Page 57 - Star Wars Insider #181

NEW PLANETS, NEW PERILS

n April 1977, 01
Marvel Comics
I published the
first issue of an

epic six-part
adaptation of
George Lucas’ ‘monumental’
new science-fi ction movie, Star

Wars. The first two issues hit
newsstands before the movie’s
premiere on May 25, 1977, and
gave readers their fi rst glimpse
into an exciting new universe.
In the wake of the original
Star Wars’ success, Marvel’s
comic adaptation was a best-
seller. Writer and Marvel’s former
editor-in-chief Roy Thomas was
instrumental in bringing the title
to his employer after discussions
with George Lucas and the fi lm’s
merchandising offi cer, Charles
Lippincott, in early 1976. “It
was actually the very fi rst Ralph
McQuarrie Han Solo production
sketch that sold me on the idea,”
Thomas, who began his comics
career as a staff writer at Marvel 02
in the mid-1960s, recalls. “It was
the cantina sequence, as Charley
called it when he turned over the
picture. I said I’d talk to [Marvel
publisher] Stan Lee and see if I
could get permission for us to do
this. It reminded me so much of
the space-opera stuff I loved.”
New Adventures
Thomas—whose work at that
time included writing The
Avengers, Fantastic Four, and
Savage Sword of Conan—wrote
all six issues of the Star Wars the future, this required Thomas 01 Han and that’s a homage to the Western
comic adaptation, with Howard to come up with the very fi rst Chewie set fi lm The Magnifi cent Seven
off on new
Chaykin providing the pencil original adventures set in the Star adventures in (1960), and [the Akira Kurosawa
art. With the movie’s industry- Wars universe—and he focused Star Wars movie that inspired it] The Seven
issue #7.
changing success and associated on two characters in particular. Samurai (1954). It seemed to me
sales of the comic, it was quickly “I went to see George Lucas 02 The duo that’s the kind of thing Star Wars

decided that Marvel’s Star Wars to discuss the idea that I had for get a typical was a science-fiction version of.”
reception on
would continue with a seventh continuing,” Thomas remembers. The original production drawing
Aduba-3, art
issue – and beyond. With a big- “I hadn’t worked out a plot yet. by Howard that Thomas saw infl uenced
screen sequel still several years in I just said I’d like to do a story Chaykin. his decision to plot this new
adventure starring Han Solo and
“There weren’t many restrictions on what Chewbacca. “It’s partly because
that’s where I first saw Han, and

I did with Han and Chewbacca, as long as also because I was doing this
Western homage. I thought if I
I just had some adventures with them.” stuck with Han Solo, I probably
wasn’t going to run into any

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