Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
Audiobooks aren’t my usual means by which to consume media but when presented with the opportunity to get an early copy of Rebecca Roanhorse’s newest gift to the Star Wars universe, I jumped at the chance. In fact, my response to the possibility was just the word “WANT” in all caps in response to the offer.
I am happy to report this book did not disappoint.
It was, indeed, a gift. But maybe not one I should have turned on while driving in Seattle rush hour. Continue reading
It’s Griff who speaks the line that sums up the theme of this week’s episode. When Freya makes the comment that she, “didn’t know Imperial Pilots were so concerned about one other,” he answers plainly:
“We weren’t; that’s why we lost.”
“Live Fire” was all about teamwork; it was about team building, trusting your own better nature and that of your colleagues, and learning that we’re all stronger together than any one of us could be all on our own. Continue reading
Hello there again friends, and welcome to our weekly round up of Star Wars news. Coming off all the rad releases of Triple Force Friday and the always exciting announcements from New York Comic Con, this week’s selection of happenings from the galaxy far, far away is a little lean, but I’m going to tell you anyway.
This week’s news is all about toys and games, and as we head into the holiday season, I’m sure this is only the beginning.
First up, TOYS! This week, StarWars.com’s Dan Brooks had a chat with designers from Hasbro about the newest Star Wars offerings from the iconic toymaker. From elegantly detailed Black Series figures from The Rise of Skywalker, to colorful celebrations of the Galaxy of Adventures stories, to an item called a Scream Saber (yes, it’s real, and yes, I want one) the toy landscape is lush and delightful. Look for these and more from Hasbro wherever toys are sold.
And in game news: General Anakin Skywalker has entered the realm of mobile gaming. Players of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes can now access General Skywalker by playing through the event Clash at Kamino. Anakin is touted to be the most powerful character available to date, and should be a boon to players looking to up their game. Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes is available for Android and iPhone devices.
And that’s it for this week. As always, send Star Wars news tips to Tosche Station, and send your favorite home-made lightsaber noises to @MandaTheGinger. MTFBWY!
Hello Friends! Welcome once again to our weekly roundup of news from a galaxy far, far away.
As we approach the November 12 launch date for The Mandalorian on Disney+, more and more exciting info is coming to us. This week we heard some specifics from show runner Jon Favreau, director Dave Filoni, and lead actor Pedro Pascal on what makes his character different from the Fett fellows who first made the iconic armor famous. From the contrasts between heroism and villainy, to the differences in cultural connections to Mandalore and the Mandalorian way of navigating life, the galaxy, and everything– the series as-yet-unnamed (to us, anyway!) will most certainly be new and different.
And in further, possibly even more exciting Mandalorian news: it was announced this week that part of the show’s lore will explore the early origins and gradual rise of the First Order— a series of events long speculated about by fandom. Director Dave Filoni says they plan to use elements from across the various media of Star Wars storytelling to show what the galaxy far, far away was like just after the defeat of the Empire. The show will examine what kinds of conditions existed that could have led to the First Order’s formation, growth, and ultimate ability to wreak vengeance on the Republic.
In a bit of non-Mandalorian news, gamers will be happy to learn that two classic titles: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy are being given new life on new consoles. Both games are coming for Nintendo Switch, with Jedi Outcast debuting in just a few weeks and Jedi Academy to follow in 2020. Both of these beloved titles come to the Switch with added functionality, including Gyro-Aiming support for the Switch’s Joy-Cons– while maintaining their much-celebrated online multiplayer battles. Both titles are also coming for PlayStation 4.
And if you’re in the mood for some more casual, but still engaging gaming, look no further than the new LEGO Star Wars Battles. The mobile game, headed our way in 2020, “brings together every era of Star Wars storytelling to collect, build, and fight in the greatest LEGO Star Wars battles the galaxy has ever seen”. Join the light side or the dark side and square off in head-to-head PvP battles in real time on your mobile device playing as your favorite Star Wars characters. This one looks like fun, y’all.
That’s all I have this week. As always, send Star Wars news tips to Tosche Station and favorite bacon recipes to @MandaTheGinger
Hey there everyone! News this week has been slight, which is no big surprise following San Diego Comic Con. But there is one delightful development to report.
Star Wars Resistance Season One is coming to DVD (but not to BluRay). The Emmy-nominated animated series will hit the home video market on August 20th and will include all 21 episodes from Season One and content the producers are calling “essential bonus features” including audio commentary, bonus shorts, and a sneak peek behind the scenes. The DVDs should hit stores just in time for fans to brush up on the series before Season 2 begins this fall.
