The He-Man Effect: How American Toy Makers Sold Your Childhood

Box Brown explores how corporations have manipulated our fandoms in this 2023 non-fiction graphic novel. While Brown explores the affects of propaganda on the American populace during the two World Wars, his focus is on toys because many of those psychiatrists who used science to ideally heighten pro-American sentiments ended up being hired by advertising agencies after the conflicts. In between the first World War and the attack on Pearl Harbor, women were the primary targets of those advertisers. However, with the baby boom after the fall of Japan, companies were made aware of a brand new untapped market: children.

It turns out that our tiny undeveloped brains cannot tell the difference between the fictions of a TV show and the commercials that fill in gap time. So when a kid sees Superman telling kids that Wheaties is the only cereal for him to eat, they believe that in order to be just like the Man of Steel, the kiddies need to eat Wheaties too! This blending of the two types of media got so bad that restrictions were made by the FCC, thanks to a bunch of angry moms, that prohibited children's programming from being essentially a 30 minute commercial for products. There were a few exceptions like Sesame Street, which was considered educational for children and being on public television, never ran commercials. It's also why during the 60s and 70s, that TV shows like Laugh-In, which was clearly for more mature audiences could appeal to children on lunch boxes and trading cards. It wasn't considered kids programming, so those shows could license out products meant for kids. It also explains why the 1970s was the best decade for cartoons.

This all changed in November, 1980. Ronald Reagan became President and he appointed those to head the FCC who opposed the restrictions on advertising to children during the Saturday morning cartoons and after school programming. Mattel was about to launch a new toy line that promised to rival Kenner's Star Wars behemoth, Its main character was called He-Man. However, capturing the imagination of the youngsters who would demand mom and dad buy it for them would be no easy feat without able word of mouth and frequency on the airwaves. With FCC deregulation of kids programming, Mattel was able to produce an animated series that would essentially be a 22-minute commercial for the Masters of the Universe toyline. 

Thanks to the series produced by Filmation, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe became a cultural touchstone for children in the mid-1980s. I should know, I was on of those kindergartners who started to drop their Star Wars figures and instead pickup a He-Man and a Skeletor figure. I still love the original He-Man series. I've bought massive omnibuses containing the entire run of mini comics inserted with each action figure. I also have a book devoted to the seldom seen newspaper strips. I'm currently on the hunt for the comics produced by Marvel imprint, Star Comics, without going bankrupt doing so. 

While my love for He-Man hasn't diminished reading this historical account of pop culture in the 20th century, I am chagrined to see how much I have been manipulated by Mattel, Kenner, Hasbro and the likes. Eternia's Prince Adam doesn't say 'By the power of Gray Skull. I have the power.' to become He-Man, though it helps. That was an ear worm planted by toy designers to trigger something in our little pea brains to want to consume more Masters of the Universe merch! The same goes with 'Yo, Joe!', 'Thundercats, Ho!' and so many other catch phrases of my childhood.

I'm almost mad at Box Brown. I've enjoyed a lot of his previous works. But with The He-Man Effect, I feel like he exposed the man behind the curtain. There was just a little too much of Adam Ruins Everything that destroyed some of the magic of my youth. The book does explain very well why we get upset when our favorite childhood franchises are rebooted or made 'woke' with diverse casting changes or switching genders of characters. But what I'm most upset about is that these toy lines and animated series that were bright spots to a childhood fraught with bullying and abuse, weren't there to make me happy and secure. They were created to make people rich. Thanks to Box Brown, the truth about my childhood heroes is that they weren't there to protect me. They just wanted my money.

Worth Consuming, but man does it hurt.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Twisted Toyfare Theatre, Vol. 6

I splurged on a second volume of Twisted Toyfare Theatre. This volume features an introduction from professional wrestler Rob Van Dam. I didn't realize that he was such a geek. Had I, I might have been a fan of his.

I'm noticing in this volume several names pop up. Matthew Senreich and Tom Root among others. Add Seth Green to the list and you might be saying ' Oh, yeah. These are the guys behind Robot Chicken!' That means that TTT is either the father of the Adult Swim series or it's the TV adaptation. That's really interesting considering that DC Comics actually threatened to sue Toyfare for using their characters in satirical ways for TTT but on Robot Chicken, with Cartoon Network being a Warner Bros. property, DC Comics works were skewered almost in every episode. Just goes to show that anyone is willing to have a good sense of humor if they get paid for it. 

As with all the other volumes I have read, there's just too many segments to pay adequate attention to. Daredevil takes actor Ben Affleck to court for the hero's portrayal in the Daredevil movie. Hulk and Spider-Man attend a showing of Episode II: Attack of the Clones while fans also get a chance to see what Star Trek III: The Search for Spock would have been like if it took place in the Star Wars Universe. We see deleted scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and then take a tour of Cobra headquarters after dark, when everybody should be long asleep.

'The Official Handbook to the Twisted Toyfare Theatre Universe' was as usual, a delight. But those 'Slideshow' one-pagers that take screenshots of classic cartoons and rework them into skits was something that the editors should have buried long ago. I feel shame that I ever was a fan of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors...

The main segments were great. A really neat glimpse at the genius behind Robot Chicken. But those creative forces should stick to using toys for the jokes. Riffing on classics just wasn't in their wheelhouse.

