Star Wars and You

• Star Wars was always in the background when I was a kid. My cousin and uncle (opposite sides of the family) were/are both big fans and would always get me the toys as birthday or Christmas gifts, even though I'd never watched the films (this was all prior to TPM). Around the time the OT came out on VHS in the mid-90s, my cousin showed me ANH while we were spending the night at our grandparents. I must've only been around 4 or 5 and I thought it was really boring, so I never watched ESB or RotJ. My life went on like that for a few more years, Star Wars being something I was passingly aware of but didn't really have any interest in. This sort of changed in 1999. It was all over school (and everywhere else!) that a new Star Wars movie was coming out that summer, and even though I wasn't a fan and hadn't seen the OT, I begged my mom to take my best friend and me to see it. I don't actually remember much from my first time watching TPM (other than thinking Podracing was the coolest thing ever), but I must have liked it enough to be interested in seeing AotC when it came out a few years later. I didn't actually become a fan until after seeing AotC in 2002. By that time, I was 10 and at the perfect age to be properly introduced to Star Wars. It was in between AotC and RotS that I watched the OT, delved into the EU (via NJO), and started playing the games (via Kotor); Star Wars became my favorite franchise. By 2005, I was a huge fan (even member of "Hyperspace" the official fan club) and RotS was the most hyped I've ever been for any movie. One of my fondest memories is being allowed to skip school to go watch RotS on opening day in Imax, and it was awesome! After RotS, the EU (now Legends) was what kept Star Wars alive for me, at least until TCW came out in 2008.
• My relationship with Star Wars now is...strained. I'm not as enthusiastic about it as I once was and have strongly disliked 2 out of the 4 films made under Disney (TFA and TLJ), and I'm not really hyped for TROS. However, I loved Rebels, Rogue One and Solo and I'm hyped for The Mandalorian. I still hold the EU/Legends as "my Star Wars", especially for post-RotJ, but certain things in canon (R1 and Rebels) have surpassed their respective counterparts in Legends. I want to like new canon just as much as Legends, but I just can't seem to connect with it on the same level; and I don't have any real interest in the ST era, unfortunately. I'm hoping they'll eventually move past the ST and venture into the Kotor era and era's in the future ( like the Legacy comics did in Legends).
• I can't really say that Star Wars has changed my life because I essentially grew up with it and can't really imagine my life without it, which I guess kinda answers that question!

 

That's a cool idea, @The Hero With No Fear!

I can't really answer that, but I can tell you when I was introduced to Star Wars. It was Christmas Eve and my older brothers got the OT as a VHS box. This was the first time I've watched Star Wars.

My relationship with Star Wars has two parts. Star Wars as general topic and the movies, series etc. I love Star Wars. I like thinking, talking and speculating about it.
The recent movies and series are a different matter. I really enjoy TFA, and I can also adore R1. But TLJ and SOLO are just boring to me. Same goes with the series. I tried watching Rebels, but I just wasn't invested enough in the characters. Resistance? I didn't even bother watching it because I already know that's not my kind of coffee. I'm excited for Mandalorian (and Cassian) though!

Well, I joined this thread and with it came some huge changes. The best and most important change was the pleasure of meeting @RockyRoadHux (and of course other people). This fact alone makes me happy of being a Star Wars fan.

Star Wars is also the reason why I got interested in movie making, especially video editing.

Not a very interesting story. But back then when I was at the SWC in London there happened two cool moments:
1) I lost my wallet during a viewing of TFA. On the next day I asked the Celebration crew if they found my wallet and they actually did! They told me a visitor of the SWC found it and gave it to them, WITHOUT taking anything from my wallet! There are good people out there!
2) A friend and I was were sitting kinda hidden at a wall because we were exhausted. Then Mark Hamill passed our way (outside his panel!) and asked if everything is alright? Unfortunately there wasn't much time for anything else. But it was still a nice moment.

I think the most relatable characters for everyone are or should be Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren.

 

I was 4 years old in 1977. Many of my earliest memories are Star Wars related and I don't remember a time before Star Wars. I'm thankful I got to grow up during the hype of the originals and have seen it continue. Star Wars has gone through changes, but I like that. Every generation will put their own spin on it and in my opinion that's the way is should be.

It's a great time to be a Star Wars fan. We have more movies, animated series, and live action series coming soon. There's even two Star Wars theme parks. A little something for everyone. I'm loving it all.

 

Please do not call Star Wars a franchise (ugh!).

'Franchise' is a business noun and verb that is used and associated with chains of stores and American sports teams that can be moved from city to city based purely on money.

Star Wars is a series of films that was always called a Saga. 'Franchise' is too financial orientated and makes Star Wars sound like a commodity.



Even LEGO - a business - calls it a Saga.

 

"Star Wars is an American epic space-opera media franchise created by George Lucas." - Wikipedia
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Franchise is a form of cooperation and marketing methods that serves as a partnership between companies (in this case Disney and Lucasfilm) for the purpose of economic expansion. And this is what Star Wars exactlly is.

