The cover of the first issue
Star Wars Official Poster Monthly was a magazine published by Paradise Press in the US and Galaxy Publications in the UK beginning in October 1977. Eighteen monthly issues were produced, with issue 18 appearing in March 1979. The cover price in the United States was $1.50, with a ten-month subscription costing $10.
Though no editorial or writing staff were credited in the first issue, issues 2 through 15 credited Jon Trux as editor, with John May and Michael Marten listed as contributing editors. For the last three issues, May became editor, with Marten and John Chesterman as contributing editors. George Snow was visual supervisor for all eighteen issues.
Its main feature was a large full-color poster (advertised as "a giant, nearly 2 foot by 3 foot poster") of a character or scene from the original Star Wars film. However, it is perhaps more notable today, especially to fans of the Expanded Universe or those with an interest in the technical aspects of filmmaking, for the short illustrated articles included. These articles included character profiles, interviews with special effects crew and artists, vignettes about the Star Wars universe, and even discussions about real-world scientific topics relating to the film. The in-universe articles are particularly interesting for identifying the Imperial stormtroopers as clones, and discussing Darth Vader's reconstruction as a cyborg after losing a duel near a volcanic pit to Obi-Wan Kenobi, long before the release of the Prequel trilogy.
Star Wars Official Poster Monthly was followed up by five issues of The Empire Strikes Back Official Poster Monthly in 1980, and four issues of Return of the Jedi Official Poster Monthly in 1983.
Scans of the articles (though not the posters themselves) are available in the "Arcana Historica" section of Time Tales on TheForce.net.
Issues[]
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 1
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 2
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 3
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 4
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 5
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 6
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 7
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 8
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 9
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 10
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 11
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 12
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 13
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 14
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 15
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 16
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 17
- Star Wars Official Poster Monthly 18
