018: Stunning Leia!
c.1982? This is a much later page today, possibly c.1982, starring for once–a non-ugly Princess Leia! Also it’s just better-quality work! I reckon the graphic effect behind the Stormtrooper must have been lifted from another comic – not the Marvel version. I can’t imagine it was my own concept.
Interview with Amazing Stories Magazine!
I’d just like to gve a quick link to an interview that I did with Darren Slade – of my favourite blog Episode Nothing: Star Wars in the 1970s for Amazing Stories Magazine. It was great fun and I’m really pleased with it. Its only the second interview I’ve done about Star Wars age 9. The other was with Manu Pinon for Spain’s Cinemania Magazine. Amazing Stories is an excellent site. There’s so much to enjoy! Many thanks to Darren for the interview which he fashioned into a really good article. Darren has a new blog post coming at Episode Nothing today, as I write this. Please visit and leave a comment or share a link!
I never noticed the POD ENGAGED text before. I had no idea they were used for that!
Art Notes: Cor… Girls!
It’s been interesting to see how the early artwork of 1977-79 or so makes no attempt – at all – to depict the feminine charms of Leia or any of the women. I was 9-11 thereabouts and girls weren’t really that much of an issue. Obviously I fancied Farrah Fawcett – but what boy didn’t? I even had her picture in my Warlord Secret Agent Wallet. But no, Leia looks absolutely hideous on most of the early stuff.
Paralysis-Ray? Looks pretty severe to me! (Chaykin/Marvel 1977) [large view]
Apparently the image above-left is famous – is it called the ‘Leia Boob Shot’? She isn’t shot in the boob! I tell you what though, the blue concentric circles effect in the film works very nicely. Howard Chaykin however, appears to be trying to blast her arm off. I’ll tell you another thing too, she looks very nice indeed.
Film Notes
More about Boobs
Carrie Fisher says she had to very uncomfortably tape her chest bits down under her outfit to keep things under wraps and under control. This was important to George it seems because, she says “Apparently there’s no underwear in space”. She’s a funny lady. Aparently there are no nipples allowed either – in space – in 1977.
“Apparently there is no underwear in space (laughs)”
– Carrie Fisher
Bonus Prurient Content
Above: An incredible cinematic moment – worth highlighting all over the web
Incidentally, you won’t believe the stuff that you can find on the internet (Please don’t ask me what I typed into Google to find this clip. Ok, it was ‘leia boob shot marvel’).
Warning: the above clip repeats over and over and becomes somewhat… well, creepy.
Carrie ‘roasts’ George Lucas. A must-see stand up comedy piece!
Next: Leia – she’s a bit rough!
PANEL 1
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(CU of Princess Leia, with an escape pod behind, and lasers criss-crossing. She's holding a gun)
PANEL 2
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(CU of a stormtrooper)
"There she is!" he shouts.
PANEL 3
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(full-body/wide-shot of Leia. She's hit by a stun blast and falls to the deck)
Yes, that paralysis ray in the Marvel comic does look severe. It looks like a flaming Messerschmidt colliding with the English countryside. I think that would lead to a hole in the shoulder followed by intense screaming, rather than the much more harmless falling into unconsciousness . I’ll take my chances hitting something hard on the floor from a proper stun ray rather than having that Marvel ray (in all its over-the-top glory) rend flesh and plasma. I must say, however, that Leia’s chest does look pretty. Almost like her outfit was painted on. Again, you have to love Marvel’s divorce from reality. 🙂
Arf! here, do you think I got Carrie Fisher’s quote wrong?
Yes, I’d say that Chaykin panel was quite influential for many young lads.