Han Solo Read Thru 2018

Guess who finally found her books! Next week we catch up. This week:

• Cassian Andor Live-Action Series Announced. HERE FOR THIS.
  
• Building A Better Star Wars Action Figure. Spoiler: it's a kit model of Luke Skywalker.
  
• A New Star Wars IX Rumor Claims Matt Smith Is Playing Young Palpatine. An interesting rumor that even the magazine admits is not likely to be true.
  
• Rey hunts for a ghost ship in this exclusive peek at IDW's Star Wars Adventures: Destroyer Down #1. As usual, the kids comics look great.

Still unpacking! Have some links.

• Lucasfilm canceling its Boba Fett film could be good news for Star Wars’ future. For all that I want an Obi-Wan project, I'm all in favor of doing new stuff instead of the same old characters.
  
• Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy Reveals More Incredible Illustrations. Gorgeous!
  
• A New Leak Has Fans Worried Star Wars IX Will Have Another Death Star-Adjacent Super Weapon. Let's hope they're wrong.
  
• Ewok Merchandise Exists in the Star Wars Universe and We Have Questions. (?!?!)
  
• Star Wars Episode 9 – what we know so far about the final film in the trilogy. Not much, it turns out, but this is a nice wrapup.
  
• ​Respawn To Release Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Possibly Titanfall 3 In 2019. It's a game about a surviving Padawan after Order 66. They want it to be Obi-Wan but I'm betting it's Kanan.

It is my own personal Han Solo's birthday today and he has mostly dug out my books, but not the box with this book in it yet. Meanwhile:

• Check out these rare, original Star Wars and James Bond posters going to auction.
  
• Cantina Talk: Here's a Buttload of Information About the New Star Wars Streaming Show. Rumor roundup and not just about the TV show. Some of it looks good and other stuff not so much.
  
• Rancho Obi-Wan: This man spent 20 years building the largest 'Star Wars' collection in the world.
  
• Star Wars 9 Set Photo Shows Jungle Ruins. Less spoiler than speculation.
  
• Actors are digitally preserving themselves to continue their careers beyond the grave. Not specific to Star Wars but this article talks a lot about the franchise.
  
• <a href="https://apple.news/A6Io5OPXbTB-XJiDcGY90nA?>Amy Ratcliffe has a Rebel Alliance tattoo, so her new Star Wars book expanded her horizons</a>. I am into the idea of this book (Women of the Galaxy) and excited to see it next week. </ul>

My book boxes have fallen into a hole of no bookshelves and cannot get up! Meanwhile, have some links.

• Commercial (?) break: The Most Disgusting Scenes in Star Wars Are Now Scented Candles. I think I can live without a candle inspired by the inside of the trash compactor.
  
• Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford Talk Their Star Wars Love Triangle In This Long Lost Empire Strikes Back Doc. Video at the link. It's an hour long, and no, I haven't watched it yet.
  
• Star Wars Comic Kills [Redacted]. Spoilers for the comics obviously. I don't think I posted this one last week but they're apparently slaughtering characters in the comics pretty quickly and at a certain point, they begin to blend together. Sigh.
  
• Star Wars Resistance: All The Different Ships & Variants Explained
  
• Deepfake edits have put Harrison Ford into Solo: A Star Wars Story, for better or for worse. Aka derpfake. Haven't watched the video yet but I'm sure I will want to see it later.
  
• 20 Bizarre Force Powers That Were Removed From Star Wars. Things from the EU canon that haven't reappeared. Yet.
  
• How Ahsoka Tano shaped Anakin Skywalker as a character.
  
• Millennium Falcon lands at Disneyland, aerial photos show. Look carefully at the photograph; I didn't see it immediately.

This should be our last week of Star Wars links and next week we'll jump back in with a catch-up review of Han Solo at Stars End, if people are ready. Express your opinions below!

• New Star Wars Books and Comics Were Announced at NYCC. Something for everyone!
  
• Hasbro Unveils New Awesome Star Wars Toys at NYCC 2018. More something for everyone, including stuff we can't afford.
  
• The reason the Ewoks had a dress ready for Leia will terrify you. Teal deer: they ate its previous wearer.
  