Sadly, this will probably be the last volume I'll be able to get my hands on. Volumes 8-11 are out of print. Apparently, the print run was really small as sellers are asking prices that I'd expect to pay for an Action Comics #252. Maybe I'll get lucky some day. But it will probably be a while before that happens.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Omnibus: Wild Space, Volume 1

Clocking in at 454 pages, there is a ton of adventures from a galaxy far, far away. However, if you happened to own Star Wars: The Marvel UK Collection already, then you already have over 250 pages of material already. If you're like me, you've also already read it as well.

Now you might think that being the case, I'll be selling this book. Or I'll be taking the UK Collection to the used book store. However, when it comes to the latter, there's still over 500 pages of material that wasn't published in this book. And when it comes to this omnibus, there's nearly 200 pages of stories that are darn near impossible on the wallet and wish list to locate easily.

Along with material previously printed in various British Star Wars publications, there's material from Star Wars #0, Star Wars 3-D, an American all-ages periodical called Star Wars Kids, and mini comics that were packaged with Kenner Shadows of the Empire action figures and Kellogg's breakfast cereals. Again, due to scarcity and exorbitant prices of the Star Wars action figure sets and Star Wars 3-D back issues alone, I really don't think I can complain about how things overlap. Besides, I didn't pay anywhere near the original MSRP of $100 for the UK Collection and I'm pretty sure I either got this book for my birthday or with trade credit. 

If you're looking to get your hands on this out of print collection from Dark Horse Comics for a great deal- forget it! Amazon's cheapest print copy is priced at almost $65 right now. You could get a Kindle version for less than $20. However, if your a true old school comic collector, why on Earth would you want to go digital?

A lot of enjoyable Star Wars action that is a cheaper alternative to shopping for all the original material. However, this book in of itself isn't all that affordable on the back issue market these days either.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars 3-D #1-3 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

1987 was the 10 year anniversary of the first Star Wars film. In what was supposed to be a time filled with celebration and fanfare, 1987 was not a banner year for the average Star Wars fan. Star Wars: Droids and Star Wars: Ewoks; a pair of all-ages comics published by Marvel imprint Star, were cancelled by Springtime. Star Tours, a Star Wars themed Disneyland ride and a 10th anniversary convention were held. But unless you traveled to California, you couldn't enjoy them. Older fans could enjoy a new computer game as well as a RPG game- if you had the money and/or friends to play with! At least Mel Brooks entertained moviegoers with his Star Wars parody, Spaceballs.

It was a dark time for Star Wars fans, especially if you loved it in comic book form. That was until December of that year!

California based Blackthorne Publishing was a small novelty publishing company known for making 3-D comics based on popular properties such as Dick Tracy and the California Raisins. It was a small coup to win the Star Wars franchise away from major publisher Marvel, despite the waning interest in the George Lucas property. 

Issue #1 was billed as a 10th anniversary issue. Written by Len Wein, the premier issue sees Luke Skywalker and C-3PO returning with Han Solo and Chewbacca to Tatoonie immediately after the destruction of the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin. Skywalker wishes to honor his fallen Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru while being led by the Force to find a new caretaker for the Lars Homestead. The Force leads Luke and company to Mos Eisley Cantina to a massive and mean smuggler named Throgg. Featuring art and pencils by Glen Johnson and Jim Nelson, the climatic bar fight in this issue makes the misadventures seen in Episode IV look rather tame in comparison.

Patrick Zircher assists Len Wein in the next issue which reveals how the Rebels ended up seeking sanctuary on the ice planet of Hoth. Inks for this issue were by David Cody Weiss. 

Series editor John Stephenson pens the third issue which takes Luke and Leia to Dantooine. There, Luke is kidnapped by a group of Dark Force sensitive beings called Fairfolk, who subject the aspiring Jedi to a number of tests devised by Darth Vader. The combined artwork and inks by Cesar Magsombol are the weakest of the trio of issues, looking hardly anything like any of the characters.

Star Wars 3-D was a quarterly publication. The printing process to make the images appear 3-D was a costly technique in both terms of time and money. At least 3 additional issues were planned. Unfortunately, the 1988 Michael Jackson project Moonwalker led to the downfall of the young publisher. A ridiculous licensing fee for the franchise in addition to the book's failure to entice customers resulted in financial woes that Blackthorne could never rebound from. An IRS audit and a lawsuit against distribution company Sunrise Distribution didn't help matters. Outsourcing and layoffs dominated Blackthorne in 1989, despite being the 5th largest comic book publisher at the time. Ultimately, many of Blackthorne's planned titles, including issues 4-6 of Star Wars 3-D were cancelled and the company folded in 1990.

Completing this review completes Task #33 (A Star Wars Comic or Graphic Novel) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Star Wars: The Life Day Cookbook- Official Recipes From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Yesterday was Life Day. It's like Star Wars Christmas. First established as part of Star Wars canon, the Wookiee people's most sacred day was introduced in the Star Wars Holiday Special on November 17th, 1978. The special is notable not just because of how bad it was, but also because it contained a small animated segment that marked the debut of the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter, Boba Fett! 2023 marked the 45th anniversary of all that and it just so happened that yesterday coincidentally when I finished reading this Life Day themed cookbook.

