Author Archives: Travis

Week In Review!

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Ho, ho, ho and Happy Holidays everyone! The rumors of my carbon freezing has been wildly exaggerated. The Star Wars Week In Review makes a grand return to the interwebs just under the wire as we get ready to say goodbye to 2019 and greet 2020 with much anticipation. I couldn’t have picked a better time to come back. I guess there was a movie that came out recently? Some kind of fan favorite that had weird, hairy creatures doing all kinds of crazy things? Yes, we will talk about CATS later on, but right now, here at YODASNEWS.COM, let us get into the holiday bounty that is STAR WARS – THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. Here is your week in review.

  • What else is there, right? THE RISE OF SKYWALKER made its debut this week. VARIETY reports that it is on track to earn just shy of 200 million this weekend. Earning 40 million on Thursday preview alone, TROS sits behind THE LAST JEDI and THE FORCE AWAKENS in Thursday previews for the new trilogy (making 45 million and 57 million respectively). Reactions been split on Episode 9, with it earning 58 percent on Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer but holding 86 percent on its audience score as of this writing. Whatever you think of it, THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is the ending to the story that started over 42 years ago. Now, the next big question – What will DISNEY do next?

  • I mean, What will DISNEY do next AFTER they give us episode 8 of THE MANDALORIAN? For all intents and purposes, Jon Favreau has been crushing it with this series. By providing a great story, well developed characters and the look and feel of the seedier corners of the Star Wars universe, Favreau just might be the “go to” guy in the future of Star Wars storytelling. And, of course, “Baby Yoda” doesn’t hurt matters either. In my other life, I work at a high school. In the last month, at least once or twice a day, I have heard students talking about “Baby Yoda”. Some have seen the show and some have no clue what Star Wars is. However, “Baby Yoda” is common knowledge. Is “Baby Yoda” a marketing tool? Absolutely. And you know what? It is working.

  • That is all I have for this week. I hope you all have a great Life Day and enjoy the season. If I may get just a wee bit preachy here – if you are able to help out…Toys for Tots or your local giving tree…please do so this holiday season. I remember opening up many a toy (mostly Star Wars) on the 25 of December, both as a child and as an adult, and it is a joyous feeling that no child should miss out on. If you can – do so.

            Thanks for having me back!

Week In Review!

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Hey everybody! How was your Triple Force Friday? As good as mine? Man, I hope not. Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Welcome to Yodasnews.com – Where the Bothans should have gone to get their information in the first place. Here is your week in review.

  • Well, another Force Friday is in the books. The day that showcases the newest and latest Star Wars merchandise was met with desperate searching for said merchandise by collectors who were more than willing to drop some of their hard earned income to acquire it. More than one report claims that stores all over the country either had little to no new Star Wars product out on the shelves, or that the items they did have for sale were not the “Hot” Items (i.e. The Mandalorian figures and The Vintage Collection) – with some claiming that employees snagged those figs before the doors were unlocked. There is no finger pointing here. There were people who did score and some reports claim certain stores had an abundance of product. Personally, I visited two Wal-Marts and a Target only to find one Black Series 6 inch Cal Kestis figure and several Skiffs, of which I grabbed one. So, if you are lucky enough to count yourself as one who hit the jackpot on Triple Force Friday – Congratulations! Hopefully Hasbro keeps the pipeline full of Star Wars goodness so those of us who missed out can catch up with those who scored.

  • According to USA Today, Porsche has teamed up with Lucasfilm to promote THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. On Porsche’s Instagram account, a photo is shown with the caption “Something exciting is coming from a galaxy far, far away”. C’mon Porsche…I just dropped 40 bucks on the toy skiff. I’m not made of money.

  • Speaking of spending crazy money on Star Wars stuff because..well..what else are you going to do with it, cookware giant Le Creuset is introducing a line of Star Wars inspired, kitchenwares. From a Han Solo in carbonite roaster ($450) to a Death Star Trivet ($20), Le Creuset has got your Lucas branded, kitchen needs covered. I will now write four words I know I have never written in the same sentence before – Darth Vader Dutch Oven.

  • Diahann Carroll passed away on October 4th. Best known for her work on Broadway and her TV show JULIA, Carroll was a multi-talented performer who was involved in the entertainment field for over 60 years. Of course, she will always be MERMEIA the HOLOGRAPHIC WOW from THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL in my book.

