Star Wars and Comic-Con

From July 13 to 17th, San Diego, California continued its tradition as host of the biggest celebration of the popular arts -- Comic-Con International.

EDITOR’S NOTE: WHIMPER. MAYBE NEXT YEAR I CAN VISIT AGAIN. SNIFFLE.

Starwars.com was there, providing the most thorough online Star Wars coverage of the event. With so much news coming out of Comic-Con, it's hard keeping up with all the new developments; here's a round-up of some of the bigger stories.

Star Wars Animation Begins. The theme for this year's Comic-Con was Star Wars is Forever. Lucasfilm's Head of Fan Relations, Steve Sansweet, revealed that Lucas Animation will be carrying on the spirit of adventure and excitement through a new animated Star Wars series set to debut in the Fall of 2007. Production has begun, and Sansweet announced several of the talented people behind the new endeavor, including Catherine Winder, Dave Filoni, Chris Kubsch, and Henry Gilroy.

Lucasfilm is Hiring. With Lucas Animation and LucasArts ramping up to produce new Star Wars and non-Star Wars series, features and games, now is the time to prepare that resumé and send it over. The next generation of talented digital artists is needed, and fans that have the skills are invited to apply at lucasfilm.com. EDITOR’S NOTE: IF ONLY I HAD SKILLS. (SNARK DOESN’T COUNT I SUPPOSE).

Episode III DVD On Its Way. EDITOR’S NOTE: GIGGLING AND DROOLING!!!! The Summer of Sith is not over yet, but already there's more Episode III to look forward to at the end of '05. Though exact release dates and feature-specs have yet to be revealed, Sansweet did preview some of what was to come. Like the DVDs for Episodes I and II, the Episode III DVD will contain completed deleted scenes -- with score, sound and visual effects -- as bonus material. He even screened one of these lost scenes exclusively to the Comic-Con audience: the first clandestine meeting of concerned Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Padmé Amidala and others to forge an Alliance to restore the Republic. EDITOR’S NOTE: YAY! THE POLITICAL STUFF! (YOU KNOW I AM HOT FOR THAT POLITICAL STUFF). NOW I CAN BUY MY MON MOTHMA-AS-SEXY-SENATOR FIG WITH APLOMB, KNOWING THAT HER CUT SCENES WILL REAPPEAR!

Not a Decoy! Natalie Portman Drops By. For the first time ever, Natalie Portman attended Comic-Con to help promote her upcoming film, V for Vendetta. Not forgetting her Star Wars roots, she paid a surprise visit to the massive Star Wars pavilion on the exhibit floor. In the interests of security, her appearance was kept to a whisper. Fans in line to buy products from the StarWarsShop.com store were randomly selected and asked to return at a specific time for a surprise. When they did, they found themselves greeted by Portman and posed for a keepsake Polaroid with the actress.

Dark Horse Comics. The 20th anniversary of Dark Horse Comics is just around the corner, and to celebrate, they are revamping their entire line of Star Wars comics. Several long-running series are drawing to a close, to be replaced by several new exciting titles. Dark Horse editors only revealed upcoming developments that start the year 2006 -- there's much more on the way. But to start, the biggest and most welcomed surprise is a return to the ancient Star Wars-past with the launch of an ongoing Knights of the Old Republic series. EDITOR’S NOTE: DAVE DAVE DAVE!!! YOUR FAVE, AND MUCH-YEARNED FOR TIME PERIOD! WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO A RPG IN THE OLDEN DAYS WHEN THIS SERIES COMES TO FRUITION!

And Much More... Editors and authors at LucasBooks previewed upcoming titles, many of them amazingly detailed high-end art books. Hasbro showed upcoming Saga packaging and unveiled their smaller-scale Unleashed line. Sideshow Toys announced that they're taking over production of the 12" action figure line. Many other licensees showcased upcoming products and convention exclusives.


EDITOR’S NOTE: I THINK I NEED THESE POSTS ON THE FRONT OF MY HOUSE, DON’T YOU???!!!


EDITOR’S NOTE: I LOVE IT WHEN I SEE A CUTE OUTFIT THAT I WANT, AND IT’S MODELED BY A CHICK CHUBBIER THAN I! (WHEN THE BAR IS SET THIS LOW, IT MAKES ME WANT TO GO OUT AND BUY THE GET UP. WONDER WHERE THIS CUTE SET IS SELLING?)

HAVE I NOW GIVEN YOU JUST A BUNDLE OF FODDER FOR NIGHTMARES, BOB???