• What is Neeku wearing on his head in Star Wars Resistance?.
  
• Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB to Release ‘Star Wars: Project Porg’ on Magic Leap in December. It's a Porg-feeding simulation game for an AR headset.
  
• Star Wars: Episode IX rewrite adds two months to film’s shooting. Based on Reddit rumors and set photos, so not sure what to make of this.

Heyyyy I managed to get this into the right journal this week! Today is packing day at my house, so that's a big deal. In other news and Star Wars links:

• Marvel’s Star Wars Comic Reveals Han Solo’s History as a [REDACTED] Comics spoilers, obviously.
  
• Kathleen Kennedy inks three year contract extension with Lucasfilm
  
• First Set Photos for Jon Favreau's Star Wars TV Series Tease Filming Start
  
• The making, and killing, of the 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' space monster
  
• In Case You Missed It Here's Another Fan-Made STAR WARS Anime Short Film That is Awesome. 7 1/2 minutes and really well done, but the good guys lose because it focuses on TIE pilots.
  
• Celebrate the Millennium Falcon With This Dynamic, Trilogy-Spanning Poster. Pretty.
  
• The destruction of Alderaan was completely justified. Because Star Wars opinion pieces never go out of style.

There was also controversy about Russian bots and TLJ, but I'm trying to keep these links mostly positive.

I know I was tired when I posted this last night because it went in my own journal. FAIL.

Another Friday, another bunch of links. Including.another video from Resistance, which is looking better and better, and some comics spoilers. Read with care!

(FYI: due to some software upgrades and changes on my computer, you're now getting the Apple News passthrough links for some posts. Apple News is one of my regular sources of Star Wars news, so if you see an interstitial link, that's why.)

• Star Wars Bits: Madcap Mashups, Mini-Series Mayhem and Carbonite Craziness
  
• Extended Sneak Peek | Star Wars Resistance. 3 minutes of Youtube goodness. Includes Leia and Phasma this time!
  
• Mark Hamill Pranked By ‘Star Wars’ Co-Star Before Meeting The Royal Family
  
• 'Too much, too fast': Disney to scale back production of Star Wars movies. Still here for the Obi-Wan movie though.
  
• The Star Wars Galaxy Can't Stop Murdering Rogue One Characters. Comics spoiler obviously.
  
• Star Wars: A New Hope, But as a Classic '80s Anime. This is fantastic and really worth your time.
  
• Star Wars: 20 Crazy Details About Snoke's Presence
  
• Oculus teases Star Wars: Vader Immortal, a VR experience coming in 2019. You may get to go up against him in a lightsaber duel if the speculation is correct.
  
• Star Wars: 20 Wild Details About Obi-Wan's Anatomy. Again, not so much about anatomy as about the character himself.
  
• Solo's Enfys Nest: The Star Wars Anti-Hero We Deserve. Spoilers, obviously.
  
• Riz Ahmed was ‘obsessive’ over Star Wars audition.
  
• Poe Dameron Bids Farewell With an Important Lesson Learned From The Last Jedi. Comics spoilers.

Here are your weekly Star Wars links! I hope you're all getting some good leisure time in and a chance to read up on the first Brian Daley book.

• Meet the pilots of Star Wars Resistance in a new featurette. 5 minutes and I'm more interested in this show than I was before I saw it.
  
• Lord & Miller Took 3 Weeks To Shoot Han & Chewie's Meeting. Well yeah, this is one they needed to get right.
  
• Hold Onto Your Lightsabers: An Enormous ‘Star Wars’ Exhibition Is Coming To Australia. Jealous.
  
• A Star Wars Story Deleted Scene Details Why Han Was Kicked Out Of The Imperial Navy.
  
• Solo Kept Budget Down By Reusing Force Awakens’ Millennium Falcon. Well duh, also good for continuity.
  
• For Sale: Han Solo’s Jacket & Indiana Jones’ Fedora. We'd already known about the jacket but also: the fedora.
  
• Jules Verne's Influence on the Kessel Run and More Fun Tidbits From The Solo: A Star Wars Story Blu-Ray
  
• The Physics of a Star Wars Bomber Dropping Bombs in Space

Hey, it's Friday and time for Star Wars links.

