1 2 Edited by John Coxon, James Bacon and Chris Garcia Contents Editorial by Chris Garcia 4 Rogue Nine, Standing By by John Coxon 5 Contributor Bios 8 A Matter of Character by David Ferguson 10 Irish Connections in Star Wars by James Bacon 11 Interviews with Irish Comic Pros by James Bacon 14 Interview with Sean Williams by James Shields 16 Remembering Carrie Fisher by Craig Miller 18 Secrecy and Rumours by Craig Miller 19 The Visual Concept of Star Wars by James Mason 21 The Last Jedi by Jeannette Ng 22 The Last Jedi by Andrea Swinsco 24 Hardware Wars by Chris Garcia 25 Star Wars on the Radio by Juan Sanmiguel 26 The Five Greatest Star Wars Games of All Time by Chris Garcia 28 Bricking it to Hoth by James Shields 30 Interview with Timothy Zahn by Will Frank and Zeynep D 34 Interview with Tom Veitch by James Bacon 38 Joseph Campbell’s Thunderbolt by Tom Veitch 42 Alan Moore’s Star Wars: Oblique Strategies by Anthony Roche 44 The Lucasfilm Buy and Fanwork by Will Frank 46 Star Wars Scrapbooking by Michael Carroll 48 Droids in Sesame Street by Craig Miller 50 Imperfect Worlds by Charlotte ‘Cleo’ Wolf 53 Iconic Star Wars Vehicles in LEGO by James Shields 56 Losses Include Blue Eleven, Red Three, and Grey Two by James Bacon 62 An Islamic Perspective by Irfan Rydhan 66 The Holiday Special Survival Guide by Helena Nash 71 Enditorial by James Bacon 85 Image Credits 86 3 Editorial by Chris Garcia I am writing this from a tiny nook in Santa Clara’s comfort reading, it was a way to find a centre of Kaiser hospital. Vanessa, my loving wife, is having understanding. The world I was in at that moment a ten hour surgery upstairs. I am downstairs. I’ve was completely outside of my understanding. I had to had my coffee, some tater-tots, a couple of pieces of regularly escape, into the hallways, into the hospital bacon, and an orange juice. I’m listening to podcasts, art that gave me so much more than I can ever explain, specifically Last Podcast on the Left about the late, but Star Wars is always Star Wars. Star Wars is always great Art Bell. what Star Wars is, and what it means might change, but it only changes within ourselves, within our I am more scared at this moment than any other in views of the world that Star Wars exists in. If you’re my entire life. studying Marxist revolutionary thought, you can find it in there, especially in The Empire Strikes Back. And yet, I am thinking about the If you’re into Maker culture, it’s all over the place. If first time I watched Star Wars with you’re a spiritualist, it’s there. If you’re an Occultist, the boys, JohnPaul entranced from it’s there. If you’re looking for comfort, it’s there. the moment Vader came on If you’re looking for a call to arms, it’s there. the screen, and the moment he left the screen, turning to Star Wars is all of it, in a package that we me and saying, “I want more can drink down like sweet wine, or sip Vader, Papa. Darth Vader, like hot tea, or leave in the cup and read please, Papa.” portends in the swirls of the liquid. It is, without question, something I won’t be seeing my boys that shaped two, and now three-ish, until Sunday. It’s Thursday. generations of dreamers, of artists, They’re with Gramma, and of humans. I’m so glad we’re finally I’m 100% certain she’s going covering it in Journey Planet, 2018 to show them Star Wars Hugo nominee for Best Fanzine and one when they get fussy, wild, of the things that keeps me going, keeps bitey. me sane, keeps me ready for what’s out there. Both JP and Star Wars are among Just like she did with me when I my baselines, what defines normal. was a kid. Smart lady. The surgery is planned for 604 minutes. Star Wars is a part of my life More than enough time to watch story. I watched a ton of Star Trek, the first trilogy. Enough times to re- Battlestar Galactica (not the remake!), discover C-3PO, the Ewoks, R2-D2, and Buck Rogers, and Twilight Zone, but all the rest of ‘em. I wonder what the Star Wars holds a place that I can not movies will be when I watch ‘em in quite explain. When Vanessa and I were this moment. I wonder how it’ll feel in Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, as I walk away, hopefully moments I watched Jedi, and I read a part of before Doctor Ho walks out and Splinter of the Mind’s