EDITOR’S NOTE: I WAS GOING TO START SMALL WITH LEGOS, BUT MAYBE I SHOULD JUST GO FOR IT?


EDITOR’S NOTE: JUST FOR ODD BOB AND HIS DARTH MAUL/RAY PARK THANG. (ENABLERS-R-US)


EDITOR’S NOTE: MORE ODD-BOB ENABLING. (HE’S OLD. WE INDULGE OUR SENIOR DWEEBS).


EDITOR’S NOTE: I WANT THIS BAG VERY VERY MUCH!!!

EDITOR’S NOTE: MORE COMIC-CON WRAPPING UP….
starwars.com at Comic-Con 2005
Star Wars Spectacular 2005
Last year, he tore off his shirt to reveal the Revenge of the Sith logo.

Last April, at Celebration III, he dressed as a stormtrooper to sneak up on stage. So fans were wondering, what does Lucasfilm's Head of Fan Relations Steve Sansweet have up his sleeve for Comic-Con 2005?

"As I promised you a year ago, this has truly been the Summer of Star Wars," Sansweet proclaimed, as he recapped just what a momentous 2005 it's been. After all, it's the summer of Revenge of the Sith. "In the U.S. alone, Sith has joined A New Hope and The Phantom Menace on the list of the top ten grossing movies of all time... Many of us have been to the theater to see the film again and again... EDITOR'S NOTE: AND WE WANT TO SEE IT ONE MORE TIME, BUT I'M NOT SURE THE THEATERS ARE GOING TO COOPERATE HERE IN HOUSTON. (THE NERVE!)

Now all of us may think that we know Revenge of the Sith backwards and forwards, but how about inside and out?" Sansweet then showed an inside-out view of the movie with a special clip that deconstructed some of ILM's amazing visual effects from Episode III.

The biggest 2005 development at Lucasfilm, however, was not the finale to the Star Wars saga. The cutting edge company is looking to the future, and it's moving to a new locale.

Rather than be housed in scattered campuses set up throughout Marin County in Northern California, all of Lucasfilm's primary divisions -- Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and Lucas Online -- are moving to a new state of the art facility at the Presidio in San Francisco.

"Just last weekend, LucasArts moved into new high-tech facilities at the Presidio. ILM will be right next door, and the two companies have already started working together to exchange digital assets and ideas," said Sansweet. He then showed previews of some of the hotly anticipated LucasArts titles, Star Wars Battlefront II, and Star Wars: Empire at War
A large component of the future of Star Wars and Lucasfilm is digital animation. Sansweet announced that the new Lucasfilm Animation division is open for business. "I'm very excited to be able to break the news to you here this afternoon that preproduction has begun on the next generation of the Star Wars saga, a cutting edge 30-minute, 3-D computer-animation series based on the Clone Wars that take place between Episode II ... and Episode III." EDITOR’S NOTE: DID I KNOW THIS? THAT IT TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 2 AND 3? SO IS IT THE LIVE-ACTION SHOW THAT’S GOING TO BE BETWEEN 3 AND 4?

The new series, Sansweet explained, is planned for a TV debut in the Fall of 2007.EDITOR'S NOTE: ALTHOUGH WE ARE ALSO HEARING NOT TILL 2008 RUMORS. "To get the series underway, Lucasfilm Animation has hired key production and creative talent to lead the development of its first animation project," said Sansweet. "Gail Currey, who's the Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm Animation couldn't be here today, but she asked me to tell you that the early episodic treatments for the series are absolutely amazing, and that she can't wait to share this treat with Star Wars fans."

Sansweet described the look of the new series as a melding of Asian anime with unique 3-D animation styling. He identified key members of the new television team. Executive Producer of the series will be Catherine Winder, whose credits include Ice Age, "Aeon Flux," and "Spawn."

Also hired is Dave Filoni, whose credits include "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The Head of Lucasfilm Animation's Singapore location, where a lot of the animation work will take place, will be Chris Kubsch. His credits include the ILM animated short Work in Progress, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets EDITOR’S NOTE: HARRY POTTER? NOPE. NEVER HEARD OF IT. and Titanic. EDITOR’S NOTE: IS THIS THE ONE WHERE THE SHIP SINKS?

"Also on board is a guy who is already familiar to many Star Wars fans," said Sansweet. It's Henry Gilroy, who wrote the Dark Horse comic adaptations of both Episodes I and II.