• This Pixar and Star Wars Mash-Up Is Almost Too Perfect. Er, I'm a big Han Solo stan or I wouldn't be putting these links up but I'm pretty sure they have miscast him here. Also where is Violet as Rey?
  
• Commercial break! A Detailed Look at Lego's Amazingly Detailed Star Wars Cloud City Set.
  
• Watch: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 2 Minutes. Sadly not as funny as it would like to be but useful to kids who haven't seen the prequels.
  
• Han Solo's $1.3 Million Empire Strikes Back Jacket Went Ignored on a Rack for Decades.
  
• Han Solo Officially a Better Pilot Than Darth Vader. Well yes.
  
• Exploring Star Wars 9's Mara Jade Rumors. Teal deer: not happening.
  
• Solo: A Star Wars Story Facts and Notes Released by Screenwriter. By the way, it's out now.

Happy reading and watching!

Following on last month's discussion, we're punting reading any further until October. I may have to push it back another week because of problems with my move. But we will all catch up!

And let's have some Star Wars links:

• Star Wars: 21 Crazy Details About Princess Leia's Body. Don't let the headline put you off. It's Leia trivia, not just gross sexist stuff.
  
• STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Writer Reveals Wolffe Probably [Spoiler omitted]. Not a long article or anything but of interest to Clone Wars fans. Definitely spoileriffic though.
  
• 9 Best lines from Han Solo in the Star Wars saga.
  
• Does Chewbacca really eat humans? The answer is no.

I missed last week due to the complexities of house searching (we have a contract now!) but there are a lot of links to follow up on this week. Thanks to the Star Wars section of Apple News!

Having seen how far behind we all are, I declare a moratorium on going further until the first Friday in October. With luck I'll be moved and have internet access by then. Otherwise I'll be posting from my local Starbucks. When you catch up, please feel free to post on the book posts and link in the current links post so you can catch people up and we can get in on the discussion. If nothing else, I'll post a catch-up post then. Hang in there through the first few weeks of school.

Now it's link time:

• Casting news: Star Wars: Dominic Monaghan Begins Filming 'Episode IX'
  
• More casting news: Star Wars Episode IX Adds Matt Smith for Major Role
  
• That ‘Star Wars’ Fan Theory About Rey’s Parents In ‘The Last Jedi’ Has Been Debunked. Not actually debunked but who believed this one anyway?
  
• Star Wars Resistance Release Date, Trailer, Cast, Story, and News.
  
• 'The Last Jedi' Director Rian Johnson Confirms His Star Wars Trilogy Is Still in the Works
  
• Science Explains The Death Star’s Other Fatal Flaw. Haven't watched this yet but it's on the list.
  
• The Weird History Behind Darth Vader's Castle
  
• Star Wars 9 Leia and Lando Reunion, Rose's Mission and First Act Revealed? Lots of spoilery rumors.
  
• 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Novelization Trailer Offers Look at Deleted Scene
  
• Commercial break: Samurai C-3PO.
  
• Confirming what we knew about how many hands were in on this: Chris Weitz, Christopher McQuarrie, and More All Helped Re-Write 'Rogue One'. It's really amazing how well it all worked out given the size of the committee.
  
• What Happens When Fandom Doesn't Grow Up?
  
• Here's Your First Look at an Insanely Detailed Model of Disney's Star Wars Land. Time for me to plan to go back to Disney.
  
• Related: Disneyland is Getting a Star Wars Cantina (and You’ll be Able to get Drunk in It)
  
• Mark Hamill Doesn’t Understand Why Luke Gave Up in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’. Me either!

Welcome to the endcap discussion post for Han Solo at Star's End by Brian Daley. I was out of town last week and missed everything so I have many links to bring this week. After this week let's regroup and find out where we are because I suspect I'm not the only one whose life is nuts.

Links:

• Trailer for Star Wars: Resistance. We've all been waiting for it!
  
• A Star Wars Production Designer Says a Now-Halted Spinoff Was Headed to Tatooine
  
• Evangeline Lilly asked J.J. Abrams to cast her as Princess Leia in the new Star Wars trilogy
  
• Why Star Wars Rebels Didn't Wait Until the Finale to Kill This Character. I think we all know this spoiler, but, big old spoiler for S4 of Rebels.
  
