In early April 1999, most of the May issues were hitting the stands and since May coincided with TPM’s release, many publications were covering the film in some form or fashion. Vogue magazine featured a spread with different models wearing Queen Amidala’s costumes and an interview with costume designer Trisha Biggar. The now-defunct Elle Decor had a spread on the film’s set design. Vanity Fair featured a cover story and a photo spread by Annie Leibovitz of actress Natalie Portman. The one that drew the most attention though was the now-defunct Premiere magazine, which featured multiple covers with the different actors in costume. Fans were not-so-subtly encouraged to buy ’em all. The issue featured interviews with George Lucas and the cast, and it featured exclusive, beautiful portraits of everyone in costume. Well, except for Lucas ;). Lucky fans in New York City were able to get posters featuring the different cover portraits, given away with the first several copies sold at newsstands. A friend in NYC managed to snag me an Amidala one, which I still have to this day.
Shortly before TPM came out, I went with a friend to a bookstore in Maryland to look for SW-themed magazines. The SW covers were so ubiquitous by that point, I played a little joke on my friend. I said, “Hey, look, The Advocate (a gay magazine) has a SW issue!” My friend goes, “Really? Where?” Heh heh.
starwarsprequelappreciationsociety.wordpress.com 
April 8, 2009 at 4:57 pm |
Make-Up Artist Magazine no 19 had a Queen Amidala cover. Your post about the Phantom Menace magazine onslaught brought back vague memories of this mag for some reason, and I did a search on Google just now to see if my memories were correct. Now here’s the thing. The search I did on Google was for the terms “make up”, “magazine” and “star wars”. Now it seems that you can’t even do an innocent Google search like that without coming across prequel bashers. One result Google came up with said this:
“Here are my top reasons why the new Star Wars trilogy stinks: … please put Star Wars in the pubic domain so we, the fans, can continue the adventure and make up for the atrocities of the new movies. Thank you.”
This result was from something called Grace Magazine. I didn’t waste my time and click on the link to take me to this site. But, honestly. “Please put Star Wars in the public domain so that the fans can continue the adventure and make up for the atrocities of the new movies”? Oh FFS!
April 8, 2009 at 9:04 pm |
Thats why i don’t usually search for Star Wars on the internet. I just look for star wars news on the official website.
April 9, 2009 at 12:30 am |
I recall going to the library perhaps in April of 1999, thinking it couldn’t hurt to start unbending on my “keeping away from ‘too much’ information” policy, and glancing into a magazine with a Star Wars cover feature (although I’m guessing at what it was, “Premiere” may somehow sound familiar)… and on seeing that Anakin was a “slave” to start with, immediately getting the crawling feeling that I had just learned “too much” information.
(Then, a little while later, I managed to glance at the back of the soundtrack…)
At some point after it came out, I picked up Time magazine’s preview, although the feeling that they later “turned” on the movie leaves me somewhat reluctant somehow to read it nowadays. I’ve also managed to pick up Time’s Empire Strikes Back preview from 1980, though, where they say “it’s a good movie, but not as good as Star Wars…”
April 9, 2009 at 12:47 am |
I did a yahoo search for “episode 1 premiere magazine” (scroll down towards the bottom) I found this:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Depisode%2B1%2Bpremiere%2Bmagazine%26fr%3Dfp-buzzmod%26ei%3Dutf-8%26x%3Dwrt%26y%3DSearch&w=200&h=242&imgurl=www.eyeonstarwars.com%2Fepisode1%2Fpicture%2Fe342.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyeonstarwars.com%2Fepisode1%2Fnews%2Fepisode1news011.html&size=24.1kB&name=e342.jpg&p=episode+1+premiere+magazine&oid=311277bba7003eb2&no=5&tt=36&sigr=11vek8qed&sigi=11fmr3n5t&sigb=13geai0ia
There’s some really cool pics. Most I’ve seen, but never knew where they came from. I stayed away from any and all magazines, except Star Wars Insider, during the times prior to the releases of Episodes I-III. It’s nice to look back on them, well the picture and covers, I don’t bother to read there content.
April 9, 2009 at 2:23 am |
Simon, obviously the author hasn’t read any bad SW fan fiction. That alone negates any ideas about “public domain.”