Anger leads to Hate...

Dude.

What the fuck, George Lucas?



I just found out that Lucas made an announcement today that there will be a new theatrically-released animated Star Wars flick. I had heard about it and seen the trailer before and I was excited about it. Then this story becomes official and I'm pissed off.

Where did Georgey-Boy lose me?

Oh. I'll tell you where he lost me.

Does this ring a bell, George?!?



Mr. Lucas lost me when he continued to treat Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) and the brilliant work Genndy Tartakovsky and his crew did on that project, like the red-headed stepchild of the multi-billion dollar franchise that is Star Wars.



And this isn't some fanfic bullshit that somehow miraculously made its way to actual production... this shit's canon, baby!

In case you didn't know, and a sadly large amount of "real" Star Wars fans don't, there was an animated "micro-series" that happened between Episodes II and III. It was well-written, high-quality animation, Lucas-approved, and Emmy-winning, yet it has never gotten the type of recognition that it deserves -- neither from Lucas nor Star Wars fans. These episodes were a vital and exciting contribution to the story that episodes I - VI tell.



It picks up the story immediately after the closing scene of Episode II and carries us through to the beginning of Episode III. They tell tales of all the major characters, from Anakin's trials as Obi-Wan's Padawan to Yoda and Mace Windu's battles with the Separatists. It even introduces us to lesser-known Jedi Knights and the villains they face.



Oh... ever wonder why, in his debut scene in Episode III, General Grievous is breathing all heavy? He sounds worse than an asthmatic Vader on an uphill jog!! Ever wonder why? Then go watch this animated micro-series. It's that tight with the movies. Seriously.

But with the news of this new animated movie being released in theaters, with a television show to follow, is Star Wars: Clone Wars even mentioned as a predecessor to this new addition?

Nope.

Not once.

What the fuck, dude?

Not only does it sound like they're just revamping the same basic concept they based the micro-series on, but they're acting like Star Wars: Clone Wars never even happened! I mean, seriously! What. The. Fuck!

It was the first canon animated content in the genuine "Star Wars Universe" (not the Expanded Universe, mind you), and it gets NO LOVE from Lucas. You can't even find it anywhere on the official website anymore! If you do a search for Star Wars: Clone Wars" or "micro-series" it only comes up with info for the new stuff. The only place on the Official Star Wars Website that I found mention of the micro-series was when I searched for "Genndy". I even spotted some of the artwork from the micro-series while browsing some characters I knew were in it. But no mention of it anywhere else.

Outrage.



Also, the character designs for Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the new movie and show) look like they were heisted directly from the micro-series. I can't tell if this is an insult or a compliment! Yes, they are great designs and I loved them in the original work; but to gank them and use them, seemingly without attributing their original designers openly? Shady practice at best, guys.

The new stuff is even covering the same damn time period that the micro-series did! To quote Sarah Silverman, "What the cock is that shit?!?" How many different stories can you tell with the same characters in the same time period, dude??

And the new series and movie will be CG instead of hand-drawn, which I am on the fence about. I'm just not sure the look is best for these characters. Many of them are meant to be organic and homely, but lovable. But using the gloss and fake smoothness of CG, while trying to retain some of the pointy angles from the original designs seems to rob characters like Yoda of their cel-animated charms.


When fucked over by Lucas you are, lucky will you be to look this good.



A change this is. But enough it may not be...


Plus, I'm fairly certain that Tartakovsky is not involved at all with the new project, which upsets me a bit. Not that I should assume that he wanted anything else to do with the franchise, but at least throw the dude some recognition for laying some pretty fucking solid groundwork for this next generation! (Especially if you're gonna blatantly house his stylized look.)

I came away pretty steamed and frustrated after I watched this video. He's describing how they're exploring characters in a different way than ever before... Go ahead and watch it and then tell me how many times he mentions the fact that they've already done this... Seriously, this pisses me off pretty hard (as only a true fanboy could get pissed about this sort of thing).

Now, don't get me wrong, folks. Despite my obvious frustration at the neglect of the micro-series, I am pretty excited for this new batch of Star Wars stories to hit the masses. The trailer makes it look pretty cool, actually. And, as always, I'm pretty stoked to see Asajj Ventress (below) get some more face time.



I'm just saying that Lucas the Great should dish out some love to a brilliant, yet overlooked, piece of his universe.

I close with a plea to you, my dearest Blaug Faithfuls:

Do me a favor, before I bust a blood vessel... Seek out this diamond in the rough before the new stuff hits the theaters. Rent it or buy the DVDs! You won't be disappointed, and it'll put The Tauz a bit more at ease.

May the Force be with us.