Star Wars - A Humanistic Vision in a Technological World

Hey there Travelers of the Jundland Wastes! Check out this link to a fantastic article by TJW Podcast co-host Dan. It is a new fresh look at The Empire Strikes Back and how this will tie hopefully into the success of Star Wars Episode 7!

Star Wars - A Humanistic Vision in a Technological World 

Stay tuned for a new episode of the TJW Podcast and look for us at this years Boston Comic Con on April 21, 2013! We will be walking the convention floor and doing some on-the-fly podcasting as can only be done by the podcast that is committed to exploring the issues, ideas and the imagination in the Star Wars Expanded Universe! If you see us, please say hello! We would love to chat with you.

All the best,

Mark

Co-host of the TJW Podcast

What is Going to Happen to Star Wars EU?

Hey there TJW Podcast listeners! I know it has been a long while since our live show at New England Comics in Norwood to celebrate the release of the original trilogy era Star Wars comic by Dark Horse. Needless to say Star Wars news has been coming in fast and furious over the last few months. And this past week was no different. Just on the heels of the announcement that The Clone Wars animated series was cancelled, we learn that Disney has shut down Lucasarts and layoffs are in the process not just for the video game company but also for Industrial Light and Magic.

Is it me or has Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm gone a little sour on the taste buds of Star Wars fans like me?  I have no doubt that forthcoming Episode 7 movie will be spectacular especially since it seems likely that the "big three" will be reprising their iconic roles. But it seems that ever since the acquisition of Lucasfilm, Disney has been "cleaning house" and getting rid of several high profile Star Wars projects.

I am not going to get into the cancellation of The Clone Wars. Unless you have a very different way of looking at the Star Wars universe, I can safely say that the majority of Star Wars fans are very disappointed that the show will not be returning next fall and many questions still remain unanswered regarding some key story lines in the show.

But the bigger question for me is how this is going to affect the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I know there are many great Star Wars fans who prefer to keep the Star Wars universe contained to the six movies of the saga and the upcoming movies scheduled for future release. But for many Star Wars fans like myself, we take a lot of pleasure in the known Expanded Universe that has been developed over the last 30 plus years as well. 

So many great stories and characters have emerged from novels, graphic novels and the video games. And this past weeks announcement means that a great story and what appeared to be a great video game is no longer going to happen. Star Wars 1313 has been sadly scraped and will be nothing more than a bunch of great trailers left to fester on You Tube.

I am not sure if the closing of Lucasarts means the end of Star Wars gaming. It is hard for me to imagine that with an Episode 7 release that some form of video game will not be in the works. But what bothers me the most is that game titles and series such as Knights of the Old Republic/The Old Republic, Battlefront and The Force Unleashed will probably no longer be part of the larger Star Wars saga. These titles and series do not seem fit the into Disney vision of that galaxy far, far away.  And it's hard for me to believe that the novels and graphic novels that are currently in play will be spared from Disney's version of Order 66.

I suppose it's a little early in the game to spell out gloom and doom for the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Especially when we are still very early in the production of this new movie. But when I think back on the resurgence of Star Wars in popular books and video games that coincided with the prequels in the early 2000's, I can remember feeling elated about finding my way back into Star Wars fandom. 

So many great novels filled in the spaces before and after the movies. Seeing familiar characters from the original trilogy in the New Republic and the Legacy of the Force series. Discovering that stories existed from the Old Republic era and getting to know Jedi such as Bastila Shan and great Sith such as Darth Reven and Darth Malak. And possibly the best Expanded Universe story to hit in the last couple of years with The Force Unleashed saga. Starkiller, Vader, the Emperor, Juno Eclipse and others gave us a story line that, in my opinion, enhances the movies when it picks up in A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

Star Wars is about as popular as any big fan franchise today. And I do think that the future of fandom is bright and is going to go on for as long as I can see. But it would be a sad day if the efforts put forth by previous authors, writers and artists are left to side of the road in a cloud of spacedust as we blast off into a new era with the upcoming movies. And it would be equally tragic for those fans who have invested the time, dollars and fandom into these stories to see them written off from the timeline.

Dan and I will speak more about this on our next podcast. But we are also going to recommit ourselves to spending some podcast time discussing some of our favorite Expanded Universe tales and delving into the those areas that make the Star Wars Expanded Universe a great place to explore and enjoy.

Stay tuned and let us know your thought. Email us at: jundlandwastespodcast@gmail.com.

All the best,
Mark

TJW Podcast - Star Wars Comic Launch Party and Podcast

TJW Podcast with the Rebel Legion

Hello Jundland Wastes Travelers! Listen to our fantastic Star Wars comic launch party and podcast from this past Wednesday at the New England Comics store in Norwood, Massachusetts! 

We had a great time discussing the new Star Wars comic and its possible impact on the Star Wars Expanded Universe and the movies. We hear from our fans, make special mention of Star Wars artist Mark Mckenna and his great Legacy of the Sith print, chat with members of Alderaan Base (the Rebel Legion of New England) and find out who our newest honorary travelers are in this special edition of the podcast!