"Over the next several years, Lucasfilm Animation will be hiring a total of about 300 digital artists and others in both [California and Singapore] locations to produce not only the series and animated feature films in the years ahead," said Sansweet. EDITOR’S NOTE: ONCE AGAIN WISHING I HAD SKILLS……

Sansweet then brought a guest to the stage -- Episode III's Supervising Sound Editor, and the voice of General Grievous, Matthew Wood. In his first Comic-Con appearance, Wood described the tale of how he got the role of Grievous by sneaking his audition in front of George Lucas, and how he created the rough and raspy voice of the droid general. Wood brought with him sound equipment to demonstrate the process of transforming his pleasant speaking voice into a voice befitting a Star Wars villain.

"It's been a wonderful Summer of Sith, and I'm pleased to be able to tell you that we have more Sith to look forward to this Fall," said Sansweet. "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith will be released on DVD later this year." EDITOR’S NOTE: 6-PIC MARATHON. MY PLACE. BRING SNACKS. (PJs AND SWEATS WELCOME)

Though exact details regarding content and release date are yet to be revealed,EDITOR'S NOTE: NOVEMBER 1ST, ACTUALLY. Sansweet did drop some hints as to what to expect. "You can expect many of the features that we've had on our past Star Wars DVDs, including an engaging commentary from those most in the know, a brand new long-form documentary, and a load of shorter documentaries that will take you behind the scenes and show you the making of Episode III." EDITOR’S NOTE: I GUESS I SHOULD GO AHEAD AND WATCH ALL THE EXTRAS FROM AOTC BEFORE THEN? (BAD QOTD. BAD BAD).







Sansweet shared with the audience one of the eagerly anticipated deleted scenes. As with the Episodes I and II DVDs, George Lucas has overseen the completion of several scenes cut from the theatrical release of Episode III.

The one shown at Comic-Con is one that can be definitely appreciated by a fan audience, for it chronicled the birth of the Rebel Alliance. EDITOR’S NOTE: THERE SHE IS…THE FUTURE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW REPUBLIC….MON MOTHMA!!! (HUZZAH HUZZHA!!!)

"It takes place in Senator Bail Organa's office, and we meet Senator Mon Mothma, who, as we see in Return of the Jedi, is the leader of the Rebel Alliance." EDITOR’S NOTE: IS IT TOO SOON TO START UP A MON MOTHMA GROUPY CULT? TOO LATE?

Also on the DVD horizon, Sansweet confirmed later during a post-presentation Q&A session that the recently Emmy-nominated Volume 2 of Star Wars: Clone Wars will be available on DVD by year's end, complete with audio commentaries from Genndy Tartakovsky and his crew. EDITOR’S NOTE: AND IN A PACKAGE WITH VOLUME ONE, FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVEN’T YET INDULGED IN THAT PURCHASE?

As Sansweet closed his presentation, he introduced a special Hyperspace video that caps off the behind-the-scenes look that Fan Club members have been enjoying since the start of Episode III production. The special two-part video, which won't be on the DVD and will only be available online for Hyperspace members, is called "The Journey EDITOR’S NOTE: IT’S REALLY GOOD, NATCH. I’M A HYPERSPACE MEMBER, SO I GOT TO SEE IT. TOUCH ME.

"I've been saying over the last year that as long as fans want Star Wars, Star Wars will be there for them," concluded Sansweet. "How else can you get this kind of rush?" EDITOR’S NOTE: HEAVEN KNOWS NOT IN THE REAL WORLD. WHATEVER THAT IS.

Natalie Portman Makes a Rare Appearance at Comic-Con



Promoting her new film, V for Vendetta, at this year's San Diego Comic-Con International, Natalie Portman paid a surprise visit to the Star Wars pavilion on the convention floor where she greeted and took photos with fans. These lucky fans were selected from those standing in line for the StarWarsShop.com store in the pavilion!



Earlier in the day, the actress answered questions from fans about everything from her newly-shaved head to her choice in roles, including Padmé from Star Wars.

Eager fans celebrating Star Wars Day at Comic-Con stood in line for hours to ask Portman questions -- a special treat considering this is the her first appearance at the convention. One young fan anxiously asked Portman to confess her favorite movie role to date.

"It's hard to say which movie role is my favorite because I think that each one is the chance to do something new, and doing something new is most exciting for me," Portman explains. "I don't think I would ever want to go back and play any of them again because it's an experience in your life connected to something you are doing at that time. But for Star Wars I got to play the character at three different ages so it was a little bit different each time."

In her already-long list of film credits including The Professional, Mars Attacks!, Heat, Closer and of course The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith, Portman has worked with some of the most innovative and exciting directors in film today. When asked about the best cast and crew experience she's ever had in making a movie, Portman was hard pressed to pick a favorite.

