Tuesday November 17, 1998 was the day the first TPM trailer dropped (it went online a few days later) in a select few theaters across the country and on just about every channel on t.v..
Decider has a piece on how this was the first event trailer. Here’s my recollection from 10 years ago.
Today publishers dropped cover art for two new prequel books set for next spring.
First is Alice X. Zhang’s cover art for “Master & Apprentice,” the Del Rey novel with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan:
Finally revealed. The AMAZING cover for @claudiagray #StarWars Master & Apprentice coming April 2019. Art by Alice X Zhang pic.twitter.com/TXe8d8ISre
— Star Wars Books @NYCC (@DelReyStarWars) October 5, 2018
And here’s the Choose Your Destiny book from Disney Hyperion with Anakin and Obi-Wan:
Just revealed at the Lucasfilm Publishing #NYCC panel – @e_charretier’s cover for my next CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY book – AN OBI-WAN & ANAKIN ADVENTURE, out March 2019 from @DisneyHyperion #StarWars pic.twitter.com/UViUYnJ9bp
— Creepy Cavan Scott 🎃 (@cavanscott) October 5, 2018
Author EK Johnston has a couple of interviews on the upcoming “Queen’s Shadow ” novel, one from SyFy and one from the official Star Wars site.
The novel’s due out next March.
Star Wars publishing had its panels today at SDCC (I was working my volunteer shift in another room but at least I got to see some hunky actors and Neil Gaiman for my trouble) where they dropped two new books and a comics series from Marvel.
First up is Claudia Gray’s Master And Apprentice, starring Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s scheduled for February 2019. Dare we hope for an appearance by Duchess Satine? Hmm? Hmm?
Also announced was Queen’s Shadow by E.K. Johnston, which is about how Queen Amidala became Senator Amidala. I’m pretty sure this was the book rumored about recently. It’s scheduled for March 2019. Pre-orders for both books should be up by Monday.
Marvel announced a new series Age of the Republic by Jody Houser, which will feature eight comics over four months, each starring a hero and a villain. The characters featured are Qui-Gon and Darth Maul, Obi-Wan and Jango Fett, Anakin and Count Dooku, and Padmé and General Grievous.
Not only is Anakin going to play a big role in Timothy Zahn’s upcoming “Thrawn: Alliances,” so is Padmé. Check out the awesome artwork that will appear on the exclusive edition from Barnes & Noble!
star wars.com has preview of the upcoming Timothy Zahn novel “Thrawn: Alliances,” his second Thrawn novel for Del Rey. In this one, everyone’s favorite art-loving Chiss teams up with Darth Vader, a relationship that goes back to the days of the Clone Wars.
The SDCC exclusive version of the book features the cool studly Thrawn with the cool studly Anakin Skywalker art on the cover.
Dork Side of the Force posted some concept art from a decade-old alternate reality in the making for the Battlefront series of games. These include a Darth Vader who had turned back to the light and got a new life support suit, a light side Darth Maul and dark side versions of your other favorite characters.
The game was in development until Free Radical lost the license in 2008. This artwork was unveiled by a YouTuber.
A Padmé Funko Pop figure is coming next month. Below is a screenshot from a GameStop pre-order:
Naboo Padme is finally coming after years of unfulfilled promises; prequels fans, rejoice! pic.twitter.com/TGlKRKQCXd
— MTFBWY (@MayTheFunkoBWY) November 13, 2017
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And Jedi Bibliothek found an Amazon (Germany) listing for a YA Padmé Amidala novel with the publishing date of Apr. 24, 2018. No author is mentioned and there’s zip about the plot.
The irony of being at a con is that you have less time to report on what’s happening at the con than the people who are 2500 miles away at home or at work.
I didn’t go to the Star Wars publishing panel, but Naboo News nicely summarized some upcoming prequel releases from Star Wars.com’s announcements. Keep an eye out for the upcoming Mace Windu comics series from Marvel (Mace Windu: Jedi of the Republic), “Tales of Hope & Courage” from the Forces of Destiny line, some kids-related stuff in the “Journey to The Last Jedi” line, and “Star Wars: Creatures and Aliens” from Abrams.
By the way, if you’re keeping up with the Star Wars Little Golden Books, the new wave (stuff like “I Am A Pilot” and “I Am A Princess”) features prequel stuff galore.
Hasbro also unveiled some new products in the pipeline, including the Padmé doll from the Forces of Destiny line and a 6″ Black Series Captain Rex:
starwarsprequelappreciationsociety.wordpress.com 
From My Point Of View, It’s A Problem: A Commentary
July 28, 2017The upcoming anthology of short stories based on ANH–originally dubbed “Operation Blue Milk” then revealed as “A Certain Point Of View”–didn’t interest me much because I’ve basically given up reading Del Rey’s new wave of licensed fiction. But if there was any glimmer of interest at all it was extinguished with the full list of people brought on to write for this thing. I don’t dislike everyone on there obviously; some of them have been involved with stuff that I enjoyed. Others I have issues with but the most galling was bringing on actor Wil Wheaton. No Timothy Zahn or James Luceno or Mike Stackpole but they had pages to spare for this guy.
Really, Del Rey and Lucasfilm? Really????
Whenever somebody at Lucasfilm tries to claim that they love the prequels equally and treat them with respect, you’ve got to ask why then are the most notorious prequel bashers rewarded with prime gigs? Simon Pegg got to guest star on The Clone Wars and scored a cameo in TFA. Now a prequel basher known for another franchise gets to publish Star Wars fiction while scores of experienced writers, both professional and fan, never get the call. As someone who has been trying for two years to get in the market with my own stuff, it’s HARD. But maybe to get a deal with Del Rey I should just start the Prequel Hate Society and bash the films every chance I get.
What’s problematic about this is that we all know that they would never do this for anyone who publicly bashes the original trilogy, TFA, or Rogue One. Ever. To the people in charge, the prequels are expendable in a way the others are not and they don’t care because the movies don’t mean as much to them as the OT does and the overlords in Burbank aren’t going to tolerate anyone bashing their films.
Look, people at Lucasfilm: admit it. The prequels are second banana to your company, loved by a tiny few, liked by some, tolerated with gritted teeth by most. J.W. Rinzler’s late blog indicated a lot of people there were not fond of AOTC at the very least and you know what, it shows. It has shown for years. Stop gas lighting us and stop making excuses.
I’m half tempted to get a bunch of pro-prequel fan fiction writers to put together an anthology…
Tags:Books About Star Wars, commentary, darth fanboy, Lucasfilm, PT defense
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