User:Menkooro/theyloveus

Wookieepedia is an excellent resource. Fans certainly aren't the only ones who reap the benefits of its usefulness; a variety of Star Wars authors have publicly acknowledged their perusal of its vast array of information while writing novels. Our impact on Star Wars publishing is much more far-reaching, however, and on this page I'll explore some of our contributions in detail.

This site is full of images. Images are taken from comics, sourcebooks, video games, films, TV shows, etc, and we claim that it's all in the name of fair use. Lucasfilm Ltd. could probably crack down on our image policy in a second, but it's doubtful that they ever will. The images we provide are, simply put, too damn useful. Not only do they constantly show up on other websites, but they've made their way into official Star Wars products, as well. 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia contained a multitude of screenshots from Knights of the Old Republic that were taken right from Wookieepedia, but the screenshots were only the half of it. All one need do is glance through the CSWE and she'll notice that many of the images used are identical to their Wookieepedia counterparts, the latter of which were uploaded much earlier than 2008. It's not very likely that the Encyclopedia's authors just happened to crop dozens of comic panels to the exact same dimensions as we did. Especially not the image of Astraal Vao you see to your left, which was cropped from this image and had its background whited out by a Wookieepedian as early as 2007.

I'm not, by any means, attempting to be critical of any Star Wars author who nabs images from the Wook, nor of anyone who uses it for research purposes. I think that being that kind of resource is what we as a site strive for. I did, however, find it very interesting when a Wookieepedia article I wrote showed up in an issue of Star Wars Insider.

The Han Solo case
In May 2010, I wrote a very long and detailed "Behind the scenes" section for Han Solo. I did extensive research, drawing on nearly one hundred different sources to compile information on the origins of the character, the casting process, Harrison's Ford's portrayal and thoughts on the character, his cultural impact, and more. I love behind-the-scenes info, and, well, Han's a pretty cool guy. Over more than one year's time, very little of it was changed. Check out its current incarnation here --- as of September 2011, it's still nearly word-for-word what I originally wrote.

When Star Wars Insider 127 came out in July 2011, I was pretty excited to read an article centered around what the magazine's cover advertised as "Why Han is still the man!" When I dug into the article, however, I received an extreme case of deja vu. "This information..." I thought, "presented in this order... I've seen this before. But where?" I passed it off as a coincidence at first, but it quickly became too obvious to deny. Author Brian J. Robb, when tasked to write an article about the origins, influences, and continuing appeal of Han Solo, used the "Behind the scenes" section I wrote as his primary research source.

Below, I'll present text from the "Behind the scenes" section of Han's Wookieepedia article, immediately followed by what Brian J. Robb had to say. See the similarities for yourself. All of the text copied from Insider is used for comparison purposes only, and I'd again like to stress that I'm in no way criticizing Brian J. Robb or Star Wars Insider. I just find it interesting, and actually kind of cool.

From Wookieepedia

Han Solo... is present in Lucas's 132-page The Star Wars: Rough Draft, completed in May 1974. In the draft, Solo is a Ureallian, and is described as a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills.

Insider take

Han Solo might not have made the same impact if he'd been the jolly green giant with no nose and large gills of early drafts of Star Wars scripts. From Wookieepedia

By August 1975, when Lucas had written his third draft, Solo was described as: "A tough James Dean style starpilot about twenty-five years old. A cowboy in a starship -- simple, sentimental and cocksure of himself."

Insider take

In his August 1975 third draft of the Star Wars script, George Lucas described Han Solo as "A tough James Dean style starpilot, about twenty-five years old. A cowboy in a starship -- simple, sentimental and cocksure of himself." From Wookieepedia

While developing Solo's character, Lucas defined him in relation to the film's hero, Luke Skywalker. Selflessness was an important theme throughout the film, and Skywalker was a selfless young idealist. Lucas thought of Solo as the sidekick with contrary morals to the hero, and wrote him as a selfish character.

Insider take

Han Solo is largely defined in opposition to Luke Skywalker. Where Obi-Wan Kenobi is the mentor, inspiring Luke and passing on vital wisdom, Solo has more practical knowledge to offer. ... One of Solo's faults, however, is his arrogance. From Wookieepedia

In the words of George Lucas, Solo is "a loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good."

