010: Blood and Brains
More blood! I thought that this was from around 1981, judging by the artwork: somewhere between poor and getting better. But it’s something of a hybrid…
Art Notes: Hidden Drawing
Every scrap was precious! No matter what quality. I think I drew in the rebels’ shadows myself.
I suspected that there was a drawing in the top panel which was pasted over with that poor quality newspaper clipping. I mustn’t have been happy with the drawing. I attempted to extend the rest of the photo in biro—and probably hoped that no-one would notice! The photo possibly came from the local « Leinster Leader newspaper cinema page.
As the true 1977 fan knows: any imagery at all – whatever the source – was like gold. Especially in the days before home video and YouTube. You might have to go for years without seeing the film. We didn’t all have Video Cassette recorders!
All is Revealed
It’s not that bad! But it could never compete with even a crappy halftone-print – which made my comic feel more ‘official’
I managed to remove it to see what’s underneath with a bit of steam. It was indeed Airfix modelling glue or Bostik—but the steam helped.
More Tinkering
So George isn’t the only one guilty of revising his creation. Will I be either revered or reviled now too? The shadow rendering on the rebel’s face is quite adventurous—a later enhancement? This page was drawn at more than one time. Perhaps originally drawn sparsely in ’77 or 78 in black biro; with later augmentations in blue biro in ’81. The rebel on the right and the arm of the shredded rebel on the left, and the ZAK laser beam are certainly the later additions. As is the pencil crayon colouring.
The Script
Gore
Gruesome half-skeletal face. I made a horrid mask like that a couple of years later from papier maché for Halloween
“The figure shifted its big rifle around in armored hands—too late. A beam of intense light struck the head, sending pieces of armor, bone, and flesh flying in all directions.” —1977 Novelisation
The gore on this page, especially the half-skeletal face on the left is reminiscent of the next – much more gruesome—page. If you think this is extreme stuff (I was quite shocked to see it) you might like to read the 1977 novel which was a major bad influence. It’s interesting that when he made the film, our George was inclined toward gore – but also toward cuteness. What’s odd is that he should put both into one film! Was this a lack of judgement? —A reflection of his personal tastes? —Or an attempt to cover all the bases and appeal to any audience?
Film Notes
Rod & Leanne has some interesting alternative images at BMS
Rod Hannah discussed this problem with us on BlueMilkSpecial.com in a comment that I highly recommend you read (it’s the very long one). An issue with the Prequel Trilogy is that it’s aimed at all ages—with the exception of the 3rd film in which they couldn’t get a 12 certificate. We get Jar-Jar Binks‘ slap-stick antics for the children, alongside gruesome lightsaber decapitations. But even in the original film, Rod showed us that Ben was originally to decapitate the Cantina Bully. We would have seen his severed bloody head on the floor – but George was talked out of it: instead he just lost his arm.
Even then, I recall that the toned-down dismemberment in 1977 was still very shocking to my 9 year old self! (but exciting, obviously)
Next: Even more gruesome shreddings! Seriously, you’ll be shocked.
We see the corridor of the Tantive IV ship. A battle between the Rebels and stormtroopers is raging. The image is mostly made of a black and white newspaper clipping of a still photo from Star Wars. C-3PO and R2-D2 stand in a side corridor, watching the rebels defend.
When the stuck-in photo was removed, a hidden drawing was revealed of stormtroopers shooting at the rebels.
Panel 2
this larger panel shows Rebels being shot, and lying dying. another, in close-up in the foreground is shouting something.
Looks like some of the art work from last week was copied from that cutout so perhaps they are contemporary?
Could be partially contemporary. The gun in this one (*now lost link) looks the same. It’s likely that much of this stuff was drawn from a photo inside the soundtrack album gatefold sleeve.
I remember I brought that to your house the first time I ever visited. As we waited in the car outside Paddy Murphy’s pub that Sunday morning I think your big brothers were a struck by what a nerd I was.
No it was the doorway in the ‘vita bleet’ panel that I noticed. I suppose next week is the one where the rebel is just a grisly strip of bacon? Still gives me nightmares. ;D
Ah, I see. I would have had that clipping lying around – or stuck in the comic for a couple of years possibly.
“Grisly Strip of Bacon”. Excellent description. But NO NO NO you silly thing. Not next week…
TODAY. Whoo-ha-ha-haaa a!!!
Incidentally N, do you recall that first trip to your house in ’78?
We tried to make a Death Star diarrh-ama out of corrugated cardboard for the SW figures. Bloody murder to cut with scissors. Then we were faced with making it all black and grey with a couple of thin felt-tip pens. I think that project might have been shelved! When I look back it’s clear how hopelessly inadequate kids’ arts and crafts materials tend to be. I encourage Johnny to use quality thick colouring pencils, cross-hatched for big areas instead of pens. We could have used your ‘poster paints’ (the aroma comes back to me…) but they’re tricky though, as they wrinkle paper and card. I didn’t discover how to stretch paper until I was about 30. AFTER art college!
I think it was pretty good with a tractor beam bit and hangar. It worked so well we made a cantina as well and then invented rules for the card game they were playing in the scene – coolab. You brought it home on your bike and old man Nolan thought you were trying to take off down our hill – cardboard wings.
Ha ha – are you serious?
I can’t remember any of that at all. Thanks for the memories!
Great action page, John! Also, I like how you added the mouseover for the first panel to show the original ‘hidden panel’. Now you’re getting all gimmicky! LOL.
Interesting seeing your choices of angle in adaptation of this scene. It’s tough effectively storytelling in sequential form. It comes with practice. With only a couple of panels you need to inform the reader where everything is in relation to each other.
Continued in next comment because I keep getting told my comments are TOO long. :-/ grrr…
I must see if i can change a ‘comment length’ setting Rod.
continued from above….
I think the pasted in newspaper cutting is a more ideal precursor to the large second panel than what you originally had. I say this because it shows the “over the shoulder” angle of the rebels, thereby setting up the front on angle which follows with the impact of the intense blaster fire really hurting them. The bonus is that you get to pack that one panel with the additional information of C3PO and R2D2 and their placement in this scene.
However, I don’t really know why you were compelled to hide the original panel as I doubt (no offense meant) that this was part of your consideration at such an young age. The Stormtrooper bursting upon the scene has a lot of impact and strikes me as exactly what a 9 or so year old would want to capture from this scene.
I know – you’re right! I wouldn’t have had a clue back then really. Maybe I just thought it was a crap drawing!
Rod, if you have any other nuggets of wisdom like this, feel free to share them. When I eventually – inevitably – publish the comic that makes me rich I’ll give you a percentage.
My son’s name is Zak, so this is my favorite detail in this page.
Incidentally Alex, have you seen http://alienage11.com ?
I think perhaps the cantina scene was designed to foreshadow Obi-Wan’s end on the Death Star. It looks like Ben cut at least one of them in half, much like he was cut by Vader. That seems to fit with Lucas’ style of storytelling?
Fun fact — the first time I saw Star Wars, I wondered if Vader had meant to disintegrate Ben. It wasn’t until later I recalled the cantina scene fight, and figured out that Vader was surprised by what had happened. I wonder if Lucas had used the original plan for the first fight then the second would have been more of a surprise?
Oh yeah! He swung the saber sideways didn’t he? Speaking of ‘cut in half’—do you remember the novelisation? Here’s the gory Alan Dean Foster version:
http://starwarsage9.com/comic/no-blasters-068/
Actually, do you think they might have set it up so Vader slices him in half and Ben just dies normally? But it looked so unconvincing they decided retrospectively to have him vanish?