The book is written as if it really did exist in the Star Wars universe. The writer is acclaimed chef of Maz Kanata, Strono 'Cookie' Tuggs, who is a main character at the Star Wars experience at Disney, was also the writer of the Galaxy's Edge cookbook from 2019.

There are over 3 dozen recipes written from Cookie's perspective. He talks about the actual ingredients and the planets that they come from. Thankfully, you're not expected to have bantha meat and mudhorn eggs on hand. Earth-bound writers Jenn Fujikawa and Marc Sumerak assist to translate Cookie's recipes with the human equivalent ingredients. 

If you look over the recipes closely, you'll realize that the Star Wars universe enjoys holiday treats that are similar to ours. Gloomroot Pancakes are the latkes with sour cream and apple sauce we enjoy at Hanukkah. Wroshyr Sap Cider is the hot apple cider that keeps us warm near a roaring fire. There are even some non-holiday recipes involved too. The color-changing Cirilian Noodle Salad is the magical Unicorn Noodles dish I've made with younger students for years now. Can't afford to buy supplies at the Black Spire Outpost? Cookie has you set with several DIY projects to make life day robes, trees and orbs. 

Speaking of the orbs. For Life Day yesterday, I taught some of my Culinary Arts students how to make a mini version of the jelly orbs recipes. I didn't have the right ingredients. But I was able to use a fair substitution. Hopefully after Thanksgiving, we'll give it another go with the required agar agar powder.

The photos in this cookbook were absolutely stunning. So colorful and vibrant. The food stylists behind these portraits deserve beaucoup accolades and I hope they've won some awards for them. 

Lots of great ideas. Maybe next year for some holiday fun in a galaxy far, far away, I might use recipes from this cookbook to my students to do a culinary venture based on Life Day. My student's might not enjoy it as much as me. But it'll be a heck of a lot less stressful than having to do a Thanksgiving themed sale. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

This 2019 miniseries was written as a sort of 5-issue advertisement for Disney's new Star Wars land region of their amusement parks. Titled Galaxy's Edge, the park is in reality the Black Spire Outpost of the remote planet of Batuu. It's run by a Ithorian trader, Dok-Ondar who specializes in being able to find rare things; usually by illegal or unethical means. 

When we first meet Dok-Ondar, he's met by a trio of traders who are looking for a rare Sith artifact that has crossed the profiteer's path on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, First Order has arrived on Batuu looking for Resistance fighters. Immediately, I gave a cry of disgust. I was looking forward to having a story with Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han and Chewie are on the cover! Why is this a sequels trilogy set story?

Thankfully, my frustration was short-lived as while the main story is set during the days of Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren, there are flashbacks to just about every era of Star Wars throughout this book. We do get Han and Chewbacca in a tale that shows us the smuggler's very first encounter with a sarlacc. Then there are stories set in the Clone Wars, during Rebels and Rogue One and in the Marvel created worlds with an appearance by Doctor Aphra. The only time period missing is that of the era of the Old Republic and that's probably because Ithorians don't live that long. 

The comic was really good. It features one of my favorite non-film characters, Hondo Ohnaka. The way the story comes around full circle made for a satisfying conclusion. And I really didn't mind having the First Order in this book after all. 

The all encompassing approach to this book makes sense really. I've not been to Galaxy's Edge, though I really, REALLY want to! From the videos I've seen, characters from just about every Star Wars movie and TV show mingle throughout the Black Spire Outpost. Being these stories were told in flashbacks, a visitor to Galaxy's Edge can just count up these anachronistic visits as really strong glimpses of the past brought about by the Force!

The story was written by Ethan Sacks whose What If... Thor/Frost Giants one-shot was butchered by the editorial staff. I feel that this book redeemed Sacks in my eyes and makes me want to read some of his other Star Wars works like Bounty Hunters and Halcyon Legacy (which if you are wondering is where your Old Republic tie-ins await!).

The artwork, by Will Sliney, was good too. The artist has some great renderings of the actors who portrayed the legends that pepper this book. 

Not wanting to have connections with the sequel trilogy is personal preference. So my only real complaint is that I felt that this trip down Star Wars memory lane was too short. I would have liked another issue or two to incorporate characters from the original Marvel comic run or someone from Star Wars: Droids or the infamous Holiday Special. 2019 was too early for a visit from the Mandalorian. But maybe a sequel might one day bring about some more until tales of a galaxy far, far away. I would LOVE that!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures (2019 Free Comic Book Day Edition)

This 2019 Free Comic Book Day offering features a scary story starring Han Solo and Chewbacca. Only it's not the real Han Solo. I don't care that this is a comic book. But the version of Han illustrated in this book is the Alden Ehrenreich Solo origin film version. The only (acceptable) version of Han Solo is Harrison Ford. Plain and simple. There is no substitute. 

Now one thing added to the appeal of this book is that this is a Tales From Vader's Castle story. Since 2018, Star Wars fans have been delighted by an annual all-ages horror themed anthology set in the Star Wars Universe. It's become a new Halloween tradition. However, there's no such thing as Halloween in Star Wars. That doesn't matter as it still makes for a fun October time read. 

