"HAI!"
"AAAAIEEEEEE"
FORP

Artwork Notes

Ben's like a Samurai here isn't he?

Seems to me that the 10-11 year old was looking forward to picking up that RED marker more than anything!

Howard Chaykin's exciting treatment - Marvel 1977

You know, my mum and my big sister were disturbed by some of the demonic looking heavy metal 'artwork' I was doing a few years later in secondary school. That I remember. But wasn't I ever afraid that they'd see this stuff when I was even younger?

Check out the barely scribbled-in permanent black marker background around Ben and the blood dripping off his saber! Yep, running along it in rivulets, dripping - no, pouring, and creating a lake of gore all over the Cantina floor. I loved Star wars more than anything but must have felt there's always room for improvement! Sweet boy.

Film Notes

Shocking in the '70s

People have commented on how Walrus Man (Ponda Baba) bled a lot when Ben sliced off his arm,"Don't lightsaber wounds instantly cauterize?" they plead. Oh, who cares what the Expanded Universe says. Besides, it's probably just so George can write in lightsaber decapitations and de-limbulations and not disturb the kids with any blood. In the Special Editions, when our heroes burst into the Control Room and shoot the Imperial officers, George toned down the blaster impacts to their chests because it was too shocking. When you kill someone, it's really not nice not matter how you try to sanitise it.

So, Chewie meets Christopher Walken!

Poor fellow - he must be terrified. Walken looks scared too. It's funny you know, I've just remembered that Walken auditioned to play - not Luke, granted - but Han Solo.

It seems heretical to say this - but I bet he would have been good. If a bit creepy. And Kurt Russell would have been.. well, who knows. It could have worked. Thankfully we never found out in either case.

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