Review: Star Wars: Insider #222 Returns to the High Republic With New Exclusive Fiction

The latest issue of Star Wars: Insider kicks off a new wave of High Republic short stories to accompany Phase III, written by High Republic authors and illustrated by Lucasfilm concept artist Jake Lunt Davies. The issue continues to celebrate Return of the Jedi, interviewing the man behind Admiral Ackbar and talks to Kevin Kiner about returning to Star Wars to score Ahsoka.







The Mandalorian Season Three Companion

The issue kicks off with a look back at The Mandalorian season 3. Detailed recaps of each episode are accompanied by still and concept art from the series alongside commentary from showrunner Jon Favreau, who gave his thoughts on the season as a whole at a press event earlier this year.









Tim Rose interview

Tim Rose is best known for portraying Admiral Ackbar but his start in Star Wars was through puppeteering Sy Snootles and other characters in Jabba's Palace. He talks about growing up with dyslexia and how having to think differently to everyone else has given him a creative edge that allowed him to problem solve and think outside the box to bring all the amazing creatures of Star Wars to life.



Tim reflects on his early career in a local puppetry company before working for Jim Henson and then getting a call to work on Star Wars after another puppeteer broke his leg operating the rig to hold up the 5'6' model for Sy Snootles. Rose redesigned the rig to make it safer, giving Sy Snootles more range of motion in the process. Tim talks about other modifications he brought in, such as giving motion to Ackbar's eyes to allow him to make eye contact with the actors and reflects on one of the most fun chapters in his career.







Exclusive High Republic Fiction

Following on from Phase I's Starlight Stories and Phase II's Tales of Enlightenment, Insider is launching a new collection of short fiction, Tales from the Occlusion Zone. Like the previous collections, this series will highlight how the events of Phase III have affected the ordinary citizens of the galaxy.



No Big Deal by Lydia Kang marks the return of Republic Longbeam pilots Joss and Pikka Adren, who first appeared in Insider before having a supporting role in Light of the Jedi and Fallen Star novels. The couple are recruited to investigate a distress call at the border between Republic and Nihil-occupied space. The story is accompanied by art from Jake Lunt Davies, who has produced creature concept art for the sequel trilogy and more.



Denis Muren and Ken Ralston interview

In the conclusion of last week's interview, the two ILM giants discuss returning to work on Return of the Jedi and the intense schedule to get the film completed and produced to the high standards they held themselves to. Ralston talks about planning out early mock-ups for the complex space battles with sound effects recorded by shouting into microphones while Muren recollects plotting out the speeder bike chase in Endor by filming the sequence using a Kenner Luke Skywalker action figure!



One of the most interesting revelations from the pair was the fact that the Rancor was originally supposed to be performed as a costume worn by two performers but George wasn't happy with the look, requiring a new approach. Without time to film full stop-motion, Denis Muren and Phil Tippet found a new way to shoot the sequence using a puppet, which involved shooting most of the shots in reverse!



After Endor

A detailed overview of all Star Wars content set in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi - including stories from books, video games and more that take place between the Battle of Endor and the Battle of Jakku one year later.







Tunes for Tano - Kevin Kiner interview

Kevin Kiner, along with his children and collaborators Sean and Deana, talks to Insider about returning to score Ahsoka, for the first time in live-action. Kiner recollects first composing Ahsoka's theme, which he completed in about five minutes, and bringing her theme as well as the themes of Sabine, Thrawn and others into the series, weaving them with original scores.



The trio talk about how their collaboration allows them to explore new sounds and processes that they might not be able to achieve alone, their enjoyment of exploring new characters such as Baylan Skoll and creating soundscapes for new and even more alien worlds. The composers collaborated closely with Dave Filoni who encouraged them to explore and experiment while guiding them on the emotional themes carried throughout the series.



Galactic Tales

Fiction fans are in for a treat as this issue boats two pieces of short fiction. 'Valnir and Laizhu' by Richard Dinnick explores two workers in Jabba's kitchen trying to keep their heads down and survive the intrigue of the Hutt's palace.



Whether you're a lover of fiction or love to know all that goes on behind the scenes... or just love Star Wars - Insider has you covered!

Star Wars Insider #222 goes on sale October 31 in the U.S. and Canada, and November 30 in the U.K.



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