This month on the Kanjikast, we talk about one of our favorite minor characters in Jess Pava. We also take a dive into the Poe Dameron ongoing comic.
Review: What Is A Wookiee?
We have an emerging reader in my house, which means our Star Wars bookshelf has gotten a recent injection of titles designed for the preschool set. From time to time, I’ll be popping in with words about how my little guy is enjoying the parts of Star Wars designed for enjoyment by the franchise’s youngest fans. I’m happy to report that the age-appropriate offerings are plentiful and entertaining. A current favorite is the DK Readers Level 1 book What is a Wookiee.
We were a little surprised that the book isn’t a tell-all about Wookiee culture as we’d thought. It is, instead, a primer on many of the creatures we meet in a galaxy far, far away, with spotlights on individual characters the kids may encounter in the Star Wars films. The book is from the point of view of C-3PO, who takes readers through this catalog of creatures and droids with just enough of his own editorializing baked in for the adults in the room to recognize him. The pages on what characteristics differentiate aliens from droids, and how to tell the difference turned out to be a conversation starter in our house. Continue reading
Vongcast Episode #4 – Agents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial by James Luceno
All hands, tentacles, and claws on deck! The Vongcast is back with their next episode as Rocky, Megan, and Bria discuss “Agents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial” by James Luceno.
You can find Megan on Twitter with the handle @blogfullofwords, Rocky with @ladydarthcaedus, and Bria with @chaosbria. This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon! If you like what you hear, you can subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Megafeed for more episodes and all of our network’s great Star Wars and geek culture content. We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
HOLONET BLAST #58
It’s Monday! Happy Star Wars news roundup, everyone!
Flight of the Falcon Book Series Coming This Fall
More middle-grade riches, y’all! This series will cover the Millenium Falcon‘s journeys over a long period of time in the GFFA. The series begins just before the Solo film picks up, and continues to follow our favorite freighter through both the original trilogy and into the new trilogy. PLUS all the books will come with maps! And timelines! I love timelines. Star Wars: Lando’s Luck (the first book in the series), is written by Justina Ireland and illustrated by Annie Wu. The series will also bring back the Space Twins (!) and will have my favorite pirate playing with my favorite Wookiee and scoundrel. (I can’t believe we’re getting Hondo in a story, guys!) IT SHOULD BE SO FUN AND I AM EXCITED!
There will be a new short included in the 5/25 Forces of Destiny: Volume 4 broadcast–just in time for Solo! Will Han be there? PROBABLY. Will he and Hera re-kindle their ship rivalry? A GIRL CAN DREAM.
More Han Solo-Centric Content Coming to Battlefront II
EA continues to tease out what looks like more great playable content in Battlefront II . Leading up to the with the Solo release, on May 16th some(?) new downloadable content will be available as part of the Solo Season. So far it sounds EXCITING–playing in Jabba’s Palace, BEING ABLE TO CHANGE LANDO AND LEIA’S OUTFITS TO THEIR Return of the Jedi DISGUISES, something called “Starfighter Custom Arcade” where you’ll be able to fly all kinds of ships from all kinds of eras, and a new mode called Hero Showdown which sounds like a load of 2 v. 2 fun!
Behind the Scenes Solo Happenings
The VFX Supervisor for Solo: A Star Wars Story has been promoted to a new role where he will lead Lucasfilm’s Industrial Lights & Magic. Aside from working on Solo, Rob Bredow has a great resume of past films (Independence Day, Godzilla, Cast Away, among others). I haven’t seen Solo yet, but I’m excited to see the visual effects (which, from the trailers look s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g). Good for you, Rob! Hire some cool ladies and people of color while you’re at it, eh?
Non-Dave Filoni Star Wars Television News
Jon Favreau, who will executive produce and write for the new Star Wars television series, gave us some info on the new show (see, Dave? IT’S POSSIBLE). We find ourselves seven years post Battle of Yavin and can expect an entirely new cast of characters with “cutting-edge tech”. He’s also written about half of the first season so far. Air date (and series title) are still TBD, but the show will be on Disney’s new streaming service, which is expected to launch sometime in 2019.