As always, send Star Wars news tips to Tosche Station, and send Resistance Season 2 predictions to @MandaTheGinger
Hello there one and all, and thanks for tuning in to another weekly roundup of news from a galaxy far, far away. As always, we’re happy to have you! This week’s news is meager in quantity, but epic in scale.
First: new Age of Resistance comics were officially announced this week and I cannot overstate how thrilled the folks here at Tosche Station are about them. Following the lead of the Age of Republic and Age of Rebellion miniseries, Age of Resistance will feature in-depth looks at some of our Star Wars favorites. Rose Tico, Kylo Ren, Snoke (I have questions!), and Rey are all to be featured in their own books. The Age of Resistance comics are written by Tom Taylor and are set to release this coming September. This is in addition to the previously announced comics that will feature Finn, Poe Dameron, Captain Phasma, and General Hux.
The rest of this week’s news is a celebration! Or, rather, it’s about a celebration– Star Wars Celebration, Anaheim that is. Tickets went on sale this week for Lucasfilm & ReedPop’s next big event, to be held August 27-30 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The Jedi Master VIP ticket tier sold out in a matter of moments, and adult 4-day passes weren’t far behind. Single-day Saturday tickets sold out just hours later. If you’re still hoping to join the celebration, never fear! Single-day tickets for Thursday, Friday, and Sunday are still available as of the writing of this post (kids tickets, too!) and Lyte will once again be the official reseller for the show.
That’s it for this week! As I mentioned: light on quantity, but the content is a doozy.
As always, send your Star Wars news tips to Tosche Station and send your Celebration Anaheim panel suggestions to @MandaTheGinger
MTFBWY!!!
Hello again and welcome to our weekly roundup of news from a Galaxy Far, Far Away!
This week’s news is particularly Disney-centric.
Star Wars cast and crew are among this year’s Disney Legend Award winners! The D23 expo is fast approaching and this year’s Disney Legends award recipients have just been announced. Among the honorees are Star Wars alum James Earl Jones (Darth Vader) and The Mandalorian showrunner John Favreau. D23 is Disney’s marquee fan event and the 2019 convention will be held in the Anaheim Convention Center August 23-25, 2019. Tickets are still available through the D23 website.
And with a mere 11 days until the opening of Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland Resort, Disney announced just today the Star Wars Datapad upgrade to the Play Disney Parks app. Launching in August (presumably in concert with the opening of the Galaxy’s Edge expansion in Walt Disney World, Orlando), the app will contain tools to help guests navigate not only Batuu and environs, but also to integrate their experience in a galaxy far, far away into their time in the rest of the Disney parks.
Reservations for Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland are required through June 23, after which the land will open to all ticketed Disneyland guests.
That’s all I have for this week.
As always, send Star Wars news tips to Tosche Station, and send Galaxy’s Edge photos to @MandaTheGinger
MTFBWY!
Hello there everyone and welcome to this centennial roundup of news from a Galaxy Far Far Away. With Celebration Chicago beginning in just a few short days, I have to admit I was surprised to learn there was any news at all this week. But here we are with some cool stuff to share– not all of which is Celebration-centric (if you’d believe it!?!).
Beginning with that which is relevant to us all, Webby Award nominations were announced this week and the Star Wars team has been nominated in several categories. Voting is open to the public via vote.webbyawards.com and you can vote for your favorites through April 18th.
Continuing with non-Celebration news (sort of) Del Rey this week released an excerpt (scroll to the end of the page for an audio clip) from Claudia Gray’s upcoming novel, Master & Apprentice. In the excerpt, we get to spend a few minutes with Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn as he and his master trail a dangerous bounty hunter. The book will be available to attendees of Star Wars Celebration Chicago in a limited edition convention-exclusive trim and releases widely on April 16th. Master & Apprentice is available for pre-order through Penguin Random House or your favorite local bookseller.
Onward to Celebration!
With Star Wars Celebration Chicago only days away, it’s no surprise that a big chunk of the news this week revolves around the convention. The Celebration App is now live and available for download wherever you get your apps. The mobile app, presented by Topps, allows fans at the show to explore its offerings and personalize a schedule including panels, autographs, and photo ops.
Another feature of the app is the ability to pre-order merchandise from the Celebration Store for pickup during the show. I know I’m itching to get my hands on some of the exclusives announced this week. Whether you’re into t-shirts, plush toys, housewares, or even flannel, there’s likely to be something in the Celebration store to tickle your fancy.
