Star Wars age 9 Comic Book

early-mid 1978 | age 9-10 Here… how come Han says ‘Space Pirate’? Isn’t he a smuggler? I wonder where that originated. I mean, he may be somewhat criminal, but I don’t think he boards other people’s ships and robs them.

Howard Chaykin’s shameless rip-off of mine–from 1977. I think we all know which version is better, eh readers?

Blammo! The Action Really Starts

“Good shot kid. You’ll make a Spasce Pirate yet!”
“These Stormtroopers are crazy!”

Things are really hotting up today, comic fans! From here on to the end it’s pretty much non-stop blasting, explosions, gore and wise-cracking. I bet you’re not disappointed with that news. In the film, this is where the action really takes off.

In the this comic, Han’s captured mid-stride, blasting and shouting encouragement to Luke–who’s just blown an enemy trooper to pieces. That’s right, no neat laser wounds here; nothing short of blood drenched dismemberment. I suppose it’s inline with the Marvel version. And like the Marvel version there’s something more fluid and lava-like about the blaster fire–rather than the neat laser bolts that we see in the film, they’re almost like some sort of gloopy-napalm-flame-throwers.

See a partial Special Edition below

Chewie’s Getting his Hands Dirty

Chewie’s still really getting in there slugging away. I must have thought he needed to do more to help. And let’s face it, didn’t do a heck of a lot in the film did he? He didn’t even get a medal at the end-scene award ceremony! He’s much more of the loveable, nervous, big teddy bear; who gets spooked easily.

Art Notes: time for an Open Letter to H. Chaykin?

Does he look guilty to you?

And speaking of pirates, this Chaykin fellow. I don’t know how he did it, but he did it. Back in 1977 he somehow heard that a 9 year old comic-prodigy in a tiny village in County Kildare in Ireland was adapting the new hit movie Star Wars into a comic. Then, the–let’s face it–inexperienced Chaykin, terrified of failure in his own upcoming adaptation effort, somehow saw this precocious masterwork and borrowed elements from it. We all know this to be true, readers. Just look at him on the right (Let’s call it Exhibit A). “He’s obviously GUILTY your honour”. Shifty. Evasive. He can’t even look straight at us.

So perhaps the time has come for me to write an open letter on the interweb and challenge this rogue. This–this–PRETENDER! There, I said it. Little does the unsuspecting, shameless one know that I will sue him for literally hundreds of dollars. What think ye readers?

Oh, and I’ll tell you another thing about how crafty this artist is: he actually drew his one–after seeing mine in the future–but a year BEFORE I’d even heard of the film. I don’t know… Wormholes or something.

(I wonder if Howard has a sense of humour..?)