• Dave Filoni Admits It's 'Challenging' to Think of Other Other People Working on 'Star Wars Rebels' Characters. Nobody tell him about AO3.
  
• This Star Wars fan theory argues that The Last Jedi is lying about Rey's parents. I reject this theory completely.

Happy reading and happy talking!

Welcome to the discussion post for the first half of Han Solo at Star's End by Brian Daley. This week we're reading through Chapter Six; in two weeks we'll be finishing the book. It's been a long time since I read these and I'm excited to be getting back to them. Please don't let the suck fairy have visited!

Also we have links, which I love.

• Force Awakens' Deleted Story Reveals Leia's Star Wars 9 Role. Obviously suspected spoilers in there.
  
• Star Wars 9 Returns to Vader's Castle and the Holy City of Jedha? Guessing at spoilers based on filming locations.
  
• Even Ewan McGregor Doesn't Know If He's Coming Back to Star Wars.
  
• First 'Star Wars Resistance' Synopsis Teases Dangerous Spy Mission.
  
• In commercial fun time: Star Wars™ Gear-Up Darth Vader™ Classic Lunch Bag. They also have a stormtrooper lunch kit.

I'm glad I didn't pack the book when we boxed everything up to be carted away this morning!

Welcome to our link roundup for this week! Posting a little early because I'm going out of town tomorrow.

• Pull List: Queering Canon with Doctor Aphra. Discussing the Doctor Aphra comic.
  
• Why Are We So Fascinated by Obi-Wan Kenobi's Life on Tatooine? Two words: Ewan McGregor.
  
• Star Wars Author Timothy Zahn on Thrawn: Alliances and Toxic Fandom. Mostly about Star Wars canon/IP and a bit about fandom stuff at the end.
  
• Related: Mara Jade Creator Hasn't Been Asked To Approve Star Wars 9 Appearance. We don't care where she fits. Bring her in!
  
• ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ is the defining movie of this age, says a new survey — but only if you’re over 35. Black Panther and Get Out were selected by younger people.
  
• Star Wars: 20 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About The Sith.

Next week we get into the first book of the Brian Daley trilogy, which technically takes place during the third book of the Crispin trilogy. So we're holding off on the sabacc game until then, but we'll be seeing Han and Chewie in the Falcon starting now.

Welcome to the end recap post for A.C. Crispin's The Hutt Gambit. Also, it's time for another check-in on how the comm is going, whether we're moving at the right pace, etc. Please add your thoughts. (And about the book!)

Once you've finished reading the book, here are some links to catch up on:

• Disney is bringing back Star Wars: The Clone Wars. YESSS!
  
• The New Era of Star Wars Has Revitalized Darth Vader in the Best, Most Frightful Way.
  
• Mark Hamill Trolls Star Wars Fans With 'Episode IX' Casting News. (This was posted before SDCC started)
  
• This Star Wars character connects the galaxy in a big way. Pretty minor IMO but interesting.
  
• Star Wars: 25 Behind-The-Scenes Photos That Completely Change The Force Awakens. My favorite is, of course, Harrison Ford laughing out loud.
  
• The Beautiful, Ugly, and Possessive Hearts of Star Wars. I hesitated to post this because it dealt with fandom ugliness, but it's ultimately a great read. By Film Crit Hulk, so you know its heart is in the right place.
  
• OG Star Wars bloopers on Youtube. 2 1/2 minutes, not all have sound.

It's our off week, but Harrison Ford is having a birthday today, so let's celebrate with some links!

• Star Wars Fans Have a Theory For How Han Solo Could Return From the Dead in 'Episode IX'. Sure, why not, if Boba Fett and Darth Maul didn't stay dead, why should Han?
  
• The 19 Coolest 'Star Wars' Lego Sets Money Can Buy
  
• Star Wars Fans Are Freaking Out With Theories About Who Keri Russell Will Play in Episode 9. Rey's mom? Future Rey? Mara Jade?
  
• Billy Dee Williams to finally class up the Star Wars sequels in Episode IX. YESSSSS!
  
