Fans Speculate Episode VII Opener, Zahn Talks, and Fangirls Party
A while back Hollywood.com approached me about preparing a storyboard idea for the opening of Episode VII that they would have rendered by an artist. I was literally on the way out of the country, but I wasn’t going to pass up on the fun. Fanfiction with art! Also contributing to the project were Eric Geller of TheForce.net, James Floyd from Club Jade and Big Shiny Robot, and a team from We Talk Clones that included William Devereux, Stephen Rice, and Tom Christopher. The illustrator was Terry Mack. I went with the Millennium Falcon, because… well, check it out and you will see why. This piece was also Christian Blauvelt‘s last piece before taking over his new duties as Deputy Culture Editor of BBC.com.
Target Audience Magazine interviewed Timothy Zahn. He talks about creating original characters in Heir to the Empire, how technology has changed publishing, and the difference between telling a story in prose compared to a graphic novel.
In regards to the appeal of the graphic novel format, he explained that he appreciated the ability to let the reader discover on their own. “For example, in the six-part Mara Jade comic that Michael A. Stackpole and I did, ‘Mara Jade: By the Emperor’s Hand,’ Nikki Law one issue ends with Mara Jade having a fight with some bad guys who murdered her boss and such, and she’s decided to take out the gang.
“Well, the opening of issue four has Mara Jade at a cafe type place working on a computer trying to figure out where they might be. On the table is the distinctive knife the bad guys use, and I specifically put it [in the script] to be there as either a warning: ‘I’m part of the group, don’t mess with me,’ or its bait. But, it’s something that in a novel or in a short story you’d have to say ‘Mara put the knife here to entice any possible leads toward her.’ In the comic, I can just have it there, and the sharp-eyed reader can spot it and see she’s doing something with it. So, you can be more subtle and have more Easter egg type of things that are harder to do in the prose aspect.”
Last night, RebelForce Radio hosted a birthday party for Ashley Eckstein, which included surprise guest Matt Lanter. It was nice to hear them share memories about recording The Clone Wars. Each of the Year of the Fangirl contributors had a chance to wish Ashley “Happy Birthday” along with sharing some favorite recipes. I’ll share the link tomorrow. In the meantime, Her Universe is offering a special sale this weekend, featuring free lanyards with each purchase and discounts on Ahsoka merchandise. Anyone who signs up for the Her Universe newsletter before September 25th will receive a coupon for 20% off their next purchase.
Tricia Barr's novel, Wynde, won the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. She was also part of Silence in the Library's successful all-female creator science fiction and fantasy anthology Athena's Daughters, which is available now. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.
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