A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…. (Queue the music). That’s how Star Wars started for all of us. The impression it had on each of us varies; and in some cases, that first impression has lasted a lifetime. As a youngster sitting in my small hometown theater in the fall of 1977, I had no idea what was about to happen. It’s a “science fiction film”, my father said. That sounds a lot like school to a 7-year-old; not very exciting, but I guess I have no choice. It could be worse. I had no idea how the next 2 hours would change my childhood… and beyond. From the opening crawl (which, like most youngsters, I didn‘t read or understand) followed by the camera pan down to a star fighter, which looked big, being chased by a massive ship, the sound shaking the theater, the sound and sight of the laser blasts… the smoke, the boarding party, the villain… an amazing experience every 7-year-old should have. I sometimes feel bad for the youngsters that first experienced that cinematic masterpiece via VHS on a 24inch screen functioning as a babysitter. We lived that movie out over the next few summers with our action figures, laser blasters, ships and costumes… childhood memories that last forever… Then hearing that another movie was in the works – our young minds speculated. Did Darth Vader live? Was Tarken on the Death Star when it exploded? What happened to….. It felt like years of speculation, and it was YEARS! No putting in the next tape and hitting play or streaming the next movie to a phone. It was a different time for sure, and we loved it!
The Empire Strikes Back would change everything. Most people expected Empire to follow the “Rocky” script. The bad guys would have another “Death Star” and the good guys would win in the end. A simple receipt that most films followed at the time. But that wasn’t the script. The bad guys were winning at the end of Empire… now what? A now 10 year old boy speculates with his friends for 3 more years… Getting that bigger Death Star, Star Killer Base, 35 years later with The Force Awakens – but that’s jumping ahead.
No matter how your Star Wars passion started, the expanded universe, legends, rebels, clone wars or the new cannon created by Disney’s acquisition of Lucas Films in 2012. The stories in the Star Wars universe provide a vast array of characters and locations that reach beyond movies to novels, comics, short stories and even theme park attractions! Womp Rat Radio is our little corner of the Star Wars universe, where we explore the interconnections of the properties and characters and enjoying the ride that Lucas Films has provided for the last 40 years. Thanks for watching and listening, and May the Force be with You always!
