Escape Pod: Noghri

Posted on June 13, 2014by The Holocron

How will we fill the roles of assassins and hit men in the new Star Wars movies? Mandalorians, Imperial Intelligence agents, and other unsavory elements have their place, but perhaps we might try something entirely different. The EU has one answer- the Noghri. Silent and stealthy, hidden thoroughly away from the rest of the galaxy, and astoundingly effective, they remain a mystery throughout much of their first appearance and bring a fascinating backstory. The Noghri are an excellent plot hook to tie together old and new Star Wars, bringing back the shadow of the Empire in a galaxy recovering from war.

230px-NoghriNEGAS

We first meet the Noghri when one of them, guarding Grand Admiral Thrawn, scares Pellaeon from the shadows. They are silent, stealthy assassins, described as looking rather unnerving and speaking in a gravelly voice. All we know of their history is that they had worked for Darth Vader and are now Thrawn’s personal bodyguards, quickly tasked with capturing Leia Organa Solo and delivering her to the Empire alive. Her befriending them gives us insight into what little we know about the Clone Wars at the time of Dark Force Rising, and their devastated homeworld goes from a potential sign of Imperial benevolence to a somber reminder of the might of the Empire. The Noghri will likely never be able to clean up their poisoned homeworld, and they instead join with “Lady Vader” as her faithful bodyguards. They remain in the position throughout the rest of the EU, with various Noghri watching over Leia and Han and their children. Though they are not free from controversy- they are, after all, the former personal assassins of Darth Vader- they are endlessly useful to the Solo family. Read More

In Defense of Cheesecake

Posted on June 11, 2014by Scotch Tape and Popsicle Sticks

Cheesecake (noun)

1. A pie made of sweetened and flavoured cottage cheese or cream cheese, eggs and milk on a crunchy base.
2. Imagery of one or more scantily clad, sexually attractive persons, especially young women; pin-ups.

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Often in the course of our diversity discussions at the Jedi Council Forums, people will object to what they see as an attack on the phenomenon of male heterosexuality. If people complain about the objectification of female characters (or all too often, characters who exist solely to be objectified), that’s taken as implying that there’s something wrong with finding a given type of imagery sexy, and that men should feel bad about it.

Of course, this isn’t the case—and complaints of that nature generally fall into the category known as “Not All Men” objections, in which people ignore the precise substance of a complaint and choose to argue against gross overstatements instead. But I’ve seen this particular flavor of debate come up enough at this point that I thought it would be helpful to demarcate what exactly can be considered, essentially, “good sexy” and “bad sexy”. Read More

What Star Wars Can Learn From Arrow

Posted on June 9, 2014by

ARROW

For those not in the know, The CW’s Arrow is arguably one of the best shows on TV. If you haven’t watched it you really need to do so. The writers, creators and actors are encompassing everything I’d hope to see out of a superhero show and it makes me hopeful if Star Wars ever decides to produce a live action TV show. From being light on romance to unique flashback scenes to a fantastic hero’s journey and even to the pure escape of everyday life for the viewer there is much that Star Wars can take from the success of Arrow. Read More

No Longer Fleeing the End: Time’s Up!

Posted on June 6, 2014by

Sometimes it’s the little things that have the biggest impact. Such was the case with Dark Horse Comics’ solicitations for August 2014, for these included their last Star Wars listings, save for a Dark Times Gallery Edition due before the end of year which will cost you! (Probably be well worth it though) I’ve been reading DHC’s Star Wars output since 1992, that’s 22 years and, unlike the books, there has not been much in the way of reduction in my buying of the comics either.

So why use that as a signal to jump off the EU completely? Why not? My being a fan of SW, however defined it may be, is not dependent on my continuing to consume SW product and, in the case of certain items over the last few years, consumption likely would have been very hazardous to it! But it’s also a recognition of the most inescapable truth of existence – all things end – and the ending is needed. You can, with a fair amount of creativity, flee the ending of your SW consuming and keep at it, running through comics, books, video games, cartoons and more until…. Well, quite some time.

Oh but the new stuff will be great! Yes, yes it may very well be, but it won’t be the same. I found that with the Clone Wars when I tried to engage with the new stuff a few years back it just…. Didn’t work, couldn’t work, it could not possibly invoke or achieve that which the Clone Wars material did first time around. This should not be all that surprising despite Hollywood’s best efforts to ignore the concept that what is a thrilling innovation first time around tends to be significantly less so on the second. This is especially so for me where franchise fiction is concerned. Read More

He’s a Main Character, Too: Respecting Lando Calrissian

Posted on June 4, 2014by Cry Havac
Don’t you want to see that smile again?

With the official Episode VII cast announcement of a few weeks ago, we now know that so many of the characters we loved from the original trilogy will be returning: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO. From that list is one glaring omission: Lando Calrissian. I’d love to hope that Billy Dee Williams’s portrayal of Lando simply has yet to be announced, but Williams has made it fairly clear that nobody has so much as approached him about the film. It sounds like he’s not in the script at all.

If Lando Calrissian isn’t going to be in Episode VII, I think it’s time we address the level of attention and respect the character receives.

Within the Star Wars fandom, we often speak of the “big three” — Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia Organa. They are seen as the protagonists of the Star Wars films. Certainly they have the three biggest roles, but I don’t think this is the right way to think about the core cast of the Star Wars trilogy. There is really a “big five” that includes both Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca. [1]Though often overlooked as a main character due to his lack of proper dialogue and his position as Han’s sidekick, Chewbacca must nonetheless be acknowledged as a significant figure in the … Continue reading Lando should be considered as much a vital protagonist as Han, Leia, and Luke.

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References
↑1 Though often overlooked as a main character due to his lack of proper dialogue and his position as Han’s sidekick, Chewbacca must nonetheless be acknowledged as a significant figure in the films, Han’s partner and an essential, active part of the core team who need not be relegated to a secondary role. To address that particular case of neglect, however, would be a separate article, and as Chewbacca is in Episode VII, the subject is less urgent. I exclude the droids from the count of central protagonists because, though part of the cast, they are more clearly secondary characters who are less vital and independent, less capable of anchoring narratives as protagonists.