Back in 2003, my friend Nathan Butler penned quite a few guest reviews for this site including a complete, episode by episode review of The Clone Wars mirco-series by Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on Cartoon Network. Lucasfilm had ventured into animation before with the likes of Ewoks and Droids, not to mention the Star Wars Holiday Special, but this series of shorts was different. Nathan’s reviews were posted as individual articles dated November 2003 to March 2005, but I’m going to compile them all here into one big retro-review. Here’s Nathan…
Tag: cartoon
Interview with Randy Martinez
(Original posting: May 22, 2004)
I had the pleasure of meeting Randy Martinez, a wonderfully talented artist from Hollywood, California, a while before Episode I was released, back in the days when the Internet was still young and adventurous. Randy’s come a long way since the old days of Star Wars fandom, creating pieces for popular magazines and newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, plus official pieces for Lucasfil and other companies. Not only has he done work for the now defunct Star Wars Kids magazine, but you’ve seen his his cartoons gracing the pages of the Star Wars Insider. I figured it was time for a proper interview. (Original posting: May 22, 2004)
Star Wars Rebels – What would you like to see?
Star Wars is coming back to the small screen!
“Star Wars Rebels” is going to be asked to carry the torch until new movies come in 2015. “Star Wars The Clone Wars” ended it’s 5 year run with what many, including myself, consider to be its best season. Now, while we wait for more Star Wars, I think it’s a good time to look at this new show and speculate a little on what could be a major part of the saga.
You should already know that the show debuts this fall and that it will begin as a one-hour special on the Disney Channel, followed by a series on Disney XD. It takes place between Episodes III and IV, about 14 years after the events of the prequel trilogy in a time when the rebellion is forming and the jedi have all but been stomped out of existence. Read More
New Animated Series Announced: Star Wars Rebels
When George Lucas decided to retire and sell Lucasfilm, everyone expected a few changes. New President, Kathleen Kennedy, faced many challenges and had to make some hard decisions. Under the oppressively huge shadow of the multimedia juggernaut known as Disney, it appeared that some of those decisions might have instead fallen into the demand rather than decision category.
Being that Disney already had well-established multimedia divisions in place, the decision to dismantle certain entities such as LucasArts seemed to be aimed at avoiding competition with oneself. Disney’s interactive arm already develops games and software, among other things. Why have another internal company creating games? I know they’ve hired EA, but I’m sure they’ll develop some stuff internally. Something similar could be said for Lucasfilm’s animation division. The successful Clone Wars animated series was abruptly canceled which upset many fans and left some story arcs incomplete. Almost a whole season sits in limbo, waiting to find its way to fans. Will Disney buy and air the final episodes? Probably not. Will they go straight to DVD? Possibly. We’ll see. I never really watched the show but what I did see was pretty good.
The show aired on Cartoon Network, a direct competitor to Disney’s television stations, including Disney XD which is the home to many of Disney’s shows including Spider-Man and Avengers cartoons as well as other animated and live action programs.
So why cancel the show in the first place? No one really knows for sure but it probably revolved around money somehow. Perhaps Disney didn’t want to buy the show out or just didn’t want anything to do with something touched by the Time Warner-owned Cartoon Network.
In any case, we’re getting something else now: Star Wars Rebels.
Many a fan, including myself have wondered when Lucasfilm would venture into this nearly untouched period of time before Episode IV concerning the “Jedi Purge,” in fanboy speak. I didn’t think we’d get it in animated form but just because one medium is involved, doesn’t mean others won’t follow. Once new characters and scenarios are established, endless books, comics, and perhaps even films will be sure to follow.
Here’s an excerpt from the Starwars.com press release:
Production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, an exciting, all-new animated television series based on one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. Scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.
The action-filled series is set between the events of Episode III and IV — an era spanning almost two decades never-before explored on-screen. Star Wars Rebels takes place in a time where the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape. Details about the show are a closely guarded secret at this point.
Source: Starwars.com
Dave Filoni of “The Clone Wars” Post-cancellation Interview
By now you have heard that the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is not returning for a 6th season. RebelForce Radio posted the first post-cancellation interview with the driving force behind “The Clone Wars”, Dave Filoni, in which he reveals that he is still very much involved in Lucasfilm Animation and will be involved in future Star Wars projects.
Filoni couldn’t say much about that future, but did give some interesting insight into the show that he just finished working on and the mysterious bonus footage that exists from the show.
“When you look at Ahsoka and you see the evolution of her character from season one to season five, and you see the change in her, and in the attitude, and the performance by Ashley (Eckstein), it really symbolizes the kind of change and evolution of the entire series”, says Filoni.
“I’ve seen some fans say, ‘is there going to be a proper ending?’, and I don’t quite understand what they mean by a proper ending… the ending for her is that she has survived … and that there are more stories to tell.”
Whether you were a fan of the show or not, you have to respect the fact that 100+ episodes later, we have much greater insight into that time period and what was happening with many familiar characters including everyone’s favorite good guy/bad guy Anakin Skywalker. And more Star Wars is on the way!
One more interesting little tidbit from the interview: The cast and crew had a little wrap party meal at the local In & Out Burger. Their order number… 66!
Dave Filoni has the receipt to prove it.
Make sure to check out the entire interview with Dave Filoni over in the RebelForceRadio.com podcast.
Here’s the Bonus Footage from IGN’s youtube channel.
~kknight – is a lifelong Star Wars fanatic that is incredibly excited to be working with T-bone. Ahsoka, surprisingly really to me, will be missed.