 That’s all from me this week. Be sure to check out all of our coverage from New York Comic Con on Instagram, Facebook and on Yodasnews.com. It seems like there is some really cool stuff out there this year. I’m off to find a recipe for Rootleaf Stew so I can eat like Yoda when I get my BB-8 pot. If you have any questions, concerns or Star Wars recipes, hit me up at Traviscrafts@gmail.com. Until next time – Don’t bullseye the womp rats. What did they ever do to you?

 

Week In Review!

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Hey everyone! There is a ton of stuff in the rear-view mirror this week so I’m just going to jump right in. Welcome to where fandom comes to play – YODASNEWS.COM. Stop picking on that Ugnaught because of his dreams to play in the NBA one day and pay attention. Here is your week in review –

  • We now have a very good idea of what will be on the shelves for Triple Force Friday. I have to say that it looks pretty good. Of course, there are exceptions. Golden figures? Our crack research squad conducted an informal poll on Instagram (What? You don’t follow YODASNEWS on Instagram? You know what to do…) and discovered that a staggering 94% of people asked did not care for the idea of them. I’m sure there is a market for them somewhere but I am hard pressed to see it. Added to that is the lack of the standard 3.75 figures that have become a mainstay of ALL Star Wars movies. Yes, there are a handful of RISE OF SKYWALKER – The Vintage Collection figures, but that’s it. There have been reports of product hitting the shelves early. My good friend The Reverend (I’m sure we will be hearing more about him later) discovered the coveted Jabba’s Skiff at a big box store that starts with “W” and ends with “al-mart” and thought he made the score of the month. Of course, it wasn’t in the system and they refused to sell it to him.  He is doing well with his therapeutic counseling sessions and he should be back on his feet by Friday.

  • Deborah Chow has been tapped to direct the new OBI-WAN series for Disney+. Her body of work includes directing episodes of the TV shows REIGN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and MR. ROBOT and a film she wrote and directed called THE HIGH COST OF LIVING. The general consensus is that she is the right person for the job.

  • The Hollywood Reporter is claiming that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is developing a new Star Wars movie. Let that sink in. The man who is the backbone of the cinematic Marvel Universe is going to wet his beak in the Star Wars Universe. This just makes me giddy with anticipation. Maybe this is what I need to make my suggestion of placing the character of Crimson Jack from the Marvel Star Wars comic books into the new EU a reality. Hey Kevin…make it happen.

  • I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the passing of Sid Haig this week. Sid is known to the younger generation as the freakish, murdering clown Captain Spaulding from the Rob Zombie movies HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, and the recently released 3 FROM HELL. However, Sid does have ties to the Star Wars world as well. Sid appeared in George Lucas’ THX 1138 as a prisoner. He also appeared every Saturday morning as the evil Dragos on JASON OF STAR COMMAND, which was lovingly inspired by the success of Star Wars. Much like the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, JASON OF STAR COMMAND provided us kids of the 70’s a way to enjoy the action and adventure that we craved after seeing Star Wars, but had no way to access unless we saw the movie again in the theater. Haig’s Dragos was the Darth Vader of my childhood Saturday mornings. Thanks for my childhood, Sid.

Well, that is about it. We are getting closer and closer to both THE RISE OF SKYWALKER and the launch of Disney+ and their Star Wars content. It is a great time to be a Star Wars nerd. Enjoy it. Until next time, here’s hoping that you are never too short to be a Stormtrooper.

 

Week In Review!

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Greetings to all of you scruffy-looking nerf herders out there! I must apologize for not having a WEEK IN REVIEW last week. I was really bored and decided to have my wisdom teeth removed to break up the monotony of work, Star Wars, and Cheetos. Big mistake.  Well, lesson learned. Now that I am able to chew again without wincing, it’s time to hit the keyboard and see what comes out. Welcome to YODASNEWS.COM – home of the best floating sabbac game this side of Nal Hutta! Here is your week in review…

  • One can’t swing a dead mynock without hitting a rumor, spoiler or leak regarding the upcoming RISE OF SKYWALKER. Of course, these bits of information are nothing but rumors, and will remain rumors until the movie is viewed. Whether to read or not to totally up to the individual, but the constant question is are any of these leaks legit?

  • Triple Force Friday is now less than two weeks away. Much like the ROS leaks, there are plenty of ideas and, more recently, visual proof of what is now expected to hit the shelves in the toy department of your favorite store. Focusing on THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, THE MANDALORIAN, and STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER by Electronic Arts, Triple Force Friday has the potential to fan the fires of even the most cynical collector. Hasbro really has a chance to shine here. I hope they take full advantage of the opportunity.

