Having recently finished a draft of a book chapter about canon in Star Wars (both in the fictional universe and in the franchise, and the relationship between the two) it was nice to have discussion of Star Wars be so frequent online in recent months, and especially to have The Phantom Menace get particular attention. The official Star Wars website had lots of content that was thought-provoking, and I’ll share some of that here, as well as much else…
A short tribute video focused on Jedi and Sith
When Star Wars and Homeland Security cross paths
A collection of recent posts from the Star Wars website:
Our Favorite Memories of the Release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
From a Certain Point of View: What’s the Best Scene in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace?
‘All Films Are Personal’: An Oral History of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
20 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Making of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
6 Reasons The Phantom Menace Is a Great First Star Wars For Kids
Marvel’s Star Wars Begins a New Era with Issue 68 – First Look
Vanity Fair Reveals Exclusive Look at Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Hear the New John Williams Suite from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Dark Temple, a Prequel Comic to the Game, Is Coming This September
From a Certain Point of View: Which Side is More Powerful — the Empire or the Rebels?
From a Certain Point of View: Who is the Most Underrated Jedi in Star Wars?
Snoke, Kylo Ren, Rey, and Rose to Star in Marvel’s Age of Resistance – First Look
See the New Sith Trooper from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at SDCC 2019
Some Snoke backstory is coming our way!
Kyber Crystals at Galaxy’s Edge
IO9 also had a lot more, including:
Alderaanian wolfcats finally become canon
The best thing the Phantom Menace brought to Star Wars
Find out what made someone wish for more prequels
A short animated clip about Han Solo’s development from scoundrel to hero
George Lucas at the first screening of Star Wars
I recently learned that George Lucas wrote long lists of names, some of which he came back to long after his earliest notes. And so that primed me to appreciate the IO9 piece about the names in The Rise of Skywalker. They also had another piece specifically about animal names in the franchise.
Han may or may not have shot first, but Boba Fett straight up murdered someone.
Rise of Skywalker may feel like a different genre
The Marvel approach won’t work for Star Wars
A comic that feels like opening a time capsule from the 80s
The revelations in a new Tie Fighter book
Will Brooker, in his book Using the Force, talks about “bashers” and “gushers” and the inability of most in one camp to persuade those in the other, or find common ground, or really understand them. There is a parallel to talking across religious differences, I’m sure you’ll agree…but if you don’t, can I persuade you?
Why I Shouldn’t Be Fired for Teaching Comics
The Sacred in Fantastic Fandom was released. Here’s a link so you can order a copy!
When did popular culture become homework?
Loss and Found: Retribution, Restoration, and Relationships in Avengers: Endgame
Hello From The Magic Tavern explores canon in a fascinating way
And on that other kind of canon…
Text-Collections and an Emergent NT Canon
Who was behind deciding what became part of the Hebrew Bible?
AJR Book Note on Before the Bible
Book Review ~ The Other Side: Apocryphal Perspectives on Ancient Christian “Orthodoxies”
Theological Interpretation of Scripture and Biblical Criticism: Childs and Wellhausen
Where Text and Canon Meet: An Interview with John Meade and Peter Gurry
New Book on Eusebius’ Canon Tables
The Mesopotamian canon is a thing, too, in case you didn’t know. Art history has one too:
Finally, a conference that touches on canon in the context of censorship. Apologies for not sharing it before the deadline for submissions passed on the call for papers!
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