Compared to other Vader's Castle stories, this one isn't really that scary. Probably because this was a Free Comic Book Day offering. Mistress Lina and her droid Crater, who are the story's narrators, make a return appearance from the 2018 debut of Tales From Vader's Castle. As they explore Vader's home, Lina recalls an early adventure from Han and Chewbacca's early days involving a heist as a droid museum. 

This story sets up the framework for prospective fans to pick up the trade paperback which collected the first series. There was a Han Solo ghost story in the first anthology. I double-checked. This story is not a reprint of that issue as writer Cavan Scott managed to have both versions of Solo (the true and the reboot impostor) in the same story. There's no Harrison Ford in this book.

Featuring art by Derek Charm, this issue has a certain charm to it; even if it doesn't feature MY Han Solo. Loved the closing panel! And the back cover by Francesco Francavilla, featuring the imposing visage of Lord Vader overlooking his Mustafar is just breathtaking. Oh, how I would love to have a print of it to hang in my office!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Ewoks #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Wordless comics seem to be a growing trend right now and I'm not sure if that bothers me. I generally feel that if I buy a comic book and there's no words in it (aside from sound effects), then I got gypped. Yet on my last trip to my favorite LCS, I bought not 1 but 2 pantomime comics. 

Man, I must be a sucker...

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Ewoks is part of a series of one-shots Marvel will be releasing this year in honor of Episode VI's 40th anniversary. It just happens to be a lucky coincidence that I chose this book to review for Family Comic Friday as Disney and Lucasfilm is releasing the movie for 1 day only on this very day! Sadly, where I happen to be as I write this review is nowhere close to where Jedi is being shown in theaters. Not like I've not seen the movie a hundred times, including open day 1983 (Mission Valley Cinema, Raleigh, NC- may you Rest In Peace!), but if I had the chance, I'd go see it again now!

The main reason I decided to review Ewoks this week was due to its cover rating. Marvel has this special listed as being for teens (and up). Yet, the Ewoks themselves have always been fodder for marketing to children. For Millennials and Gen Z, the Ewoks are the Porgs of Generation X.

One purpose of this weekly review is to help parents navigate the ratings system of comics. It's not a uniform program and it's left to each individual publisher to rate their own books. I've seen reprints of stuff from the 60s, which had no rating system, be re-released as all-ages and they really shouldn't have (and vice versa), hence Family Comic Friday.

Knowing that kids love Ewoks and the older folks who now have kids might be wanting to share their 40th anniversary memories with their children and grandkids, I thought it might be a good idea to check this book out. 

The premise is that the elders of Ewok village are having a festival. During this event, Logray and some of the other adults regal the woklings with tales of legendary Ewoks from the past. There are essentially 3 stories. Story One is about a young Ewok who befriends a Dulok girl. You'd only know who the Duloks were if you watched the 1985-86 Ewoks cartoon, which I did. The Duloks are the main enemy of the Ewoks. These furry green bipeds are mostly rivals in terms of battling over resources and land. Though I think on at least one or two occasions, a Dulok tried to eat a Ewok. This is an adorable tale, drawn similarly to the animated series and boasts a message of friendship and tolerance. 

Story #2 tells of an unfortunate Ewok who stumbles across a Gorax. These gigantic creatures ARE known to have enjoyed the Ewoks as a snack. While the artwork is absolutely stunning, the middle adventure can be terrifying. That ending really stunned me, though what Logray does to the storyteller when we return to the present gave me a huge laugh. If you are one who thought Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was too intense, this is a story young readers should skip.

The final story is really fanciful. It tells of an Ewok who built their own flying machine out of parts scavenged from the Imperial presence on Endor. There is one scene of violence when the Ewok steals a Scout Trooper's helmet. The Ewok knocks the guy out with a giant log to get it. But who are we kidding? He could have killed him. It's really up for interpretation. 

Star Wars had always been known to have 3 things in it- heartwarming inspiration, jump scares, and thrilling adventures. This one-shot has all three. So really, if you're already letting your 4 year old watch Star Wars, then you'll probably not have any issue with this issue. 

I fell in love with the main cover that bears the image of a Ewok's face. The way they are enthralled by the village bonfire was just so elegant and intense. I knew I had to have it. One of the variant covers is done in the style of the Saturday morning cartoon show. It's something that very much would appeal to a young child. But don't be fooled. Some of the material in this anniversary comic is intense and I am not lying when it comes to that middle story. It starts off with the image of a decomposing Ewok. But let's face it- Episode IV has the charred corpses of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. So it's not like it's anything that's never been seen in the Star Wars Universe before. 

Great read. I would've liked words. But it brought me back to my childhood and some fond memories. This is a book that generations of Star Wars lovers can partake in together and make some fond memories of their own. It's just something that may have to wait a while if the young reader in your life just isn't ready for some of this material yet.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 11: Rise of the Wookiees

The curtain falls on Star Wars Adventures with this volume. Though Chewbacca is the main star of this book, the focus is on the sequel trilogy and honestly, it's just not as exciting as the original films nor the prequels.