Live from the Solo: A Star Wars Story Premiere
It’s almost like the news has a theme this week. The Solo world premiere happened! In short, everyone on the carpet looked like a snack and I couldn’t be more excited to see them run and jump and blast their way through this movie.
Until next time!
Of Dice and Droids Episode XIV: Love is a Battlefield
SEASON TWO – FLIRTING WITH DANGER
DIPLOMATS OF PLOOMA
EPISODE XIV: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD
The Cast:
- Brian the GM
- Kiera Lex played by Rocky
- Diya Barron played by Nanci
- Perceval played by Jay
- Shoto played by Sho
- Gin played by Saf
Diplomats of Plooma continues with a gala and a royale! Strap in, we’re heading for the battleground.
This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes/Google Play to hear all of the adventures! You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio master podcast feed (iTunes/Google Play) for even more great Star Wars and geek culture content.
Book Wars Pod, Episode 48: What Else Am I Gonna Do With These Grenades?
This week, we’re welcoming our favorite Luke superfans — Shannon Joy and Tosche Station’s very own Nanci Schwartz — to the pod to talk about THE LEGENDS OF LUKE SKYWALKER by Ken Liu. How does this book enhance our understanding of Luke’s character in The Last Jedi? How do these stories compare to the former Star Wars Expanded Universe? Plus, Nanci and Shannon answer some listener questions.
This podcast is NOT spoiler-free!
Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes or Google Play for more great shows from our podcast network.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, and Kate Sedor. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.
This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!
Review: It’s Your Universe
Since 2008, Ashley Eckstein has had a huge, positive impact upon the lives of fangirls everywhere as both Ahsoka Tano and the founder of Her Universe and now she’s written a book too! Out today, It’s Your Universe: You Have the Power to Make It Happen is a biographical and inspirational account of Ashley’s journey from being a young Disney-loving girl in Florida to a Star Wars star who runs a company focused on supporting fangirls.
Towards the start of the book, Ashley encourages readers to use the book as their own journal for writing down their hopes and dreams and what the path towards that dream might look like. She even leaves lines and little prompts for readers to do so. This turns the reading experience into something interactive.
Admittedly, It’s Your Universe is not a book intended for me. (I’m a 28-year-old pessimist who masquerades as a realist.) But that’s okay. Not every book has to be for every person and there are plenty of people out there, young girls in particular, for whom this book will be amazing. The suggested age range for this book is 12-18 but I think younger fans would appreciate it even more than older teenagers.
Throughout the book, Ashley incorporates some of her favorite quotes and storylines from Disney films, both classic and new. Between descriptions of times when Disney Princesses had to keep going in the face of adversity and Ashley’s own candid descriptions of instances where she experienced set backs, readers are reminded that the path to success isn’t always a straight line. What matters is that you keep believing in yourself and come up with a new plan when your first one doesn’t work out.
It’s Your Universe is likely the perfect book for a young fangirl and especially one who needs a little positive reinforcement as she strives towards her dreams. And hey! While it might not be the book for me, it could very well be an inspirational book that older fans adore as well. In short, if you’re a fan of Ashley Eckstein and Her Universe, you’ll likely find something to like about It’s Your Universe.
Thank you to Disney Editions for providing an advance copy of the book for review.
Holonet Blast #57
Hey there one and all, it’s time for our weekly roundup of news from a galaxy far, far away.
A New Narrator for A New Hope
Solo: A Star Wars Story Director Ron Howard has had as storied a career as an actor as he has behind the camera. One of his best known roles was the narrator of the cult comedy hit Arrested Development, where his pithy commentary serves to underscore the hilarity of the Bluth family’s misadventures. Last week, the Skywalker family was given similar treatment as Howard lent his voice to a humorous, albeit truncated, version of Star Wars: A New Hope complete with a shameless plug for Solo.
The Immaculate Cape Closet and So Much More
The world got a tour of the Solo: A Star Wars Story version of the saga’s beloved Millennium Falcon, hosted by the caped charmer himself, Donald Glover. Glover takes fans in an intimate tour of his shiny spacecraft, complete with a visit to the Captain’s quarters and a walk inside the cape armoire.