"I really had an amazing experience with all the casts I've worked with," Portman reveals. "I know it sounds blandly to political to say I've liked everyone I've worked with, but I've really had such a nice time."

When asked what she does to prepare for her roles, and how she works with various directors, Portman was quick to point out that there is much more involved in working on a character than just memorizing a script.

"It depends on the role," Portman says. "Sometimes I don't do background reading because the role is more emotional than intellectual. So far I've been lucky enough to have directors who are collaborative and people I can trust," Portman confesses. "If they have a different opinion than I do, I'm willing to try what they want, because I think they're good enough to make a good decision."

Acting in both indie sleeper hits like Garden State and epic blockbusters such as the Star Wars prequels, Portman told fans that her choice in roles had little to do with the money backing the production and more to do with the storyline itself."

"I like entertainment," Portman says. "Money has so little to do with the intention of the filmmaker. Whether it's little money or big money, establishment money or so independently wealthy person financing it usually has little to do with the value of the project."

"I'm very political today, aren't I?" Portman laughs. "I wish I was more opinionated."

When asked whether she prefers to be involved in genre comic-book based films like Vendetta, and sci-fi action films like Star Wars, as opposed to smaller films such as The Professional and Garden State that gain their own cult following, Portman says she really likes to mix up her experiences as an actress by choosing roles that are different from one another.

"It's different working from a graphic novel because you do have images, and words and source material that are incredibly rich to draw from," Portman explains. "It can be both an inspiration as well as daunting because you want to be as good as the illustrations which is difficult when it's this level of art."

Gaining much of her fame as a child star, fan were curious to hear from Portman about her growth as an actress since her various roles pre-adulthood including the brave orphan in The Professional and the young Queen Amidala in The Phantom Menace.

"I was eleven years old when I started The Professional and when you're a kid you're sort of just obedient doing what someone tells you to do. And as an actor a lot of times you are serving a director's vision, but at the same time now I do a lot more on my own and not relying on a director necessarily to take you to an emotional place. I read on my own and come to the set with ideas, and suggesting things and disagreeing sometimes, and talking about stuff a lot more than just sort of being guided." During her career as an actress, Portman had taken a brief break from stage and screen to study Liberal Arts at Harvard University. One fan asked Portman what she took away from her college experience.

"My Liberal Arts education taught me how not to offend anyone," Portman jokes. "And how to be very PC in my answers to questions asked in front of 6,000 people."



"Actually, the most important thing for me was getting an amazing group of friends who are really interesting individuals and doing completely different things," Portman admits. "I feel like I have an idea of what people are like outside of the bubble I live in, which is really helpful for work because I always have a place to go to with people I love and am fascinated by and keep me learning for the rest of my life. I can ask them questions about things and ask them their opinions and they tell me the truth. They tell me when I'm being annoying; they're not kissing up to me. My friends from school are the most important thing I've taken away from the whole experience."

One hair-obsessed fan asked the question many had been pondering since making her first public appearance at the Cannes Film Festival sans her coveted brunette locks which she had shaved off for her dramatic role as Evey Hammond in Vendetta. How does it feel to shave your head?

"It wasn't really as traumatic as I expected," Portman laughed. "I learned that I'm not that connected to my hair -- which is an irrelevant, uninteresting conclusion to come to -- though I came to none the less. It wasn't emotional to me, but it's different to see how people reacted differently, or maybe that's what I'm just projecting on to other people that they're reacting differently to me. I've always felt like a really small girl, but for the first time I've felt a little tougher." EDITOR’S NOTE: IT HELPS THAT SHE LOOKS SO AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL BUZZED. NOT TOO MANY WOMEN CAN PULL THIS LOOK OFF SO WELL, HUH?

A young woman in the audience also asked Portman, on a much more personal level, how she felt as a teen girl role model in a world where it seems everyone's worth is specifically focused on their looks.

"Most people look to actors as role models," Portman says. "But I don't want to ever criticize anyone's choices. I'm not in anyone else's body so I can't imagine what it's like to be that uncomfortable with yourself and what you need to be happy. But I think if women spent half the time they focus on their looks on developing their internal lives -- their minds, their souls, we would have a much better world."

When asked about this being her first experience attending Comic-Con, Portman says she was thrilled to be there among her fans.

"This is my first time here, and it's really exciting to be in a room full of people who are passionate about comics and graphic novels. It has such a mix of art and humor and politics that not a lot of mediums aspire to. It's amazing to be with people who appreciate this kind of wealth of stimuli from these graphic novels."