Chewie's story sees the Wookiee helping the Resistance free his native planet Kashyyyk from the First Order. The stormtroopers have taken prisoners; one of which is a mortal enemy of Chewbacca's from a neighboring tribe. In order to save his people, Chewie must overlook an age-old rivalry, even if it's at the sake of his personal pride.

Another highlight of this volume was a Tony Fleecs pencilled adventure starring R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8, unfortunately. Sorry, but Poe Dameron's droid is just a third wheel here. However, the story was such a visual masterpiece. It reminded me of both Sergio Aragones and Frank Quietly- kinda cartoony but full of detail. 

I also enjoyed the 2-part 'Tales From Wild Space' story. The epic of Emil Graf has a perfect ending; all the while promising further adventures. I do think it was a bit annoying that it took the last 'Wild Space' adventure to finally understand why Emil Graf goes around the galaxy telling stories of the Star Wars Universe. But, I can finally say I know what the character is all about.

The 3 stories starring the newer characters were the weakest of the bunch. The Finn story and glimpse at Poe's X-Wing training sessions with Rey were just too saccharin. The only thing missing from those two tales would have been appearance from Rose Tico and that would have made both of them unreadable. Can we all just admit Poe Dameron is a fascinating character. But he's brought down by those new trilogy wet blankets Finn and Rey.

The story with Kylo Ren team-up with General Hux was the best of the new character-only stories. Maybe it's because they are bad guys. Maybe it's because the two villains want to kill each other just as much as they want to squash the Resistance. I would have loved it if IDW would have scrapped the Rey and Finn stories and stretched out the uneasy alliance between the highest ranking officers of the First Order. It would have made for a much more entertaining read and have helped to bumped up my rating of this book.

This isn't IDW's last hurrah with Star Wars Adventures. For one reason or another, Marvel, Disney or IDW (or some combination of the 3) decided it was best to restart the series at issue #1. Could it be due to the latest rise in comic book speculating? That false belief that a #1 issue sells more books... Or is it due to the fact that Dark Horse regained the licensing rights to Star Wars and IDW was looking to unload their stockpile of Star Wars stories before their contract with DIsney ran out. 

I probably won't have an answer for that anytime soon. Only 1 trade of that new series was ever published and my library doesn't carry it. Heck, I can't even find it on Amazon or favored online comic book sellers. I'm probably going to have to wait to find them individually in the bargain bins.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: The Marvel UK Collection (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Marvel UK's Star Wars comics of the 1970s and 80s were quite a bit different than their American counterparts. For one thing, they were released on a weekly basis. Each issue only had about 8-10 pages of Star Wars story. So it might take 6-8 issues (2-3 months) for a storyline to resolve itself. Stories starring Star Lord, Alpha Flight and a segment called 'Tales of the Watcher' were comic segments that filled the rest of the weekly series.

More of a magazine than a traditional comic book, Star Wars Weekly would also include articles, interviews, contests and games, and activities for fans. Free gifts such as cut-out models of X-wings, attached sticker sheets and magic tricks meant that it's nearly impossible to find issues 100% intact. 

Most of the stories were reprints of the American Star Wars comic stories. But for one reason or another, the adventures often were released out of order. Often, shipping delays of the print plates were the result of the tales being published differently from that of the American run. However, the British version was also where rejected Star Wars tales got a second chance at life.

The frigid story 'The Kingdom of Ice' was originally slated to be published over a half dozen issues of the youth magazine Pizzazz. However, the publication's cancellation resulted in the story never reaching a conclusion, unless you happened to be a reader of Star Wars Weekly!

From early on, George Lucas put severe limits on Marvel's Star Wars titles. For one thing, none of the major characters could die (or if it appeared that they had died, it couldn't be permanent). There were a few other restrictions based on Lucas's plan for the sequels. The most important rule the publisher could not break was that Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader were forbidden from meeting each other in print!

Most of the rejected stories happened within the first year of the series. Once Marvel had a good idea what Lucas was looking for, the rejections ceased. Yet, it's not like these rejected tales never saw the light of day. Aside from appearing across the pond in Star Wars Weekly, the discarded tales were collected in a pair of Marvel Illustrated paperback books in the US. These collections now command a hefty price tag, generally with a current asking price of $40-100 each. 

Shipping delays from the American office would force Marvel UK to come up with some original material of their own. Alan Moore (Saga of the Swamp Thing) cut his teeth on no less than 3 shorts. They show flashes of Moore's genius as well as love for complex storylines that were very much not typical for a galaxy far, far away. Moore's 'Tilotny Throws A Shape' is a metaphysical piece where main character Princess Leia barely has anything to do with the plot. Yet the unexpected conclusion ranks up there with some of the greatest twists endings ever created by the staff of the legendary publisher EC Comics who made such finales an art form!

The Marvel UK Collection is over 750 pages and when it sold new in 2017, it retailed for $100. Ollie's would end up selling copies of this book for $29.99 in 2021. This anthology is massive, but as Star Wars Weekly (later going to monthly) ran for 171 issues plus and sister title Return of the Jedi Weekly squeaked out another 155 editions, it would be impossible to reprint all of the contests, articles and IQ quizzes that were included in these comics. That's probably a good thing as many of the pieces are repetitious to an ad nauseam degree. Plus a lot of this material has typos, erroneous facts and answers to solutions that are just plain wrong. 

