Obi-Wandi, a retrogaming retrographer.
Experiencing the Star Wars Saga, motion pictures, retrogaming and stuff throughout the ages. Home to Obi-Wandi's Blog Spirits.
Improvement on the groundwork for the still distant prequels continues in 1992 as a smart product policy advances the familiarity with the OT.
The release of Timothy Zahn’s Heir of the Empire and its sequels Dark Force Rising and The Last Command was by no means arbitrary. As an actual continuation trilogy of the OT, it was only fitting that this exciting series coincided with Lucasfilm’s re-issue of the classics on video in their letterbox incarnations.
Continue reading “Dark Times 7 – 1992”
Amid the barrage of heavyweight entertainment successes, a humble venture proves that Star Wars is king in 1991.
An enduring franchise marries tried-and-tested narrative elements with innovative components ranging from energy fields surrounding all living things to believable space battles. The ingenuity of selection and the well-considered blend of spices (hopefully) render every return as exciting as the first encounter. By 1991 the glorious entertainment of Star Wars had become legendary.
Continue reading “Dark Times 6 – 1991”
“I see lightsabers, battle droids cut in half, more gowns than Princess Leia could ever afford” – “Hmm. It is the future, you see.” – The intimations of 1990 put a smile on Star Wars fandom.
1989 had been a swell year for Lucasfilm on the back of Steven Spielberg’s highly successful third entry in the Indy series: subscriptions to the Lucasfilm Fan Club increased, merchandise shipped a plenty and the company found itself back in the public limelight. Against this background, 1990 was marked by two major developments.
Continue reading “Dark Times 5 – 1990”
Donning the hat of 1989: A lightsaber is no match for a good whip at your side, kid.
Talkative robot Rex had already flown thousands of Star Tours passengers through space by 1989, yet the entertainment industry, including Lucasfilm itself, observed other matters with much greater interest.
Continue reading “Dark Times 4 – 1989”
It had already been five years since ROTJ and still not a single light saber on a new movie poster. Yet underneath the frustration, a potent potion was brewing…
Howard Roffman, head of Lucasfilm Licensing, once pointed out how all franchises would evolve in specific cycles, with the original consumer generation eventually growing out of a particular craze and the franchise concerned slowly fading away. Therefore, he argued, Lucasfilm would never push a particular item onto the market out of context, for otherwise they might waste a perfectly good product.
Continue reading “Dark Times 3 – 1988”
The series continues with a look at the year 1987, when new Star Wars films were more distant than the edge of the galaxy.
The year is 1987: With George Lucas decidedly removed from a galaxy far, far away with projects ranging from Captain EO to Tucker: A Man and His Dream, the land of all matters Star Wars was arguably barren.
At best, shiploads of the ever popular “Imperial Dignitary” action figure were eagerly awaiting happy customers at the local toy store.
Yet despite such painful malaise, there were a few indications that – however miniscule and unlikely – Star Wars had not quite become one with the Force.
Continue reading “Dark Times 2 – 1987”
Although thoroughly unthinkable today, there was a time when Star Wars was practically non-existent. Here is a look at how smart and patient marketing decisions reinvigorated a dormant franchise from the 1980ies to today.
It was in the summer of 1986 that I chanced upon the most precious item on earth I could have thought of. Its arms long and disproportionate, the fangs frighteningly conspicuous, a grin extended to freakish dimensions and a few shrink heads attached to a wooden staff, there indeed could not have been anything more beautiful on planet earth.