Two personal fandoms

Two personal fandoms of mine are colliding right now and in the most particular way.  And both are being saturated with Bandwagon fandom ™ drama. 

The two fandoms I am talking about are Star Wars and the Seattle Seahawks.

In a social media group I am part of and monitor the backlash against so called football bandwagon fandoms has been ongoing but since the Seattle victory in last year’s Super bowl the accusations of anyone claiming to be a number 12 faces a two front barrage.  One against the term/title of #12 (a whole nother story) and the accusation that they must be a new fan.  Criteria like knowing Shaun Alexander or that Warren Moon played for the Hawks are levied as minimum knowledge, which in itself might show how the accusers are themselves bandwagon fans that just happened to jump on the trolley a few years early to get good seats. 

Not sure of the year, but maybe the Christmas when I was in third grade was the best year I had for hitting the mother lode from Santa – I do think that was the year the other shoe dropped for me on that subject so maybe that was why the loot seemed so much more satisfying.  Not that I am poo-poo’ing any gift, I just mean as far as setting the bar high, “Santa” as well as all my relatives all hit a home run.  I got Seahawks loot like caps, and a Seahawk alarm clock (that old clangity clang kind of one) and some other football propaganda.  I was also a fan of Terry Bradshaw (and Lynn Swan and Franco Harris for that matter) so got a repo-autographed football from Bradshaw.  The crown jewel was the mutha’freakin Millennium Falcon!!!  Yeah still have that in an undisclosed basement – by far my most favorite toy in all my years of toydom. 

I had other Star Wars stuff before that and remember clearly the day I was surprised with the Death Star playset and my first figures (thanks Dad – I think he was trying to get on my good side…well that would do it).  However, that year with the Seahawks SWAG and the ship that made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs was when these two fandoms first collided.

Just like the dark years of the Hawks – pretty much every year until their first Super bowl appearance in 2006 Star Wars had a dark period.  Although I don’t quite recognize it as such, since due to the constant moving and living overseas I was more out of touch for both football as well as Star Wars until the mid 90s.  However, some claim the post RTOJ era until Timothy Zahn led the fandom out of the dark in 1992 was the dark period of Star Wars.

Let me explain the last part before the first part – because that makes sense in Gallo-land the world of Gallologic.  Star Wars had a Marvel Comics adaption that ran 1977 – 1986 when issue #108 ended it all. (side note as of this month they ARE BACK - check out Star Wars #1) It was not until Dark Horse revived the fanchise in 1991.  But many agree it was Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire published in the summer of 1992 that awaked the Star Wars beast.  It was for me at least.  By the mid 90s George Lucas (GL) was working on the special editions for the original three movies, A New Hope was released on January 31, 1997, followed by The Empire Strikes Back on February 21, 1997, and Return of the Jedi on March 14, 1997.  After the success of the re-release, 20 years after the original run of Star Wars, the prequels were fast tracked.  From the prequels, conventions were stood up, new toys, new tie-ins (Taco Bell Cup Toppers anyone?), and eventually a Cartoon Series. 

So the Hawks had some good years but COMEON… since 1976 only nine division championships, two Super bowl appearances (only one victorious) and all of this except the two AFC West championships were 2004 and later.  The exceptions being 1988 and 1999 when the Hawks took the AFC championship advancing no further.  After moving to the NFC they held the West title seven times.  So for years it took what I would call gimmicks (Brian Bosworth anyone?) or trying to cherry pick a rookie QB that they could develop only to suffer with years of watching mediocre talent that created apologists of the entire fandom (rick freakin mirer) .  So finally we get some good years and there is this overbearing cloud of most Hawks fans are bandwagon fans.  Where were you when Alexander was grinding out the yardage? Or who is Tez? – crap I went all the way to the HOF for Tez and followed up this year by making a return trip to see Walter Jones get the bronze bust.  Sorry I make no apologies for missing out on Largent’s induction I was a little busy keeping our country free of evil doers…

So I don’t feel any need to justify my 12^th man flag nor my cap that just came in the mail today celebrating the Seahawks position as NFC Champs, however it is ironic and funny I find myself on the other side of the debate concerning my other fandom.

To be a Star Wars nerd back in the 80s was sometimes dangerous, and it elicited strange looks in the 90s then after the prequels it could incite an argument depending on your opinions of the prequels, GL, Jar Jar ect… Even today there are too many actual hard core fans that shoot from the hip when it comes to hating the special editions or the prequels.  IF not for the special editions the transition from the prequels to the original three or original trilogy (OT) would be far more jarring than it already is.  Filmmaking had come along way from 1977 to 1999.  Sure there were some boring parts but for those that waited 16 years we actually wanted some explanation.  Crap, in our imaginations the clone wars, the origin of Boba Fett and the role of the Jedi order had already played out in thousands of variations.  Each fan boy (and girl) was a treasure trove of ideas of what the SW universe would look like sound like and be populated with well beyond anything the prequels could have covered.  So in a way we are lucky each movie was not eight hours long and full of exposition in order to explain everything we wanted to know.  In any case no matter how awesome or disappointing I was there.  I was there in  the years (years I may add that we had zero internet) that we might be lucky to hear the phrase “Star Wars” said in public and not mean President Reagan’s missile defense shield.  I was there and spent enough to finance a small country when the shelves bristled with new waves of action figures, comics, books, and tie-ins.  IF not for me and fans like me Star Wars may never have made a comeback.  I get no residuals, no kickbacks if the new trilogy and the stand-alone/spin-off movies make a crap load, my name is not in the credits, so where is my love?  I have to fight for a place in line along with all the other newcomers, or the ones who shunned Star Wars in the dark years.  I have to try to out bid for items on eBay with those whose only interest in the franchise (or fanchise for the matter) is grabbing as many exclusives from SDCC or other events as possible to resell after December 2015 when the brand explodes and make some big payoffs. 