Insider take

George Lucas noted that Han Solo is "a loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good." From Wookieepedia

When casting the role of Solo, Lucas sought actors who had individual screen presence as well as chemistry with Skywalker. He wanted Solo to be older than Skywalker and to possess a cynical edge.

Insider take

In casting Harrison Ford, the Han Solo character was aged upwards to distinguish him from the younger Luke. From Wookieepedia

Lucas desired new and unknown actors to play Star Wars's major roles, and originally forbade Harrison Ford from auditioning, having worked with him on the 1973 film American Graffiti.[74] Ford was working as a carpenter on the set of the auditions,[75][76] and was brought in by Lucas to feed lines to the actors who were auditioning,[74] including Kurt Russell, Nick Nolte, Christopher Walken,[71] and Perry King. While feeding lines, Ford impressed Lucas by giving the character a mix of mercenary swagger and world weariness, and convinced the director to let him play the part.

Insider take

Much of the success of the character depended upon his portrayal by Harrison Ford. We may have seen a very different take on the intergalactic rogue if the part had been played by one of the other actors considered, such as Kurt Russell, Christopher Walken, or Perry King. Ford wasn't initially up for the part, but helped Lucas out by reading the Solo role opposite other actors at their auditions. He made such an impression that Ford was cast, despite the director's initial idea of not casting anyone in Star Wars that he'd worked with before (the two had collaborated on American Graffiti). From Wookieepedia

When Ford improvised the line "I know", Kirshner felt that it was perfect for the character, and it was included in the film's final cut.

Insider take

His improvised delivery of the line "I know" in response to Leia's "I love you" in The Empire Strikes Back, perfectly summed up his character. From Wookieepedia

"I thought that the luck of the character was that he represented something close to the audience's sensibilities because of his distance and resistance to the mythology."

- Harrison Ford

Ford himself thought that Solo should die in Jedi, sacrificing himself to save Skywalker and Princess Leia. He reasoned that Solo had no family, future, or responsibilities to the story,[74] and that his death would give the story some resonance. ... Lucas vetoed the idea, however, and Solo ultimately survived.

Harrison Ford has referred to Solo as an inherently relatable character to audiences, owing to his separation from the overarching mythological themes of the saga.[76] However, he saw Solo as a chess piece that could be moved around and even killed, as the character wasn't as important to Star Wars as its Force-using characters.[78] Ford has called Solo a thin character,[104][105] and one that wasn't interesting enough to be developed throughout several sequels, unlike Indiana Jones.[78][105] As such, Ford thought that if Solo died in Return of the Jedi, it would introduce a needed complication for the character and give the story resonance.[74][78][104] Ford has indicated that he would likely not portray Solo again.[105][106]

Insider take

Ford himself had a mixed opinion of Han Solo, the part that did much --- along with another Lucas creation, Indiana Jones --- to make him famous. "I thought that the luck of the character was that he represented something close to the audience's sensibilities because of his distance and resistance to the mythology," he said, noting that Han was more "ordinary" than the wizards and princesses that were the other characters. His desire to kill of Solo in Return of the Jedi was explained by Ford's feeling that Solo was unimportant to the larger Star Wars saga, which dealt with the story of the Skywalkers. Lucas rightly resisted this idea. From Wookieepedia

In 2005, Solo placed #14 on the list of greatest film heroes composed by the American Film Institute.[120] The criteria involved in the lists's selection included cultural impact, legacy and inspiration to contemporary artists and audiences, and heroism defined as prevailing in extreme circumstances coupled with a sense of morality, courage and purpose.

Insider take

The cultural impact of Han Solo can be measured by the character's placement on the American Film Institute's 2005 list of the greatest film heroes. Han Solo came in 14th (Ford's other iconic character, Indiana Jones, was in 2nd place), beating Obi-Wan Kenobi at 37th. Star Wars was the only film to have two characters make the list. The AFI had been looking for characters that had a cultural impact, had left a legacy, and had proved to be an inspiration to contemporary artists and audiences. Their heroism was defined as prevailing in extreme circumstances, coupled with a sense of morality, courage, and purpose.

Conclusion

If you're reading this, Brian J. Robb, know that I've also written extensive "Behind the scenes" sections for C-3PO, R2-D2, Mon Mothma, Jabba the Hutt, Admiral Ackbar, and Max Rebo. Go ahead and pillage them to your heart's content. :)