  • I remember when Star Wars hit it big in the 1970’s, I was obsessed with the action figures and the ships. However, the toy that I really wanted and never got? The white SSP van with the image of the heroes on the side. The Super Sonic Power racers were toy vehicles that had a ripcord that was inserted and then pulled out quickly. This made the wheels move. The car, van or motorcycle would then race across the kitchen floor and crash into your sister’s Holly Hobbie tea party. I give you all of this background information because it was the first thing I thought of when I saw this…

Look at that sweet ride! Only $9,800.00 and you can drive that thing right down the main drag of Mos Eisley. Granted, vans like that have lost a little of their appeal as the years rolled on. Nowadays, they might be viewed as a bit more creepy than they were back then. Fair enough. All I know is that I can’t fit that graphic of a X-Wing on the side of my car and the floor of my Nissan is covered with fast food wrappers and not the Millennium Falcon.

Well, that’s all I have for you this week. If you have anything you would like to share with me or if you just want to tell me that you just purchased that van, drop me a line at Traviscrafts@gmail.com. Until next week- be sure to take care of your teeth and don’t blow your motivator.

 

Week In Review!

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Now that we are all basking in the afterglow of D23 and the official release of THE RISE OF SKYWALKER’s sizzle reel, it seems that news about everyone’s favorite franchise has slowed down like a Tauntaun’s heartbeat on Hoth. We have a few nuggets of goodness to go over that you might have missed. So get cozy here at YODASNEWS.COM, grab yourself a glass of blue milk and a handful of ronto jerky – This is your week in review.

  • LEGO unveiled their newest Star Wars creation. For a mere $699, you can be the proud owner of the Ultimate Collectors Series Imperial Star Destroyer (#75252). This beast of a build comes with 2 minifigs, 4,784 pieces, and a crazy amount of detail for the Empire’s defining war machine. Clocking in at over 17 inches high, 43 inches long and 26 inches wide, Lego has created another monster of a release that will have collectors scrambling for shelf space. I tell ya, my acquisition of the Haslab Sail Barge, coupled with my Lego UCS sets, has made real estate in my office a rare commodity. I might have to give the UCS Star Destroyer my side of the bed and I will sleep out in the garage. At least it won’t snore and wake up my wife like I have been accused of doing….from time to time.

  • It was announced this week that Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast and Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy would be available on both the Playstation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. I love it when the older games become available on the newer consoles. A few weeks ago I downloaded Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Just to take a break from riding around the world of RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 on my trusty steed, Oscar. Nothing breaks up the monotony of picking herbs and shooting turkeys like gunning down mafia types in a game that is two generations removed from my PS4.  However, a good game is a good game – regardless of how many years it has under its belt. The classic Star Wars games, going from the old Star Wars vector graphics arcade game, to the original Battlefront that came out 15 years ago, still have tons to offer and, for the most part, offer fantastic gameplay. With any luck, more and more classic games, both Star Wars related and otherwise, will find a rebirth with the gaming public. If you are a gamer, you have to know your roots.

  • Since it is a slow news week, I have a quick question for all of you Star Wars collectors out there – What is the one item you have in your collection that still gives you goosebumps when you look at it? The one thing that still creates awe whenever you are in its presence. Figures? Autographs? Screen used props that nobody knows how much you paid for and you will take that information with you to the grave? If you are a collector and have such an item, shoot an email to me at Traviscrafts@gmail.com . Send a picture if you want, but a description of this magical thing will do just fine. I am really curious as what we treasure as a collecting community.

Like I said, it was a slow news week. Keep your eyes and ears open though. As we get closer to the release of THE RISE OF SKYWALKER there is sure to be more bits of goodness and geekery that make their way to the public. Until then, remember – Holding your breath until you pass out is not a good method of acquiring blue skin like Grand Admiral Thrawn.

 

Week In Review!

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Wow. Did you hear that?

The internet gave a collective *GASP* after viewing the sizzle reel of THE RISE OF SKYWALKER from D23. Dark side Rey? Is this classic J.J. Abrams misdirection? A key plot point? We will have to wait a few more months before we find out…but there are other Star Wars news tidbits worth discussing.

You can go to Tosche Station to pick up your power converters, but you had best go to YODASNEWS.COM for all of your up to date, Star Wars information. Here is your week in review.

