178: “Luke, we lost Biggs!”
c.1982/83? | age 14/15? There’s no time left to mourn Biggs’ passing, so Wedge is told to shut up. This page is largely drawn from cherrypickings of the Marvel version, with minor re-arrangements
Art Notes
Marvel’s take on SWa9
Let’s face it: panel 1 was ripped-off, lock stock and both barrels from Howard Chaykin’s Marvel version. Darth’s TIE fighter was also copied but positioned differently. It’s funny how that bottom panel, «like this other one, appears to reflect my interest in the video games that were appearing in every smoky den of iniquity at the time. I recall that it was on a Summer caravan holiday in either County Sligo, or County Wexford (Courtown) that I saw Space Invaders for the first time:
“Hey dad, can I go to the amusement arcade?”
“John, the only amusement those places provide is for the people who collect the money from the machines.”
He said it better than I just did, and I thought it was quite witty at the time. But walking back to the caravan, I wracked my brain trying to think of some way that you could play Space Invaders on paper. I’d blown 10 pence on 1 game, which lasted about a minute before I lost all 3 of my lives. I think that 1 minute was also enough time to give me a cramp in my hand from trying to operate the left and right buttons. When they introduced the joystick in place of the buttons, it was far less painful!
But how come the rougher kids always had money to play them? And get good at them too? As I said, if I actually had 10 pence, it’d go into the machine and about a minute later—or sooner—it’d be game over. It must have taken serious cash to build up the skills. Asteroids and Tank Commander (or whatever) were the most frustrating—and briefest ones. Maybe I should have mugged old ladies or stolen the other kids’ lunch money, and got really good at them.
“Would you like fries with that?”
Sorry, I’m being lighthearted during this sombre part of the story. It’s just that the Tannoy thing in Luke’s « COKPIT looks rather old fashioned and out of place – don’t you think? The seventies was already over by the time I drew this. But, do you think it’s Charlie or a Burger King employee?
. . .
Video games on paper? You betcha!
In fact, the primary reason I failed ‘O’ level chemistry was because I spent all the time in the lab playing a Tron Lightcycle game I had invented with my mate, Jon. It was truly addictive, and ruined my chances of becoming a forensic scientist (hence art school).
Enough about me – the page is poignant, moving and fairly well drawn. So I am ignoring it.
Good story Neil.
Re: the disappointingly good page – don’t you think the flash-back dialogue in the middle is truly cringe-making? C’mon. Give me THAT at least.
At least you are sticking with your falsely advertised “Full Color” now. 😛
How goes the chess Game?
Ha ha – good one Tom. The Dejarik game? Well Johnny plays by his own rules (sounds like a movie trailer) and he LOVES it. I love just being with him when he’s enjoying it. At some point I hope to read and comprehend the rules.
Yesterday evening he dived on it when he got in from school and I suggested a draughts-style approach: Taking opponents diagonally with the central circle being a ‘den’. You can move a piece into there and stay safe – 5 times in any game – but you’re not allowed to ‘take’ an opponent from there. He didn’t get bored with my rules for over 15 minutes 😆