Eye. It wasn’t says everything went well. quite a comfort viewing, or a 4 Rogue Nine, Standing By by John Coxon When I was asked to write for – and later, edit! – Back in the distant past, I saw the three original Star this issue of Journey Planet, I couldn’t think what Wars movies in the cinema in my hometown. I say to write about. I was vaguely tempted to cover the ‘original’ movies, but this was 1997, and so the Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, which was a VR versions I saw were actually the Special Editions – experience available in the US and London (if it’s they marked my entry into the Star Wars universe, still running near you, you should definitely go!) and and remain my canonical version to this day. (Sorry, then I wondered about writing something about the Han Shot First-ers!) new trilogy, but in both cases my heart wasn’t really in it. But the real path I took into Star Wars fandom wasn’t so much the movies as it was everything around the Enter Dave Filoni, who saved me from myself with movies. I vividly remember playing make-believe the announcement of a new Star Wars television with my brothers when we got home from seeing show – Star Wars Resistance. This show, which is set Return of the Jedi for the first time, arguing over before the events of The Force Awakens, will focus on whether Luke calls his lightsaber with the Force the fighter pilots which make up the burgeoning before battling with Vader (sorry, James – you were Resistance as they combat the First Order. right and I was wrong about that one). Dave Filoni said, “The idea for Star Wars Resistance But the books, they were the real secret. I read a came out of my interest in World War II aircraft and lot as a kid, and the books were the reason I really, fighter pilots… There’s a long history of high-speed really got into Star Wars fandom. But not just any racing in Star Wars, and I think we’ve captured that old books, oh no. The Star Wars: X-Wing novels. sense of excitement in an anime-inspired style, which is something the entire team has been wanting to do Some will tell you that Timothy Zahn is the greatest for a long time.” This show is everything I’ve been Star Wars writer ever to work in the canon, and that wanting from the new, Disney-sanctioned canon – his contributions are partly why Star Wars is still and I should probably explain why. relevant today. They’re entirely right to say that – 5 Zahn is a legend and without I loved the books so much him, Bantam may never have that I actually adopted the discovered the success they online handle ‘Rogue Nine’ did with Heir to the Empire. for many years, and I’m The fact that Thrawn is one of still on a small handful of vanishingly few characters sites under that name. Very to have been resurrected in occasionally someone else the new canon is testament would get the reference, to his staying power. and even more rarely still, someone else would already But for me, it’s not Zahn. have that handle. And I was It’s Michael A. Stackpole thrilled when they put an and Aaron Allston. It’s X-Wing helmet generator Rogue Squadron and Wraith online to celebrate the Squadron. It’s Corran Horn release of Rogue One – my – and if you ever thought result is at the bottom right! anyone in Star Wars was a Mary Sue, you’ll like him – But, as we are all very aware and Wedge Antilles and Wes by now, Disney’s acquisition Janson and Hobbie Klivan of Lucasfilm meant that and Garik ‘Face’ Loran. It’s the Expanded Universe the Star Wars: X-Wing series. passed into Legends, and the ten book series which These books had everything, focused on Wedge Antilles if by ‘everything’ you and his two squadrons mean very little character faded into the background development but a lot of of the Star Wars franchise. great starfighter action Since that happened, I’ve setpieces, linked by been waiting and hoping wisecracks. They were for a resurrection of the rollicking, rip-roaring old fighter jock novels, yarns that took me into set after the events of the starfighter battles that Return of the Jedi, telling the made me fall in love with story of the fighter jocks Return of the Jedi and are that protected the New arguably, to this day, the Republic. reason I can still stomach watching Revenge of the Sith.