Becoming Solo
In yet another video tease leading up to Solo: A Star Wars Story‘s release on the 25th, the featurette Becoming Solo also debuted this week. Take a look inside the creative process behind bringing this iteration of the galaxy’s favorite scoundrel to fruition at the link above.
Return of the X-Wing
Fantasy Flight Games announced a new edition of the X-Wing miniatures game this week. X-Wing Second Edition expands on the success of the original game including the added ability to use the Force in ship-to-ship combat. The core set comes with everything a would-be flight leader needs for a thrilling two-player adventure.
Forces of Destiny
This week we saw the debut of new episodes of Star Wars: Forces of Destiny. New content includes a long-anticipated episode featuring young Queen Amidala, a Luke and Leia team up on Endor, and a meeting between Ezra and Ahsoka. All of the new Forces of Destiny episodes are currently available on YouTube and will air on May 25th on the Disney Channel.
Han Solo Season
The folks at EA Games have a very good feeling about this week’s announcement– and frankly, so do we. The Han Solo Season (a cryptic yet thrilling moniker) is coming to Battlefront II this month.
Run to the Light!
Or to the Dark Side, if that’s your thing. runDisney announced this week the 2019 Star Wars Rival Run Weekend. The race weekend will be hosted by Walt Disney World on April 4-7, 2019 and will allow participants to choose which side of the Force they’re running for. The Star Wars Rival Run weekend will have new features highlighting famous Star Wars rivalries as well as traditional favorite challenges including the Rival Run Challenge (running both the 10k and the half marathon over the weekend) and the Kessel Run Challenge (running both the in-person and at-home/virtual half marathons).
Donald Glover on SNL
The Galaxy’s smoothest cape wearer was well-represented by fan favorite Donald Glover, who hosted this week’s Saturday Night Live. While not all the jokes were about Star Wars, Glover represented himself and the brand well, raising hype for Solo and reminding us all what it takes to be that cool.
The Falcon has Landed
This week saw the first volley of fans invited aboard the Millennium Falcon as it tours the country. A perfect replica of both the cockpit and the crew lounge as seen Solo: A Star Wars Story opened to the public this week in Atlanta. The exhibit is housed at The Battery, adjacent to Sun Trust Park (where the Braves play baseball), and free to tour. If the photos we’re seeing are any indication, it’s glorious.
And that’s it for this week! As always, send Star Wars news tips (and pictures of yourselves visiting the Millennium Falcon Experience!) to us here at Tosche Station. And May the Fourth Be in our hearts all the year through!
Review: Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure
I had absolutely no idea what I’m doing when it comes to a choose your own adventure book but you know what? That’s actually pretty in-character for Han Solo so I’m going to say it works. Star Wars: Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure by Cavan Scott with illustrations by Elsa Charretier is precisely what it says on the label and hey to top it off, it’s actually rather fun.
As I said before, I’m not exactly a connoisseur when it comes to choose your own adventure books so this was a brand new venture for me. Turns out that I’m not actually all that great at picking the right option: I led Han and Chewie straight into their journey’s premature end at least five times if not more. That’s actually part of what makes this fun because the right choice isn’t always immediately evident. Sometimes, this is because Han has two equally hair-brained ideas such as telling someone that he’s Jabba the Hutt when he’s in a less than ideal situation. (Honestly, it’s actually somewhat impressive how many people in the galaxy don’t know what a hutt looks like…) I only went through the book once but there are apparently twenty different outcomes (although I suspect that I found about a quarter of those given how many times I unsuccessfully guided our favorite smugglers.) This could easily keep someone entertained for a few hours if they wanted to try and find all the different endings.
The bottom line? If you like these sorts of books, you’ll enjoy Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure. If you’ve never tried a choose your own adventure book, this could well worth giving a try. It’ll keep you (or kids in particular) entertained for a little while and let you have fun flying the Falcon alongside Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Thank you to Disney-Lucasfilm Press for providing a copy of the book for review purposes.
Review: Doctor Aphra #19
I love one (1) Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra. So much. She’s not perfect; in fact, she’s a little bit terrible at times but that just makes me love her more.
Spoilers for Aphra doing terrible things and also being very, very gay beneath the cut. Continue reading