At least fans can rest assured that all of the comics that ran as first run material in the UK are present in this gigantic tribute to Episodes IV-VI of the Star Wars trilogy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #31 (Book over 500 Pages) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 11: Driving Force (Family Comic Friday)

I got majorly sick this week. That kept me from even feeling like reading for several days. I almost cancelled this week's post. Thankfully, I had an oldie but a goodie book on my hands for a quick read. So, here we go...

This is the penultimate volume of IDW's Star Wars Adventure series. The first volume. There are 2 issues reprinted here for a total of 5 stories. Even though one story is set in between Episodes III and IV, all of these Star Wars tales involve new trilogy characters. 

Poe Cameron, decked in Blue as a member of Rapier Squadron, the X-Wing pilot and his trusty droid BB-8 run afoul of space pirates!

Set in the days of the Empire, young Princess Leia is about to teach her close friend Amilyn Holdo how to drive a speeder on the crowded 'streets' of Coruscant. But Holdo has other plans, which involve touring the lowest levels of city-planet. We're talking exploring levels lower than 5! Super dangerous and yet a hidden part of the fabled Galactic center of government and commerce that excites the heck out of me!

Then we travel to Ahch-To during Rey's training with Luke Skywalker. In this story, we get to see an unseen episode in which the aspiring Jedi's impulsiveness unearths an ancient terror from the deep. 

The two remaining adventures are Tales From Wild Space back-up features. The wizened Maz Kanata teaches one of her former proteges a lesson in humility. Considering that the character is nearly 1,000 years old, there's no telling if this story occurs after the fall of the Empire or during the Age of the Old Republic. 

The second story involves a New Republic era A-wing pilot that I've never heard of. According to the date files in the back of this book (which were greatly appreciated), this character was a friend of Poe Dameron and apparently died during the events of Episode VII.

Good stories with amazing art. I would have preferred these stories to have been all set during the Clone Wars or the Rebellion. At least there are a few legacy characters peppered in. Younger fans will probably be really excited over this. Parents and guardians will probably get really excited over seeing Chewbacca! But then again, who wouldn't?! He's the best Wookiee ever! And there's no stormtroopers! Star Wars stuff has to have stormtroopers!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 9: Fight the Empire!

After a collection that saw a trio of stories set during the Clone Wars, Star Wars Adventures devotes a volume to a triumvirate of stories that occur during the original trilogy in the midst of the Age of the Rebellion.

First we see Luke and Han negotiating an arms deal on behalf of Princess Leia. Han's past history as a swoop racer has long been discussed. In this story, we see Han return to those roots when he gets the bright idea to participate in a swoop race in order to earn some extra credits. 

The middle story has Leia on a mission with C-3PO and R2-D2 involving an orphaned child and some storm troopers.

In story #3, immediately after the destruction of the second Death Star, Lando is participating in a star ship race in order to gain information about a pirating ring that has been disrupting Rebel supply runs. With the surprise appearance of a memorable character from Episode I, this was the best main story of the collection.

All 3 of the Wild Space back-ups were excellent. The Bib Fortuna story was a little out of character for Bib and Jabba and yet, it's a hilarious story that had hints of plausibility. The spy tale starring Mos Eisley Cantina regular Kabe was rather clever. I never realized just how tiny she was. But the best story of them 3 involved a rather special tauntaun and her trainer. 

A tauntaun with a very large tail is abandoned by her herd. A series of misadventures results in the creature becoming part of the Rebellion and later a beloved hero of the battle of Hoth. This story was so good, I read it 3 times. I really hope that somewhere out there on a lovely snow planet, the tauntaun and her person are roaming the frosty countryside in peace and prosperity.

Lots of fun this volume was with a lot of great talent. Derek Charm and Cavan Scott (Tales From Vader's Castle). Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs). Michael Avon Oeming (World of Krypton). I wish all of the volumes of SWA were this awesome!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 8: Defend the Republic!

This trio of stories are set during the Clone Wars.

Yoda and Anakin Skywalker defend a group of refugees from Separatist droids on mission from Count Dooku. Queen Amadala is tasked to repay Gungan leader Boss Nass for his role in the siege of Naboo to assist Jar Jar Binks in a treasure hunt. Finally, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Clone trooper, Captain Rex are woefully outnumbered by droids. The odds do not look in their favor. But their luck changes when a malfunctioning clanker swears allegiance to the Republic and starts blasting away its fellow droids!

All three stories were very, very good. I thought the artwork of the Amadala and Jar Jar story was the best. It reminded me of those gags drawn by Sergio Aragones when you see an archaeologist digging through the ground and you see all these treasures that he's just missing out on. Some panels were like that in this story and I thought it was great.

The best written story was the Obi-Wan story about the droid that switched sides. I'd really like to read more stories about that character and I kinda hope he survived the Clone Wars and onslaught of the Emperor as the Sith lord attempted to purge any and all remnants of the Republic.

Despite 3 main stories, this volume only carries 2 Wild Space back-up stories. One tale is about another clanker that had quite a run of bad luck. The other story is about the apprentice of Jedi master Luminara Unduli, sent on the quest of finding an ancient Jedi text. Both were good reads but just not that memorable.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 7: Pomp and Circumstance

Another trio of stories set in differing parts of the Star Wars Universe. 

