERY out of date in comparison to the recent TIE Fighters.  

Then there was the whole O.B. 1 (Obi-Wan was a Clone!) Theory....creepy!

Well for one thing, it presented a bit darker take on Star Wars.  It took place in the Far-Future and it feels like the Far-Future.  Of course it has its Prequelisms, but overall the tone of the series was far more reminiscent of the Old EU and OT than the Prequel Trilogy.  It wasn't unadulterated to the extreme like Lucas's Prequels and had the "rebel"/mercernary/Han Solo vibe.  In fact, it seems kind of close to some of the early drafts for Star Wars that Lucas had drawn up in 1976. 

It was a fresh take on a franchise which didn't too heavily contradict the OT and built upon the franchise rather than diminished it.  Honestly, I don't see where you would want the Star Wars "saga" to be like 130 years after the Original Film, or even if you would have Star Wars go to that point.  

Oh, I actually have read it. It was included as a bonus in a paperback release of Outbound Flight.  I didn't remember it because that specific reprinted version of the novella "prequel-ized" the story, as they removed references to "The Emperor" to "Chancellor/Senator Palpatine" or so I believe, thus I remember it more as being a Lucas Prequel era story.  Hopefully, I will find the original version of the novella somewhere. 

-I would launch an immediate PR campaign to take Star Wars back to its roots, focusing on the Original Eponymous Film for its 35th Anniversary this year.  My slogan would be "This year...Star Wars is Star Wars", in a way to inform fans even younger than myself (I'm 19!) of how and where it all began.

-As part of this campaign, Star Wars (the film) would be released on Blu-Ray in its Original Theatrical Version, offering almost (if not all) of the many audio tracks of the various versions (mono, stereo, 35mm, 70mm, 93/95, whatever) and heaps of deleted scenes, with the option of watching the deleted scenes seamlessly inserted (and properly placed) into the film as a huge bonus (All the Biggs scenes, C-3P0 driving the landspeeder, Darth Vader's discussion, and even the original Human Jabba, and even the C-3P0 tractor beam dialogue). New Commentary Track. More great "Vintage" styled and boxed action figures would come out, and so much more merchandise.  

-Star Wars: The Clone Wars would enter into its final season, all further or currently worked upon EU material taking place in the Prequel Era will be ceased and discontinued.  All Prequel-isms, Prequelizations, Lucas-isms. etc would be emphatically discouraged. 

-I would then launch an (The) Empire Strikes Back campaign in 2013 with a Blu-Ray OOT release, also with an option of watching seamlessly integrated deleted scenes (Wampa escape, Further Yoda training. etc) and all the audio versions/mixes.  New Commentary Track. And heaps of Vintage styled ESB merchandise, including a full Yoda Puppet spot for spot copy to be sold in stores.  

-In this year, I would also announce that the Franchise as a whole will "strike back", and I would have the new team (all composed of people like you, if not you guys and girls directly!-actually this would be my first order of business haha) begin conceptualizing a mutually agreed upon idea for a Sequel Trilogy and we would "hint" to further films in press releases. 

-2013 would also see a full on "Pledge and Promise" program speech, where I, now "Mr. Star Wars" or "President Star Wars", would outright decry the Prequel Films and deem them non-canon from then on.  I would announce that the Special Edition versions of the OT movies will henceforward only be available on an archival "The Dark Ages of Star Wars" section of the website, illuminating the public as to the horrors of the 99-12 era of Star Wars.  

-2014 would see the same campaign for Return of the Jedi that SW 77 and ESB relished, with the OOT Blu-Ray release with all the audio mixes, deleted scenes (Moff Jerjerrod scene. etc) version, new commentary, action figures, and a big focus on Sebastian Shaw's Anakin Skywalker: "The Anakin You Forgot...Or Never Knew...Who WAS He"...which hints at the eventual Prequel reboot which would fit in with the OT as close as possible. 

-Same year, Filming Production of first Star Wars sequel. 

-2015, mail in offer for a box set of the Blu-Ray discs with an additional blu ray of "Empire of Dreams" and other documentaries. etc. etc.  

-Late 2015, Star Wars VII released. 