In a departure from previous Star Wars Celebrations, geek fashion brand Her Universe will have a presence outside the main Celebration store. The show will see the debut of the new Sisters of The Force line of merchandise celebrating the women of the galaxy far, far away with jackets, sweatshirts, dresses (with pockets!) and more.
That’s all the news for this week! Wishing everyone safe travels, We’ll see you in Chicago! Look for the Tosche Station team on the show floor and on panels about community and creativity.
Happy March!
Wow, what a week it’s been in Star Wars news, y’all. Seriously. This week was chocked full of very good stuff. Here we go with our fantabulous weekly rundown:
This week a small group of media professionals got to tour the still-under-construction site of Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Cast member uniforms were revealed early in the week followed by wonderful articles on the rides, food & beverage offerings, and exclusive merchandise that will be available in Galaxy’s Edge once the park is open for business. Disney even gave a preview of the incredible animatronic Hondo Ohnaka that guests will have a chance to interact with as part of their visit to Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost.
All these previews have taken me from jazzed at the idea to UNBELIEVABLY OUT OF THIS WORLD EXCITED BEYOND MY ABILITY TO ARTICUALTE for the day visitors are allowed in to experience this for themselves. I am in awe of the amazing immersive technology (the integration with the Play Disney Parks app looks to be incredible), and the in-universe feel of every item available for purchase.
Galaxy’s Edge is slated to open this summer at the Disneyland Resort and this fall in Walt Disney World.
This week, entries in the Star Wars Celebration Chicago art show became available for pre-order via darkink.com. Although a few of the more popular pieces have already sold out, there are still some exquisite pieces available. The art can be purchased online for pick-up at the show only. Folks unable to make the show in person can have their art pieces picked up by a trusted friend in attendance. If you, like me, appreciate Star Wars art, it’s a good idea to get your pre-orders in as these pieces are likely to sell out before Celebration beings.
I’ve already bought three and am eyeing a fourth as I type this.
We now know that Ray Park (Maul), Tiya Sircar (voice of Sabine Wren) and Matt Lanter (voice of Anakin Skywalker) are joining the celebrity lineup for Chicago’s upcoming convention. Autograph and photo opportunities are available for advance purchase via the Star Wars Celebration website.
EA & Respawn have some news for us at Celebration, and to tease that news, this week they told us two important things. One: come to their panel on Saturday, April 13th because they’re going to pull back the curtain on their next incredible Star Wars game. And, two: that game is called Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and features the adventures of a Padawan who survived Order 66.
There will also be displays on the convention floor highlighting Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes and a new Star Wars pinball game (YESSSSS!!!) as well as a presence by Star Wars: The Old Republic.
What a week! The countdown to Chicago is getting more and more intense and incredible. I hope to see many of your adorable, smiling faces there in April. Until then, send your Star Wars news tips to Tosche Station and send Galaxy’s Edge Fastpasses to @MandaTheGinger
I’m excited to report that those of us who don’t like lines or crowds will still have a chance to see Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost this year. Whether or not you plan on visiting Galaxy’s Edge at Disney parks this year, Marvel is giving us a chance to look around the notorious hive of scum and villainy from the comfort of home this April. The Galaxy’s Edge comic miniseries is being written by Ethan Sacks with art by Will Sliney and is available for pre-order at your favorite local comic store.
Congratulations to the team from Solo: A Star Wars Story! The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the film is nominated for an Oscar in the category of Outstanding Visual Effects.
A Star Wars Celebration, that is! The hits just keep on coming this week as Lucasfilm and ReedPop continue to make announcements about the upcoming convention in Chicago. This week’s biggest news is wookiee-sized; Actor Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca) will be making his first appearance at a Star Wars Celebration and I could not be happier about this development. Additionally this week, actors Sam Witwer (Maul), Greg Grunberg (Snap Wexley), Greg Proops (Garma, Jak Sivrak), Paul Kasey (Admiral Raddus, Ello Asty), Ian McElhinney (General Dodonna (Rogue One)), Orli Shoshan (Shaak Ti) along with puppeteer Dace Chapman have been added to the star-studded lineup.
Key poster art for the show also debuted this week along with a list of the featured exhibitors in Artist Alley. Limited tickets are still available– I hope to see all of you there!
That’s all for this week. Thanks again for joining us for the news in under 12 parsecs. As always, send Star Wars news tips to Tosche Station and send wookiee hugs to @MandaTheGinger