The best story has Princess Leia about to conduct some diplomatic business for the Rebellion. However, due to a rough landing, the Princess cannot conduct the deal. Thus, it's up to Luke Skywalker to conduct the talks in hopes of securing an important flow of trade. However, one of the hosting diplomats has been skimming from the royal family's coffers and doesn't wish to end the lucrative trade they've set up with the Empire. 

This story was great because it's so unexpected. With Luke having to play diplomat, he's a total fish out of water. Seeing him have the rug pulled out from under him by that conniving bureaucrat is kinda hilarious. Especially with C-3PO involved. 

The Han Solo and Chewbacca story stars the Alden Ehrenreich version of the character. Maybe that's why the story wasn't quite as good. The baddie in the story looked familiar. But I don't think he's the same one that I'm thinking of. This other guy was an Inquisitor. Maybe they're both the same species?

Poe Dameron and BB-8 star in the last story. They've both crash landed on a jungle-like planet full of savage natives. Things are about to look grim when a young humanoid comes to their aid. I feel like the lad in the story has popped up somewhere else in the Star Wars Universe. Maybe from a prose novel or something like that?

This volume was rather unusual as I don't recall there being any Wild Space stories. Did these 3 issues not come with the back-up features? Or were they omitted from this collection? If so, will those stories pop up in another volume of this series? I'm rather interested to know.

Two very good stories with a Solo story that was just as confusing and indulgent as the live-action film that it was based on. Could have been so much better. But you can't fake poor quality. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 5: Mechanical Mayhem

This collection of Star Wars Adventures issues is all about droids!

The classic duo of C-3PO and R2-D2 are the heroes of the main stories. The first tale is set during the Clone Wars where Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amadala are hoping to get a little bit of me time together during a diplomatic message. However, it turns out to be a Separatist plot with an array of droids holding the Jedi and Senator from Naboo hostage. 

Then in a story set during Age of Rebellion, Artoo has a suspicion that a droid aboard ship with him is an Imperial spy. With Threepio out of service and the rest of the Rebellion crew unable to speak droid language, Artoo must unmask the sabateur alone.

The Tales From Wild Space Stories involved IG-88, Max Rebo and Mace Windu. The artwork of the Max Rebo story was highly detailed. The Mace Windu story was the best with the Jedi helping a young boy survive Separatists. As for the IG-88 story, I cannot remember at all what happened. 

A good read. Full of all-age Star Wars fun by talent such as Elsa Charretier (The Department of Truth), Nick Brokenshire (Dead Seas) and Mauricet (Dastardly & Muttley). It just wasn't full of 100% memorable material.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 5

Star Wars is always one of my favorite subjects pertaining to Christmas. The Christmas of 1980 was full of Empire Strikes Back toys from Santa. Every Christmas from 1992-1998 involved watching the original trilogy with my little sister. And then there's the Christmas season of 1996.

Okay, this story actually takes place during the Summer of 1996. Hallmark announced that they would be producing their very first Star Wars ornament. A replica of the Millennium Falcon, the ornament was part of Hallmark's Magic line. If you removed a bulb from a certain type of bulb from a strand of lights and plugged the Falcon in, it would light up the cockpit and engine.

Anyways, on the day that the 1996 Christmas line of Hallmark ornaments was to debut, I was standing in line with probably 100 soccer moms and grandmothers. As an 18-year old and the only male in the group, I sure did get a whole bunch of odd looks. Nevertheless, I waited about an hour for the store to open and then when the doors opened, I rushed to the display of Star Wars ornaments and grabbed one from the stack. I was first in line at the check out as that was all I wanted from the store and everybody else was fighting over the more popular holiday offerings.

A year later, I'm back at the same store. Based on the popularity of the Millennium Falcon ornament, Hallmark decided to create an official line of Star Wars ornaments. Luke Skywalker was the first official ornament. Yoda and a Magic version of Darth Vader were also released for the 1997 season. 

As I said, I was back at the same Hallmark story waiting for it to open so I can get my hands on the new releases. Only I'm not alone this year. With me was Alan, the store manager at the Suncoast video store I worked at in the mall. We decided to split up and whomever got to the items first would grab one of each. We had to game plan as this year there were several other known Star Wars collectors in line hoping to get their hands on our ornaments. 

The last Star Wars ornament I purchased was in 98. It was of Princess Leia in her white gown from A New Hope. I got this one in the same way from the same store. But now that I was engaged, I needed to start saving money and went with the Princess from Alderaan.

Over 25 years have passed and there are literally thousands of Star Wars ornaments now. With Disney as the new owners of the Force, it's not just Hallmark who produces licensed tree decorations these days. Of those, my favorites are part of the M&M Mpire line of baubles in which the tiny candies are dressed as characters from the films. I also like the Downtown Disney set of ornaments that look like gingerbread cookies. 

As for the hand-crafted stuff, I'm going to highlight this painted wooden ornament DIY that I found on JustJENN.recipes. Utilizing a set of temporary tattoos, this stormtrooper tree hanger looks like it's been given the sugar skull treatment. I love sugar skulls!