 

So, I was born about half-a-year prior to ANH being released, but I didn’t see Star Wars until September 24th 1984 when ANH was shown on Norwegian TV (aka. Nrk, the national TV broadcaster and only TV channel available in Norway at the time - Jeeez, i'm old!). I was frightened to tears by the trash compactor scene (my father insists I was frightened by Darth Vader but I don’t remember* it that way) and spent the last half of the movie with my back to the screen, watching it's reflection in the window behind our sofa, and I was soooooo hooked! My life changed and for the remainder of the 80s I lived and breathed Star Wars; nothing else mattered to me.

*I have trouble reconciliating the 1984 date with my first viewing of ANH on TV, ‘cause I remember being much younger, but having consulted the Nrk TV archives like a nerd, I have to accept the 1984 date. Oh well.


My current relationship with Star Wars is one of enduring love. I lost some interest in it in the 90s, although I played Dark Forces & the WEG RPG to shreds, and the PT never really grabbed me like the OT had. I mean, I enjoyed watching the PT but it was not the same. The Disney era Star Wars has completely rekindled my love for and obsession with Star Wars, though, and I’m now just a 40-something reliving my childhood, experiencing the best time for being a Star Wars fan there has ever been! I love it and again, I’m soooo hooked! (TLJ being my favorite film in the franchise so far).


As for relating to a Star Wars character, I believe my (probably quite unhealthy) childhood obsession with the franchise caused me some emotional issues that I just recently… like last year… figured out. You see, I’ve always had a problem with the dude in the mirror; he’s not me… the image doesn’t match how I feel inside. For starters, I feel blond (but my actual hair is a quite dark brown… well, it used to be before graying and coloring ), and my “inner face” is a lot friendlier-looking than my real one. I have never really understood what that was about until I rewatched ANH for the gazillionth last year and it suddenly clicked; I probably identified overly much with Luke during my childhood, so much so that at the core of my being I believe I (should) look like him. So yeah, that’s a thing, apparently…


In later years I have become a huge Leia/Fisher fan. For some reason, my child-self didn’t quite register her, probably because it was Luke all the way for me, but as an adult it suddenly dawned on me how absolutely fantastic she is/was and I fell in love. I never had a crush on her during my child- or youthhood, and the golden bikini thing was something I honestly did not register as sexual at the time (yeah, I was a weird kid), but now I have an acing whole in my heart for Leia/Fisher.

Oh, and one last thing. I'm somewhat dyslectic and have always had trouble with reading and writing. My interest in Star Wars lead me to pen-&-paper RPGs in the early 90s, which gave me a reason to read for pleasure that I had never possessed before. So yeah, I went to the University and got a master's degree pretty much because of Star Wars.

So yeah… I kinda like this thing called they Star Wars… Can I have another one now, please?

 

How, when, and why did you become interested in Star Wars?

i was the perfect age for Star Wars when it came out in 1977. it dominated my childhood.
i watched the Holiday Special when it aired (not a bootleg after the fact). had no idea what the hell it was really all about, but it was Star Wars!
one of my saddest Star Wars memories was getting to that age when having a Darth Vader notebook for school wasn't cool ~ especially for a girl.
to make up for that, though, since seeing the Holiday Special i have always wanted a stuffed Bantha ~ and now i have two. : D​

What is your current relationship with Star Wars?

am head over heels for the new era of Star Wars. it's a chance again for so much that i missed as a kid and i'm making the most of it.​

How has your life changed as a result of becoming a Star Wars fan?

i've met other cool fans, also went to my first Celebration and got to be the übernerd i always wanted to be!
i've also come to the unfortunate and irreconcilable conclusion that social media is just not for me. ix will be my final frontier.
​

Has Star Wars helped you overcome any obstacles or tragedies?

i honestly could say i don't want to imagine where i would be right now if not for Star Wars giving me the beacon of hope i needed for so many years in a rather tempestuous life.
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Do you have any interesting stories involving Star Wars?

i was at ComicCon San Diego in 2015 and didn't even know or care that there was a Star Wars movie coming out.
first time i saw Kylo Ren at Target during Force Friday 2015, i made fun of him to my brother and called him a wanna-be Darth Vader in a little black dress.
didn't want to go to TFA and bought my ticket the week before the premiere (they had added screenings and i lucked out).
​

Do you have a character(s) that you really relate to?

Ben Solo. because despite what "Anne" thinks, i don't need to be a murderer to empathize with what he's going through.​

 

Maybe that shows my age, but isn't thecantina social media?

 

• How, when, and why did you become interested in Star Wars?

I was born a Star Wars fan.. clearly a forward thinker as Star Wars didn't exist when i was born

• What is your current relationship with Star Wars?

very good. would i prefer Star Wars to pay a bit more attention to me? of course. would i like Star Wars to notice when i've had a hair cut or bought a shiny new outfit? well yes. Star Wars does still hold my hand.. which is everything

• How has your life changed as a result of becoming a Star Wars fan?

friends. friends. friends

• Has Star Wars helped you overcome any obstacles or tragedies?

kind of. my friends here at the Cantina have helped me overcome all sorts of things.. most of which they don't even know about lol.