TJW Podcast Host Mark Leibowitz

TJW Podcast Host Daniel Gil analyzes the impact and
importance of The Force Unleashed storyline

Phantom Squad Pilots Erik Larkin and Erich Shafer with
a couple Star Wars fans who come to the party

New England Comics Store Manager Allan Burns
hosted this launch party and podcast

Erich Shafer of the Rebel Legion gives us an update
on upcoming events for 2013

Rebel Legion member Erik Larkin

Erich Shafer was inducted as an Honorary Traveler
of the Jundland Wastes

Allan Burns of New England Comics was inducted as an
Honorary Traveler of the Jundland Wastes

Great deals on a plethora of Star Wars EU!

Allan Burns drawing winners of our raffle for a couple
Star Wars collectibles

We would love to hear from you! Email us at jundlandwastespodcast@gmail.com !

Stay tuned for our next episode!
All the best,

Mark 
Host of the TJW Podcast

LIVE PODCAST TOMORROW NIGHT!

TOMORROW NIGHT! COME TO OUR PODCAST-STAR WARS COMIC LAUNCH PARTY!

Hey there Jundland Wastes Travelers! It's official! The TJW Podcast is back on the road. We will be podcasting at the New England Comics store (732 Washington Street in Norwood, Massachusetts) on January 9, 2013 6:00PM - 7:45PM. We will be celebrating the launch of the new original trilogy era comic called Star Wars. In addition we will discuss how this new comic might have an impact on the new Star Wars Episode 7 movie. Plus, get some great deals on Star Wars comics and merchandise at the store! Check out the flyer and come by for a fun evening of Star Wars podcasting and partying.

TJW Podcast - Super Megafest Megacast!

Hey there travelers of the Jundland Wastes! Happy holidays to all of our podcast listeners! It's a great time of the year and we hope you are enjoying the holidays with friends and family. The holiday season started a little early for us here at the TJW Podcast by our attendance at Super Megafest in Framingham, Massachusetts this past Sunday. What a great time!

We met up with some great Star Wars artists, chatted with some legends from the comic book industry, caught up with some friends in the 501st Legion New England Garrison and even had a chance to shake hands with the great David Prowse aka Darth Vader. So start off your holiday season and Black Friday with our special coverage on the TJW Podcast-Megacast!

TJW Podcast Host Mark Leibowitz and a 501st Biker Scout

TJW Podcast Host Daniel Gil feeling his Chicago roots
in front of the infamous Blues Brothers police car

R2D2 is always a hit at conventions!

The gracious and soft spoken Dark Lord of the Sith
David Prowse aka Darth Vader

Stay tuned for our next episode! And be sure to send us your thoughts about the podcast at: jundlandwastespodcast@gmail.com.

All the best,

Mark
Co-host of the TJW Podcast

More Thoughts on Star Wars Episode 7

Hey there Jundland Wastes Travelers! It's that time of year when the fall starts to wind down and the Hoth-like winter conditions are just around the corner. But it is also the start of the winter holiday season which is just a lot of fun. People start to get into better spirits, lots of tasty treats seem to be in abundance at the work office and school classrooms and the first snow of the season is always exciting to see.

But for a Star Wars fan, I think it's is even a more special time of the year. For some reason, I have always associated the winter with Star Wars. With days off from work, there seems to be more time to crack open a new Expanded Universe novel, break open some action figures to add to my display case or take a couple hours to throw in a Star Wars movie into the DVD player. And of course with all the winter holidays, there are bound to be gifts from that galaxy far, far away that brighten the season for a special Star Wars fan.

Personally, I think the holidays started a little early this year with the BIG announcement made by Lucasfilm and Disney this past week. Facebook, Twitter, emails and all social media was exploding this past week with news of the acquisition as well as the numerous mock-up pictures combining our favorite themes from Stars Wars and Mickey Mouse. But it wasn't until last night that it really hit me...and I'm not talking about the head cold that I have been fighting all week either. But around 4:00AM this morning it finally sunk in that a new Star Wars movie will be out in 2015.

A new Star Wars movie! Episiode 7! A movie that will take place after the events of Return of the Jedi! I began to imagine what it will be like to stand in line at theaters on a spring afternoon or evening to get a ticket to see Star Wars again! Just imagining being there as the lights dim and the words come across the screen, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." And then hearing that booming beginning of the classic John Williams theme song as the Star Wars logo fades off into the blanket of space and stars.

But we know that the usual buildup to the movie will include trailers, posters and images. And novels, comic books and new figures will of course have to be part of the campaign as well.  But what will the storyline of Episodes 7, 8 and 9 entail?

My first hope is that we get to see our heroes again. Can you imagine seeing Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprising their classic roles of Luke, Han and Leia? The story could easily take place at a time when their actual ages match the timeframe for a post-Jedi story. And if that were the case it would be easy to include characters from the Expanded Universe that have become fan favorites over the years.