-Then, beyond that, the other Sequel Films would be released, and then eventually the Prequel Reboots.  I put the Sequel Trilogy first because I feel that the SW Franchise REALLY needs a "fresh" spin, still rooted in the Originals, yet one with characters and all that have very minimal connections with the Prequel Lucas films. Plus, I would want like 15 years in between ROTS and the first new Episode I reboot, as at that time, I believe people will be healed of the old wounds our franchise's fallen original creator bestowed upon us. 

-I would TRY and get Lucas involved if he was willing to be constructive and offer GOOD ideas like in the old days.  So, I would try to redeem Old Darth Puke-is. Deep down...the unlikely independent film maker who gave us a whole Galaxy to love is still here, and whatever he says...

It's NOT too late. 

Back to the original topic, I'm totally perplexed and undecided as to how I would want Luke and Leia's mother to look like, be like as a character, or even be named. As much as I dislike the Prequel Films, I almost want to just call her Padme (although I'd ditch the "Amidala" for certain).  I think about her possibly looking like Carrie, or looking more noble like Natalie herself, or if she should look like a "retro" girl, or a modern looking actress (i.e. a Jodie Foster vs. an Emma Watson).  Recently, though, I've been leaning towards a Jacqueline Bisset visage, because she had a "retro" 1970s look, was very gorgeous, projected a very approachable and sympathetic demeanor (perfect for Anakin's wife/girlfriend!), and is more believable as Carrie Fisher's mother than Natalie Portman.

Can't you just see her with the iconic space-buns?!?

As to her character?!? Besides being a sympathetic, loving, and consoling woman, I kind of see her as being very fun, energetic, sweet, and adventurous (I mean, why else is she with a star-pilot and warrior who embarks on Idealistic Crusades?!?).  Also, it would make HER transform along with her husband, as she will eventually become the "beautiful...but sad" dying mother Leia recounts in Return of the Jedi. 

The MARVEL series has an issue which alleges that Leia was in the Senate...at the time of the Clone Wars.  As much of a fan of the old MARVEL comics as I am, I find this concept to be completely ridiculous, as that would have made the Clone Wars even more recent than Lucas's Prequels, which were already too close, chronologically, to the original Star Wars film IMO!  Of course, this doesn't really fit in with the way Obi-Wan and Luke talked about how the Clone Wars were such an almost "ancient" occurrence, which the rest of the EU makes appear even MORE ancient (in fact some sources directly use that aforementioned adjective to refer to Clone Wars era vessels!).  

And thanks for all that you posted. 

What I meant to say was that it seems like "Silent Drifting" (the Kenobi Marvel comic) may be the only full narrative of a story set in the Prequel era, as in involving direct dialogue/fleshed out characters/.etc.  The background info of the "More Civilized Age" is actually quite extensive from the Pre-Prequel EU (thankfully we have SOMETHING other than the Lucas doggerel!), but direct narratives...are lacking. 

However, that Marvel issue may not be the only instance of a full narrative of the Pre-Prequel as I haven't read any of the Archie Goodwin "Classic Star Wars" comics, NOT counting background info, details, and dialogue from the OT era ABOUT the PT era.  

It's a shame Lucas was so limiting from the beginning. We could have had full comics/graphic novels of good to GREAT quality detailing the youthful exploits of Father Skywalker and General Kenobi, the Clone Wars, the fateful Duel and Transformation, and maybe even an O.B. 1 fan theory "Infinities" like comic! 

But now it's up to people like us to create tales in this beautiful era, which was so horrifically lobotomized by Lucas and his Cronies.  

Yeah true. I love the Legacy Comics Series for the most part though! But that is dead now too...Yeah I hate the EU now. :( 

There aren't really any other depictions of that era that actually show it in a cohesive storyline narrative are there from before 99? Not counting references to the era in other stories in the EU, quotes from the older generation in the OT, and background info.  Are there any others at all?!? 

I myself am going to have to concede that the Blue Muffin Man was not Anakin nor Pre-Lava/Reactor Vader, but rather Kharys, after looking at the comic more closely, it's now much clearer to me that the comic was more focused on Kenobi, "present times" Vader, and Kharys, rather than Luke's father.  