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures, Vol. 2 (Family Comic Friday)

My local comic shop will sometimes order things for me based on previous orders. I don't really have the heart to say no, unless they order something I already have. But today's review is one of those recommendations that hit a bullseye.

Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures is the all-ages version of Marvel's more mature comics series. I haven't been reading any of this, mostly because my Star Wars era is Classic Trilogy. (The first is the best!) The premise is that centuries before the rise of the Skywalkers, the Republic is at its zenith. The Jedi are highly revered and Yoda is old, but not that old. 

The safety of the galaxy is threatened by two fronts. A carnivorous species of plants called the Drengir is viewing the inhabited planets of the Republic as their own personal smorgasbord. Meanwhile, a group of space pirates called the Nihil see the Great Expansion of the Galactic Republic as a threat to their territories and way of life. Using a specialized type of hyperspace that can bend the rules of physics, the Nihil can attack anywhere at anytime without warning and without remorse. 

The first collection of stories introduced all of the major players to this story. As I've come in somewhere in the middle, I was a little bit lost. Thankfully, the writers do a fairly good job keeping the readers on top of things. And whatever questions that still remain a quick jaunt to Wookieepedia provides me those answers I seek.

Besides Yoda, there aren't very many characters from any of the movie trilogies. And for now, Yoda is M.I.A. Yet without these familiar faces, this series is very much Star Wars. There's swashbuckling adventures, crossroad level life-changing choices and Jedi. Lots and lots of Jedi. The good thing about these stories is that despite not having those icons of Star Wars that are beloved, there is a theme and feeling that young readers will love. 

My first toe dip into the Era of the High Republic. And I had a blast. My heart still belongs on Hoth, Bespin and a certain princess. But I enjoyed this collection enough to want to both get my hands on volume 1 and find out what happens next! I think the young reader Star Wars fan in your life is gonna feel the same.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Droids Unplugged #1

Chris Eliopoulos takes Star Wars fans on a tour of the 3 trilogies through the eyes of droids. 

For episodes I-III, one of Darth Maul's probe droids runs afoul of those pesky Jawas and finds a friend in the process.

R2-D2 represents episodes IV-VI. And yes, I know he could be representative of any of the trilogies! In this segment, atribute to the late Kenny Baker, Artoo has a series of misadventures as he tries to make it Luke's X-Wing to get it prepped up for take-off. If you read this story and you think Bil Keane's Family Circus and those cartoons when one of the kids traipses all over the neighborhood, you'd be right on the money with this story.

Naturally, BB-8 is the droid of distinction for the episode VII-IX trilogy. Here, the rolling droid plays matchmaker for a X-Wing pilot and a mechanic. 

All three stories were very good. My favorite was the probe droid adventure. That one was heartwarming.

All of the artwork is cartoony. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that this comic is rated Teen and I think that was the wrong rating. Chris Eliopoulos is noted for his all-ages work with titles such as Cosmic Commandos and Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius. This book should have been rated all ages. Either someone in the Bullpen doesn't know how to rate comics or Marvel rated this higher in order to attract older readers. 

Sure, this book is from 2017. But it's yet further proof that Marvel Comics has been shooting itself in the foot for years now for not reaching out to the upcoming generation of readers. 

So if you are a parent of Star Wars loving kids, trolling the bargain bins and you run across this book- GET IT! Forget what the cover says! This is more than suitable for them and fun enough for you to enjoy with the kiddos!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Lando

Charles Soule (Death of Wolverine) takes Star Wars fans on an adventure set during Lando Calrissian's time as a scoundrel prior to becoming the baron administrator to Cloud City. 

Lobot is a main character in this story. Learning Lobot's origins; especially how the character lost his ability to talk was one of the main selling points for me enjoying this story. 

As with any Lando story, there are double crosses, swindles and heists. But above all, there is tragedy and the ending of this Marvel miniseries is gonna stick with me for a very long time.

The artwork by Alex Maleev (Age of Ultron) was good. But if you are going to a photo-realistic Billy Dee Williams Lando, you will not find that here. Yes, Lando is recognizable. But it does not look like the breakout star of Brian's Song. 

A great read that answers many questions about Lando and especially Lobot's early days. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Tis The Ugly Sweater Season! Advent 2021: Day 4

It's December 4th. It reminds me a lot of Star Wars Day (May the 4th). To me Star Wars and the holidays are a perfect fit. My 2nd Christmas saw the Star Wars Holiday Special debut on TV. My 3rd through like 8th birthdays were filled with Star Wars presents from Santa. And up until I was in my 20s, the original trilogy always aired on TV on Christmas Day- so after presents I was always watching it.

So let's look at some Star Wars Themed Ugly Sweaters. 

May the Forth of December be With You!

The design of this one reminds me of Atari's Empire Strikes Back video game.

Chewbacca has a very special place in the heart of our family.

Wearing this sweater is sure to mess with the heads of some people.

Admit it- the scenes on Hoth technically make Empire a Christmas movie.

This sweater is absolutely beautiful.

This sweater is based on a 1980-81 holiday greeting card released by Skywalker Ranch.

AS for my Advent gift for you today we go from ugly Star Wars sweaters to ugly Star Wars vehicles. Hey- they can't all be as beautiful as an x-wing! Enjoy!