Blackwolf the Dragonmaster's Diary of Magecraft

Being a Chronicle of the Inner Secrets of, and Spells of Magick as Wielded by, the Philosopher of the Internet and Unofficial Sorcerer-in-Residence of the City of New York

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Location: New York, New York, United States

As New York's Unofficial Wizard, my mission is to encourage the Mortals of Manhattan to imagine responsibly!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away......

Ten simple words. But who could have foreseen the impact those ten simple words would have not just on our culture, but on the way we see the entertainment world in general?

Know ye, then, Mortals, that 33 years ago this day, the might and awesomeness that simply IS Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope was unleash'd 'pon the Multiverse; and from that day henceforth, the lives of all of us who dare to imagine would be forever changed.

Master Richard, my Mortal-born alter ego, was a mere brat of 11 'pon that joyous Wednesday the 25th of May; but even at that age, as naive as he was, he was able to rediscover the true Force, if thou wouldst, of what that space comedy, as they called it then, would forge. Today, it is difficult to recall a time when one did not find oneself influenced by the situation explained by the film's main title crawl:

It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon: the Death Star, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy......


Three simple sentences, yet how many times in the years since have they kept drawing us in? Well, let me just say this: I'm sure Darth Vader's pretty happy about the fact that Star Wars is still America's #1 licensed toy franchise; you have to work pretty hard to keep Lord Vader happy. For, as we all know, when Vader's not happy, he'll pretty much make you choke. Literally.

There is, of course, one man whom we must all thank and/or blame for all this wondrous and still unexplored playing field: George Walton Lucas the Younger. Who could have foreseen how this one car-loving former teenager from Modesto, California could have over the space of three decades morphed so powerfully into him whom we now call the Sage of Skywalker Ranch? Look what he hath brought the world: Lucasfilm! LucasArts! Lucasfilm Animation! THX! Industrial Light and Magic! Skywalker Sound ..... and innumerable films, TV shows, videogames and adventures sealed in a treasure chest destined to be packed with stuff for practically all eternity and far, far beyond!

Put simply, my dears, we are ALL fanboys because of all that A New Hope accomplished. I only hope there shall be more. What else is there to say, then, save:

May the Force be with you.