• Lucasfilm Gifts Grieving Star Wars Fans With Awesome Collection. A nice story about Star Wars for a change!
  
• Mark Hamill bloopers that make us love him even more. (with videos!)
  
• Solo concept art on Twitter.
  
• Consumer porn: Officially licensed Star Wars T-shirts.

Welcome to the discussion post for the second 120 pages of The Hutt Gambit by A.C. Crispin. This week we're reading through page 240 or so; in two weeks we'll finish the book. Sorry this post is so late; I'm out of town this weekend and this is the first chance I've had to settle in and do links.

• Solo: How Star Wars' Biggest Failure Could Have Been A Success.
  
• Keri Russell in Talks to Board Star Wars: Episode IX for First Post-Americans Role.
  
• Rumor: 'Star Wars: Episode IX' Possibly Heading to These Familiar Locations.
  
• Star Wars Movies: The Last Jedi changed the dark side of the Force.
  
• Solo: A Star Wars Story's Ending Explained. (Spoilers, obviously)
  
• Redefining The Hero: The Referential Star Wars Costumes of Rey in “The Force Awakens” & “The Last Jedi”. These guys did a brilliant series on the costuming in Mad Men and another one on The Crown, so I'm anxious to see what they have to say about Rey.
  
• Billy Dee Williams Convention Appearance Cancellation Offers More 'Star Wars: Episode IX' Clues. Oh, please, bring Lando back.
  
• The New Star Wars Canon Desperately Needs More Books Like Tales From the Mos Eisley Cantina.
  
• 'Star Wars' Card Game App Lawsuit Produces Copyright Win for Lucasfilm. Someone made a sabacc app.

It's our off week so keep reading and meanwhile, have some links!

• The Difference Between George Lucas' Star Wars Movies And Disney's, According To Mark Hamill
  
• Kevin Smith Addresses Marvel and Star Wars Movie Directing Rumors (teal deer: no.)
  
• Solo reveals the weakness of the Star Wars Galactic Empire
  
• Han Solo 'blaster' fetches $550,000 in New York. It's from Return of the Jedi.
  
• And Now, Here's Mark Hamill With a Truly Grim Realization About Luke's Arc in The Last Jedi.

Welcome to the discussion post for the first 120 pages of The Hutt Gambit by A.C. Crispin. This week we're reading through page 120; in two weeks we'll be at page 240. We also have links! And quite a few of them.

• Every Star Wars Project Confirmed or Rumored in Development
  
• But ... Report: The Star Wars Story Films Are Being Put On Hold [UPDATED] (the update is a statement from Lucasfilm saying things are in the works that we don't know about)
  
• A Smuggler’s OTP: What is the Best Han Solo ’Ship?. New canon only.
  
• Star Wars Can Survive Its Cinematic Universe By Doing What It Already Does Best

Now, onto actually reading my share of this book ...

Last week I missed posting all the news but in the spirit of the suggestions, I'm posting today (a day late, sorry) with links and next week I'll post the first installment of The Hutt Gambit. Meanwhile, links:

• A fan tweets his reaction to accusations of "childhood ruining".
  
• 5 Ideas For a Lando Movie That Cannot Possibly Go Wrong
  
• How Solo Makes Sense of Han’s Entire Character Arc
  
• Which familiar characters could appear in Star Wars: Resistance?
  
• Star Wars Killed A Universe To Save The Galaxy (about the way they handled the EU)
  
• What if Star Wars never happened? Imagining a world where George Lucas’ space fantasy didn’t revolutionize Hollywood.
  
• The Cave in Real Time (video) The Cave here being the cave scene in ESB.
  
• Fan recs of books from the new canon and meta books
  
• First Details About 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Blu-Ray Emerge
  
• This 'Star Wars' Jedi plot hole debate is really dividing people. I liked this one because it involves people discussing SW on twitter without being assholes.
  
• Let’s Talk About Mark Hamill in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  
• The Star Wars Comics Are Closing a Major Chapter of the Clone Wars
  
• ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Should Have Been Two Movies.

On the grounds of this being our happy place, I haven't included any links about harassment and toxic fandom.

See you all next Friday with our next installment!