  • The Transportation Security Administration has reversed an earlier decision to ban soft drink containers that resemble thermal detonators from all flights. The containers are exclusive to Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge park. Fearing that they might be mistaken for actual explosives, the TSA at first claimed that “these items could reasonably be seen by some as replica hand grenades”. Well, the TSA has changed their tune. The bottles that could change a Hutt’s mind about a paycheck are now allowed on flights. Being called an “oversized liquid”, these bottles can be put in checked baggage or emptied out to be brought on as a carry on item. Nothing like holding up your flight home because of your Star Wars Sprite.

  • Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is now open at Walt Disney World. It seems that the turnout has been fantastic with enthusiastic crowds who don’t mind waiting the 3 hours to ride the Millennium Falcon. Here is hoping that Darth Dorian doesn’t make landfall at the Black Spire Outpost and unleash the dark side of mother nature.
  • FUNKO is wrapping up their SMUGGLER’S BOUNTY subscription box program. As of this writing there are two more subscription boxes left before the whole program goes the way of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru.

  • I’m not going to sugar coat this – there is a TON of spite and venom in the current state of Star Wars fandom. Being one of the folks who has been on this crazy ride since 1977, I can honestly say some of the attitudes displayed by folks who claim to love the movies is distressing. So, when I saw the video of the little girl who was dressed as Rey, watching the parade of Star Wars characters at Disneyland, waiting for her inspiration to march towards her – I have to say, it renewed my hopes for this shared passion that we all have. She brushed off Kylo Ren and she didn’t acknowledge Phasma.  She told Boba Fett, Darth Maul and several Stormtroopers to pound sand. When Rey and Chewie made their way towards her, the child wrapped arms around both of them. It may not be “News” but it is something we all need to hear. These are movies. Have fun. Take a deep breath and relax. Most importantly, when you see a chance to do something that puts a giant smile on your face – do it. This little girl has a better grasp on the concept of fandom than most.

That is it for this week. Questions? Comments? Hate mail? Traviscrafts@gmail.com. Until next week – be sure to hug your heroes like this little girl did.

Week In Review!

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UTINNI! How about THE MANDALORIAN trailer, huh?

Oops. I’m getting ahead of myself.

Greetings and welcome to the home of the good stuff – YODASNEWS! This week we do indeed have a bunch of good stuff to go over. With D23 dropping all sorts of surprises over the weekend, this column might miss a few as it goes to publish. For now, let’s us go over what we know. Here is your Star Wars week in review.

  • Disney finally dropped a trailer for the Jon Favreau created THE MANDALORIAN which comes in at 1:30 in length. As of this writing, the trailer is the number 1 trending video on YOUTUBE and has racked up over 5 million views since its debut on August 23rd.  Starring Pedro Pascal, Nick Nolte, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Werner Herzog, THE MANDALORIAN is set to debut its 8 episode first season on Disney+, November 12th. This looks amazing – part spaghetti western, part space opera….all I need now is John Williams conducted version of THE ECSTASY OF GOLD. 

  • Now it is official – Ewan McGregor is back as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Set to take place eight years after REVENGE OF THE SITH, the Kenobi project will begin production sometime in 2020. It would be a missed opportunity if the makers of this series failed to show how Old Ben learned how to mimic the howl (or very awkward sounding scream/grunt …depending on which version of A NEW HOPE you are watching) of the Kryat Dragon.

  • THE CLONE WARS seventh season will also debut on DISNEY+ in February 2020. 12 brand new episodes to quench your clone thirst.

  • With some non D23 news, on the Podcast CREATIVE PROCESSING with JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT, Rian Johnson, director of THE LAST JEDI explained his creative process and may have shed some light on why certain characters did what they did in the movie. Referencing those who made the original trilogy, he stated “I think the instant you start thinking in terms of how do you not step outside of the bounds of what the original movies did, you’re not thinking the way the people who made the original movies did”, and how by stepping outside of those bounds they brought the characters to “new, emotionally honest, but surprising places”. So, the chances he took with the characters in his film were done in the spirit of those who came before him with the first three movies.

We won’t get into it now, but there could be volumes written concerning Johnson, TLJ and disgruntled fans. In fact, the “boycott” of SOLO (if one believes it existed) by said fans could be the very reason that these shows (or at least the Kenobi project)  exist on Disney’s soon to be live streaming service. If this is the case, and you are one of those who boycotted SOLO – Thanks! November 12th is going to be a day long remembered…

 

Week In Review!

