Sponsor: 01 First Second
We all know about the 1977 Star Wars story, director George Lucas’s visionary movie that changed cinema forever. So what about the story behind the creation of Star Wars?Lucas Wars tells the origin stories of classic films as great as the movies tell them.
Lucas Wars, written by Laurent Hopman, illustrated by Renaud Roche, and translated by Jeremy Mereur, is available now from 23rd St., an imprint of First Second. Here’s everything you need to know about this biographical graphic novel.
lucas wars
In Lucas Wars, learn the origins of the original Star Wars movies. And while Star Wars has become a merchandising titan and a cinematic staple, you’ll find that the original film took a long time to get from concept to screen.
But before diving into the world of cinema, Lucas Wars rewinds the story even further. The story begins with Lucas’ childhood and includes a car accident, but fortunately his story is still in its infancy and doesn’t end there. The story follows Lucas as he attends the University of Southern California to study film, where he meets legendary figures who would shape the evolution of his career. These include heavy hitters like Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg. In fact, one of his professors, Irvin Kershner, would later go on to direct The Empire Strikes Back.
Lucas Wars continues through the early years of Lucas’ filmmaking career, including the student film Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB and the Oscar-nominated and successful American Graffiti. But of course you’re here to see Star Wars! Much of Lucas Wars focuses on the sometimes deeply problematic production details.
Lucas Wars allows readers to follow the entire production of Star Wars, from the launch of Lucas’s concept to the film’s release (and phenomenal success). Along the way, Lucas faces a lot of pushback against his vision from studio executives and even certain film casts and crews. Given its unprecedented success, it’s easy to imagine that Star Wars was doomed. However, Lucas Wars revealed that it was something completely different. Without Lucas’ determination and refusal to give up, Luke Skywalker’s adventures in a galaxy far, far away may never have graced our movie screens.
A long time ago…
Star Wars fans will find the scenes set during the making of the movie to be the most exciting pages in the book. Unsurprisingly, these scenes feature the film’s then-unknown young stars Mark Hamill (Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) in key roles. And Sir Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) also has some important scenes.
And of course, while studio executives may have stalled progress every step of the way, Star Wars ultimately debuted to (mostly) rave reviews and a box office smash that blew up previous records like the Death Star. There are some scenes that take place past the movie’s release, but essentially this is where the Lucas Wars story ends.
The story is told in a slightly cartoonish style. However, good character design ensures that you always recognize who appears in the panel. This art also makes use of color to highlight certain elements of the page. Many pages are mostly black and white, but one color serves to highlight a particular part of the image. Also, in rare cases, full color images may be displayed. Ultimately, the limited use of color is very effective for the story.
Finally, if you’re wondering where the details in this book come from, there’s a two-page bibliography at the end of the book. This bibliography is organized by topic and gives you an idea of how much research went into this biography. If you want to continue learning about Lucas’ work on Star Wars, the bibliography serves as a great starting point.
available now
I’m sure you’re thinking of reading this book for yourself. Find this “stylish and engaging” nonfiction graphic novel at your local bookstore or online today.
“Lucas Wars: The True Story of George Lucas and the Creation of Star Wars” is available now.
Sponsor: 01 First Second
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