I would love to see Mara Jade in a Star Wars movie! Her character was developed incredibly well by author Timothy Zhan. And seeing Luke and Mara together as our favorite Jedi couple would balance out the tragic Anakin-Padme storyline in a sense. How great would it be seeing a movie where true love becomes an essential component to being a Jedi!

But, the possibility still remains that what Expanded Universe fans take as Star Wars cannon may not be the vision of the writers and directors of this new set of movies. Part of me would love to see some of the Expanded Universe make its way to the silver screen. But the other part would be disappointed if I did not see something new that has not been given over in a Star Wars novel or comic.

As I mentioned in my previous post, there are just too many questions right now and we will all have to wait for the answers. But the TJW Podcast and Blog are here to stay and we are really looking forward to journey ahead! The Star Wars franchise is alive and well! Star Wars movies are on there way! And regardless of the storyline, there will be undoubtedly some great Expanded Universe tales to tell as well.

Let us know your thoughts! Email us at: jundlandwastespodcast@gmail.com

Keep safe on the Wastes!
Mark
Co-host of the TJW Podcast

STAR WARS EPISODES 7, 8 AND 9 IN 2015!

The Star Wars world has been abuzz for the past 24 hours with the news that Disney has acquired Lucasfilm. And in addition, Star Wars episodes 7, 8 and 9 will be a reality in movie theaters come 2015.

I was just home from work when Dan called me with this breaking news. I was flabbergasted to say the least. I always thought that Lucasfilm would be that independent film company (granted, a multi-billion dollar independent film company) that would stay hold to the ideas that they are the only ones who know how to make Star Wars great and epic. It has been known for a while that George Lucas was planning on retiring in the coming years and his successor Kathleen Kennedy would be someone he trusts who can keep his vision of the Star Wars universe alive.

It does appear that Kennedy will be the person who will be heading up the production of these new Star Wars movies. And if there is anyone who can fill the shoes of George Lucas, I think Kathleen Kennedy is the person to do it. Her work on Raiders of the Lost Ark proves that she knows the recipe to make a good movie. And if she can do that with Indiana Jones, I am certain she will be able to step up to challenge with these new Star Wars movies.

I still am unsure how I feel about Disney taking the reigns at Lucasfilm. Granted, if any company knows how to make movies the right way, it is Disney. They have had a connection with Lucasfilm since the days they acquired Pixar and brought us movies like Wall-E, Toy Story and Cars. And from a merchandising perspective, there are many crossovers between Disney and Star Wars as well.

But the questions remains, what will be the story-line of Star Wars Episode 7? And how does this play into the exisiting Star Wars Expanded Universe stories and timeline? With Disney taking design control of all aspects of these new movies, how will that affect the final product we will see in the movie theaters in 2015?

As a host of a podcast and blog that is dedicated to the discussion of the issues, ideas and the imagination of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, it would be a little tough to imagine that characters and story-lines from the classic Timothy Zahn novels not finding there way onto the silver screen. I began thinking of what it would be like to see those Zahn novels coming together in a movie. Who would play Mara Jade? What would Grand Admiral Thrawn look like?  How would the story of Han and Leia play out? Would they in fact be married? Would the love story develop between Luke and Mara?  Or will these movies be acting as a major reboot of the Star Wars timeline as Star Wars Expanded Universe fans understand it?

This coming January we are going to see the first issue of the new "Star Wars" comic book from Dark Horse. The hype behind this comic book series is that it is set in the original trilogy era (probably between Episodes 4 and 5) and it will have all the characters we are familiar with in an era that we know well. Could this comic book series be a primer for events that are going to eventually play out in the new movies? And what about the upcoming book called Crucible that shows Luke, Leia and Han on the cover with more white and grey hair that I had ever envisioned? It obviously takes place after the events of the Fate of the Jedi series but will anything in this book have any impact on the new movies?

We have quite a long time before we have any concrete answers to these questions. We still are following the events in The Clone Wars animated series, many story-lines in books and comics are still in motion and we are not certain what other breaking news might appear in our inbox's in the coming weeks.

But I am very optimistic about this news. I am thrilled that new Star Wars will be on the big screen in the coming years. I am even more excited that my kids will be at an age that they can enjoy these movies and go with me to the theaters to see these movies. And a new movie will obviously trigger the usual merchandising campaigns that will offer fans those collectibles that make this new Star Wars experience even more enjoyable.  If anything, this announcement has solidified that idea in my mind that the ideas, moral lessons, adventures and fun that stems from that galaxy far, far away is in fact going to last forever!

Dan and I will chat more about this breaking news on the next podcast.  Let us know your thoughts! Email us at: jundlandwastespodcast@gmail.com

Keep safe on the Jundland Wastes! And let us know if you spot Mickey Mouse hanging out with Jawas or Tusken Raiders! :)

All the best,
Mark
Co-host - TJW Podcast