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Greetings everyone! Depending on your point of view and how you view the Disney handling of our beloved franchise, there has been some good and bad news on the Star Wars front. You might have seen this news before here on YODASNEWS.COM…maybe it’s the first you have heard of it. Here is the weekly recap

● STAR WARS RESISTANCE will be ending with its upcoming second season. The viewership per episode for the first season was consistently 500,000 or less. Although IMDB currently gives it a 4.8 rating, Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 92%. It seems that, much like everything else Disney is producing under the Lucasfilm label, the fanbase is divided on this news. I didn’t really care for it, but it is a kid’s show on a children’s network. I don’t think that I, or other aging fans, are their target audience.

● Mattel has given Barbie the Star Wars treatment. According to UPI, Mattel will release three different Barbie dolls based on Darth Vader, Princess Leia and R2-D2. Each one will have the traditional Barbie face and grace, but also clothing and accessories inspired by Star Wars. This is wonderful news for every child who wanted to order the destruction of Skipper’s beach house from the Death Star after Barbie caught her and Ken splitting a milkshake at the malt shop. These will set you back 100 bucks.

● The big news this week is the Ewen McGregor is back as Obi-Wan Kenobi. VARIETY states that McGregor is in talks to reprise the role that he played for three movies and was made famous by Sir Alec Guinness in the original trilogy. This would be the third live action series for upcoming Disney Plus streaming service, with THE MANDALORIAN and the yet to be named series based on ROGUE ONE’s Cassian Andor. There were rumors that a KENOBI movie was next in the pipeline for Disney and that after the disappointing performance of SOLO it was shelved. Disney Plus seems to be the perfect vehicle for Obi-Wan stories. This coupled with Disney’s already extensive library of cartoons, family branded entertainment, and Marvel content, all but guarantees that on November 11th, I will be binging on Disney content quite extensively.

Keep an eye open on D23 next week, Brandon will be on site reporting live from the show. With any luck there might be a few nuggets of information or maybe even…gasp…a new trailer! C’mon Disney…it has been 4 months since THE RISE OF SKYWALKER trailer. Give us something!

THE EU AND NEW CANON: WHO MAKES THE CUT FOR THE NEW SAGA?

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When Disney bought Lucasfilm the decision was made to junk the Expanded Universe. With a Thanosesque snap of their fingers, Disney made over 35 years of books, comics, video games and role playing supplements vanish so new stories could be told without working within the constraints of an already established timeline.

For good or for bad, those tales are now designated as LEGENDS – stories that do not fit into the current Star Wars canon. However, with the inclusion of everyone’s favorite blue skinned art collector, Grand Admiral Thrawn, in REBELS, as well as new series of canon books focusing on his exploits, it seems that the House of Mouse isn’t against repurposing LEGENDS characters as viable parts of their version of that galaxy far, far away.

This got me thinking…who or what would be a grand candidate for the next LEGENDS rebirth? There are several, but for today I am going to start with a quick review of, and my brief case for the inclusion of….

CRIMSON JACK

(I’m going to enter SPOILER territory here…but this has been public knowledge for over 40 years)

Hold your laughter. Crimson Jack is more than worthy to be included in the new Star Wars universe. First appearing in issue seven of Marvel’s Star Wars comic series back in 1978,  the red-bearded Crimson Jack was one of the first looks at an organized antagonist in the Star Wars universe  that was not affiliated with the Empire. Being the pirate that he was, Jack commandeered an abandoned Imperial Star Destroyer, repaired it, and made it his pirate flagship. In addition to that, not only did he have the financial backing and blessings of Jabba the Hutt, but he also stole Han Solo and Chewbacca’s reward they received at the end of A NEW HOPE.

Created in the 1970’s, Crimson Jack does suffer from some of the pitfalls of the era. Most notably his fashion sense. It seems that many of the characters that Marvel created for the Star Wars series  in the 1970’s had their fashion and style inspired from either the skimpy outfits of BARBERELLA or the sexless jumpsuits of SPACE:1999.  Sporting a black onesie, boots, and shoulder pads that look like they might have rejected by the members of the band KISS, Jack’s image is laughable. This is only a small part of the overall picture though, since the character’s core is fantastic. Before his death at the hands of Han (in a space shoot out no less!), Crimson Jack proved to be a formidable foe for our heroes, even going so far as to kidnap Princess Leia!

There has only been a smattering of pirates with the new canon – most notable being Hondo Ohnaka from THE CLONE WARS and REBELS. Crimson Jack would work well in a novel or cartoon series. The character only appeared in 6 issues of the comic book series. As such, he wasn’t fleshed out too much and we were only given a very narrow slice of his potential. However, the basics of the character still work today – and would be a great addition to the legend. Of course, they really should put some pants on him. I imagine it does get cold in space…