• Do you have a character(s) that you really relate to?

this fella..
and Ben Solo

 

yup. it sure is. ; o )

 

just so you know.. there will be an annoying little rust bucket blocking your path trooper <3

 

1.How, when, and why did you become interested in Star Wars?

Two reasons - My older brother was into Star Wars and he had the movies and one day when he was gone I put ROTJ in and watched it first. So I didn't see them in exact order. I watched ROTJ, then ANH and TESB

Another reason was my friend's brother was a huge Luke fan and he woudl dress up in an outfit like Luke wore in TESB and would go around recreating the training. Even doing flips.

2. What is your current relationship with Star Wars?

It's the one I never want to break up with. My soulmate
3. How has your life changed as a result of becoming a Star Wars fan?

Probably it being universal you can always make a new friend.
4. Has Star Wars changed the life of anyone else you know?

For the most part it brings people together and that is a good thing.
5. Has Star Wars helped you overcome any obstacles or tragedies?

I think it has helped me see things differently as in how to let go.
6. Do you have any interesting stories involving Star Wars?

Well I shared Star Wars with my younger brother years ago. Watched them together and he's a big fan.
Do you have a character(s) that you really relate to?
Luke for sure in that as I was growing up just wanted to get away always looking to do something different. Find meaning

 

How, when, and why did you become interested in Star Wars?

Right around 1992 or 93. About that time, my family got the Original Trilogy on VHS and it was the most amazing thing in the world. It still is.

What is your current relationship with Star Wars?

The word I would use is: Rocky.

How has your life changed as a result of becoming a Star Wars fan?

Here's my story: In 7th grade (approximately 1995/96), I began getting into the Expanded Universe novels. The next year, I came upon a book called "The Paradise Snare". The first of a trilogy depicting the personal history of Han Solo. You see, I was always an outcast. I never found myself as part of any group except for a loose conglomeration of "losers". But even with that group, I never really felt like I fit in. That kind of situation might have led me to a dark place, but then I read The Paradise Snare. Here was this young, irreverent, supremely skilled guy who also did not fit in with "acceptable company", and it didn't bother him one bit. In fact, he accepted it as part of his identity. As I watched him simply being comfortable with who he was and being able to overcome some terrible things, I realized, he and I were the same. It was like I was "Han Solo", I could simply be me and that was okay. I didn't have to think of myself as just an outcast, because it's a good thing to be different from the crowd, and I don't have to fit in. I've been a staunch non-conformist ever since.

Has Star Wars changed the life of anyone else you know?

Not that they've told me. But I'm not one to pry.

Has Star Wars helped you overcome any obstacles or tragedies?

See Number 3.

Do you have any interesting stories involving Star Wars?

Oh, have I got stories. Fanfics on top of Fanfics, both my own and collaborations with others. Those were the good old days, twixt 2003 and 2005...

Do you have a character(s) that you really relate to?

As stated before, Han Solo and I were cut from the same cloth. At least...we used to be...before... Watching him get murdered right there in front of me tore my heart out. If there was one thing, just one thing that would shake my love of the Star Wars Saga, that was it. I lost a lot of what made me a Star Wars fan that day; but where someone else might move on, "grow up" so to speak, my sense of loyalty does not allow me to do so. I am still a Star Wars fan, even if my love for the Saga remains tied to the things of the past like a Force Ghost.

 

How, when, and why did you become interested
in Star Wars. . . .?
My mother, who was an original fan of the OT, dragged me kicking and screaming to see The Phantom Menace under the pretence that it was "an extra Birthday treat" for me a week after my **th Birthday in July 1999. After seeing TPM, I liked it and it made me a fan of Star Wars. I then watched the three earlier ones from my mother's VHS collection and then the two other PT films on the day that they opened in the cinema.


What is your current relationship
with Star Wars. . . .?
Currently in a trial seperation after a terribly abusive relationship with the awful Sequel Trilogy, with weekend/evening visitation rights to OT and PT films only.


How has your life changed as a result of becoming
a Star Wars fan. . . .?
Reading a lot of Star Wars novels and writing lots of fan fiction (for myself) has broadened my imagination, writing skills and sense of humour.


Has Star Wars helped you overcome any obstacles
or tragedies. . . .?
Yes. Star Wars can be a welcome distraction at times.


Do you have any interesting stories
involving Star Wars. . . .?
When Solo opened on its first day in 2018, I went to see it with tickets bought weeks in advance as I had expected the usual first day crowds of Star Wars fans. Imagine my surprise when the Solo titles began, and after looking around and counting all the people in the room, I was one of only thirty people in a two-hundred seat room, on the first day of a new Star Wars film. Which equated to 15% of its capacity....


Do you have a character(s) that you really
relate to. . . .?
R2-D2, as he's the purest personification of what Star Wars is about. He's the narrator, the hero and the one character that people casually mistake as just "background scenery". Star Wars is effectively the galaxy's story through the eyes of R2-D2. It is criminal that the ST films have totally ignored this and treated R2-D2 literally as "background scenery".