Page 69 - Star Wars Insider #195
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STAR WARS KIDS



                      On Let’s Make Star Wars, kid   exposition of a longer series, Star   Star Wars saga. In By the Numbers,
                    hosts Sean and Marissa take the   Wars Resistance helps to capture   a super cut of moments and scenes
                    lead for fun and educational   those imaginations and the thrill   splices together everything from

                    craft tutorials infused with age-  of living in the galaxy from the   every creature in the films (90, and
                    appropriate jokes and puns. The   relative safety of a community   they’re all name-checked here) to
                    series, along with its sister program   of neighbors cohabitating and   every question Luke Skywalker asks
                    Let’s Draw Star Wars led by a team   working together aboard a refueling   (153 for the inquisitive Jedi). If you
                    of Industrial Light & Magic artists,   platform. Focused on pilot-turned-  can count it, chances are it will
                    puts the magic of making Star   spy Kazuda Xiono and his high-  get its own installment, including

                    Wars fi rmly in the hands of its   flying friends aboard the Colossus,   tracking Kaz’s screams and tumbles
                    youngest fans. “It’s the type of stuff   the brightly colored animated show   (230 total, although he yelps a lot
                    I love that we’re doing, especially   delivers highly relatable characters   more often than he falls down).
                    having my own kid who loves to   and fast-paced starfi ghter racing,   Star Wars Under Five Minutes
                    draw everything,” says Waugh,   plus action and intrigue. Kaz may   is more of a crash course for the
                    counting his young son among   be a spy, but he’s still learning   uninitiated. “Star Wars can appear
                    the fans. “I think every parent has   the ropes and he can often be   to be a daunting franchise,” Waugh
                    that dilemma of Sunday afternoon   found bumbling through a well-  admits, with nine Skywalker saga

                    where there’s been too much TV   meaning ruse or tripping over his   films, two standalone live-action
                    and you have to figure out what   own feet. His friend Neeku takes   movies, and hundreds of hours of

                    to do. It sparks their imagination   everything literally, to a hilarious   animation already out there. The
                    and also celebrates what they   and sometimes disastrous effect.   series is intended to be a welcoming
                    love.” Waugh hopes that fans                                 entry point for all ages and anyone
                    discovering these how-to shows     “t iS iS aN               with a couple of minutes to spare.
                    will embrace how it helps teach the                          “For the parent or the kid who’s
                                                      oP oR uN tY
                    fundamentals and simple shapes                               just trying to get into Star Wars but
                    that make up the Star Wars galaxy,                           doesn’t know where to start, you
                    allowing even the youngest fans   fO  PrE tS       tO       can watch these and catch up with
                    to make Star Wars their own and                              everyone else, laugh along with it
                    bring it into their daily lives. It’s a   iN rO uC  STr     and you’re in,” Waugh adds.
                    tangible and fun way to celebrate   WA s T  T eI               “We want to be able to meet
                    the creativity that brought the                              kids where they are. It’s been very

                    fictional galaxy to life in the    kI s nD fO                special to be able to make this

                    first place, while supporting the                             stuff and then watch its impact,”
                    natural inclination toward drawing   kI s  o  iS oV r        Waugh says, especially sharing
                    and crafting that helps children   STr aR .”               the site with his young son. “He’s
                    understand their world.                                      who I’m making them for as
                      For older viewers, Galactic                                much as everybody else, because
                    Builders pulls back the curtain even   And they’re surrounded by sharply   I think anybody who’s a fan of
                    further to explain how practical   drawn characters who all have   the franchise wants to share that
                    effects bring BB-8 to life along with   their own unique perspectives—   experience. This is an opportunity
                    other feats of Star Wars on-screen  from Tam, mechanic-turned-First   for parents to introduce Star Wars
                    engineering. The series shines a   Order cadet, to Torra Doza the   to their kids and for kids to discover
                    spotlight on real prop makers and   precocious young racer, to Synara   Star Wars and maybe introduce it to
                    toy builders as well as competitive   San the mysterious pirate spy with   their parents.”
                    kids who are rising stars in the   a heart. The show is available on   It’s a place of possibility, a blank
                    STEAM fi elds—science, technology,   Disney Channel, Disney XD, and   canvas for exploring the heart of
                    engineering, art, and mathematics.   DisneyNOW, with Season One   what makes Star Wars so great—
                    The series, made in conjunction   also available on Disney+, and   characters who feel as real and
                    with FIRST and Star Wars: Force   for fans who want to know more   familiar as your own friends and
                    for Change, acts as a guide for   about how it connects to the saga   family; the imagination behind
                    kids fascinated by Star Wars tech   as a whole, Star Wars Kids offers a   the strangest creatures, aliens,
                    and parents considering how that   behind-the-scenes look, Bucket’s   starships, and droids possible; and
                    predisposition might lead their   List, with a short list of weekly fun   an epic mythological underpinning
                    younglings to a future career path   facts accompanying each episode.  of good versus evil battling it out
                    or hobby.                        There are also shorts like Star   in the gritty galaxy. Star Wars is
                                                  Wars By the Numbers and Star Wars   for everyone. But Star Wars Kids
                    Joining the Resistance        in Under Five Minutes, created   is making the galaxy far, far away
                    For children and adults more   by Lucasfilm’s online team to   a whole lot more accessible to the

                    inclined toward the lengthier   specifically offer a fresh take on the   next generation of young fans.



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