I guess I'm just all to eager to find Pre-Prequel instances of the great old characters in the old interpretations of the Prequel era...

...before George Puke-is and Rick the D*#k ruined what could have been an AMAZING fictional era. 

Just in case you guys don't know how MARVEL saw Obi-Wan having looked when he was younger.  In my mind, I see Obi-Wan appearing like this shortly before The Empire "assumed control" (lol Rush reference) of the Galaxy, and in the final year(s) of the Republic, right after The Clone Wars ended.  I like to imagine that Obi-Wan's journey to Bail Organa's (which is when this comic takes place) was taken so as to discuss the Rise of the Empire and the possibility of Tyranny, the end of the Jedi, and the Dawn of the Dark Times...

Great art there! Wow! That's how I imagine Anakin at the "end of his life" right prior to dawning the Vader armour. My only point of criticism is that maybe he looks a BIT too old in that picture. I guess I would have him with a bit more hair and a bit thinned out I guess. But that depiction is still very close to how he SHOULD have looked right before his fateful duel with Kenobi and his Fall. 

When we first see Anakin, YES, he should look like Mark Hamil in that picture except a tad more muscular, a bit taller, and with darker hair and a bit more masculinized face. But yeah I would have him dressed like Mark in that picture, and then adopting a uniform that is a cross between the ROTJ Luke garb and the suit he wears as Vader (which you kind of have Anakin wearing a prototype of in your brilliant sketch). 

Mine includes the original Jorus C'Baoth from which the clone in the Thrawn Trilogy was spawned, The Emperor, Tarkin, and then Vader...when the protagonist becomes the antagonist in my Episode III. 

Understandable. I wish there was a middle ground between Mark Hamil and Sebastian Shaw that I could find for the ideal Anakin...oh well! Hopefully there's a hidden pre-prequel TOPPS trading card of a "prequel" era Anakin out there somewhere (fingers crossed!) 

Intereating ideas, and I like the Mother Skywalker idea, however I see Obi-Wan being older and I don't think Leonardo Di Caprio would make for a good Jedi Knight turned Dark Lord, IMO. 

Woah. In all my years of being a Star Wars fan I have never heard ANYTHING about this card!! Wow! I am utterly shocked. When did this come out? Tell me more about this! Seriously...this is a GREAT find. 

If you have any images of how you imagine these, or other, characters in the Prequel Era you have in your heads (or on paper!) please post them here! And also, if you could, list how far before the original SW film the image takes place. Also, if you want you can put up images of planets, settings, vehicles, buildings, technology, and any other characters from the era we were all robbed of with Lucas's "canon" versions. 

You don't have to put up images per say, but it would be awesome if any of you could. Descriptions will suffice if that's all you have! I personally am not that talented artistically so, for now, I'll go with a verbal depiction of the characters. 

I see a "young Anakin" (about 20-I hope none if us want the 8 year old we got in TPM!) looking a lot like Luke/Mark Hamil, except with darker and slightly longer hair. I see the older Anakin appearing more fatherly and benevolent (leading up to Sebastian Shaw's Force Ghost in ROTJ). Finally, I see Anakin slowly losing his humanity and becoming more Machine than Man with all of the injuries instilled upon him via the Clone Wars, eventually falling into the Volcano (or Nuclear Reactor) which necessitated the iconic life-preserving suit. 

I envision Obi-Wan already being middle-aged by Episode I and having shoulder length hair and being pretty muscular. Then by Episode II, I see him having shorter hair and appearing almost "verbatim" as he does in "Silent Drifting" from Marvel Comics. In Episode III, my Obi-Wan will show signs of being closer to his visage in the OT, now adopting a full body cloak. NOTE: My Episode I is 40 years prior to SW 77, Episode II being 35 years prior, and Episode III 20 years prior. 

The Emperor and Yoda (both making infrequent appearances) appear the same as they did in the OT. Puppet Yoda...NO CGI! He's 900 already by ROTJ so a few decades before that he shouldn't look much younger. The Emperor will appear like Clive Revill's Monkey Eyed Emperor from the OOT version of ESB in all hologram appearances, but just like Ian McDiarmid's ROTJ Emperor in all live appearances. 

Now for Your thoughts and Images of YOUR Prequels!!