So as it turns out I am not the Sherriff of the Star Wars fandom (if only I was….) and anyone calling me out about my Seahawks fandom is equally as unofficial in keeping fandom in check.  So what is the point of it all?

I have no freaking idea, just know that between the Super bowl in February and the SW convention in April and new release in December I am at the epicenter of the current demographic for marketing.  All that means is I need to win the lotto quick.

Dog needs a walk so rant over.

Lemme splain something to you about limited imaginations and discussing Star Wars

Lets talk about the limits on Star Wars and some people’s imaginations.

Ok here is the deal.  There are multiple dimensions of Star Wars (or any large film, comic, or book franchise for that matter).

First, we have the imagination of the creator George Lucas (GL). Along with what was in his alleged original notes and the storyboards by the likes of Joe Johnston, script versions, concept art of Ralph Mcquarrie and all the authors, artists, and effects artists that filled in the blanks between George’s ideas and gave life to the second dimension – most importantly the soundtrack of John Williams and effects of BenBurtt. 

All of the above is the Genesis of the second dimension, what we see on film (including the Clone Wars and new Rebels series). What we hear in the radio dramas and read in the novelizations. And, depending on how you feel about the recent Disney/Lucasfilm announcement all other forms (i.e. the around 80 books and two dozen or so comic series, the  expanded universe then you can either add or ignore the E.U., the role playing games, the most excellent Dark Horse comic run and the various video games that added background content in addition to the movie that was not a movie, the Shadows of the Empire.

Third we have the real world, the actual limitations of the universe we live in. When a Storm trooper hits hishead on a Death Star hatch (it’s a hatch if it is on a vessel and the Death Star is a vessel for all intents and purposes so take any arguments elsewhere)…as I was saying… when a Storm trooper hits his head on said hatch it is seen by the general bandwagon fan, casual audience, and amateur film critic as a mistake that was missed in editing or kept in because the producers could not afford another take. However, that same scene is seen by fanboy and fangirl as a wrinkle that needs to be given a backstory.  So that 30 years later that Stormtrooper is named Harry and has four kids and joined the Empire only to earn some extra money to support his wife’s Sabacc addiction, and the reason he just hit his head??? He got a call earlier that day from his wife, he has another kid on the way, so he was a little out of sorts when charging into that control room and did not notice the door so cut the guys some slack and “move along…move along…”

Ok so those are your three dimensions of the SW universe. Why do I feel the need to break this down? Well I have been catching a lot of evidence of limited imaginations in the SW fan universe.

First back in the late spring (on our world) we discovered that SW had moved its production to Abu Dhabi. Not the tourist destination of choice so there must have been a reason. First assumptions by everyone was that it must be a fill in for Tatoonine. Just because it has desert. I can list the reasons that not only is limited thinking but also pretty stupid to assume since there are reasons that can be pulled from each of the three SW dimensions…so I will…

1.                    There are thousands or millions of planets in the SW universe, why assume Tatooine

2.                    The deserts of Yuma AZ filled in for Tatooine for RTOJ during the Jabba Skiff scene why involve the extra cost of security and travel to film in Abu Dhabi when AZ is sitting there all bored and ready to go?

3.                    Real world reason to not go to Tunisia where Tatooine was filmed for SW, TPM, and ATC was due to a less than ideal security situation however there are other parts of the same desert (in other words more like the desert used for Tatooine in the other movies) nearby such as in Morocco or even safer parts of Egypt.

4.                    Why do we have to return to Tatooine in the first place? Sure there are possible story lines that take us there looking for old Luke Skywalker or maybe a return there looking for an artifact Obi Wan left or some other reason. However again, with all the talent that have written hundreds of E.U. stories, why limit us to a planet that has been in nearly all the existing movies?

The limited imagination of some of the podcasters and bloggers “is killing me softly” (to quote Alicia Keys…is she not the HOTTEST chick ever???). It is now spreading to some more leaked photos we have seen online.

(SPOILER ALERT) so there have been shots of the Millennium Falcon and some possible X-Wing variations from an outdoor set in England. The issue here is there has been great discussion on the variations on the paint scheme and some what appears to be spare parts laying around the lot.  Here we have some huge assumptions and a problem with the fan need to speculate about EVERYTHING… Real world – the spare parts may be simply parts for the equipment (like cranes or what have you) used in the production. Or maybe it was some junk left over from previous uses. Or maybe it is part of the set, however just because it looks like a podracer engine does not mean there are podracers there. Think for a minute that the podracers were modified from something else, so if podracers use engines originally designed for other uses (like small space ships…) then it would stand to reason you would see them in a hanger area for X-wings. Oh and the X-wings are not necessarily the same models – 30 years have gone by, so there have had to be modifications in the same scope and range that you see from the Republic star fighters to the X-wing and so on. It is convenient that 30 years has passed in the SW dimension was well as real world so use that knowledge to base your “guesses” and make them educated.

If anyone has gotten this far then you have to be a fan, no one else would have read this much gibberish. Congrats and I hope to see you on 18 December 2015!