Suvudu Universe

New Book Dates

Star Wars Books recently announced date changes for Kevin Hearne’s Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi and Paul S. Kemp’s Star Wars: Lords of the Sith. Written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s perspective in first-person point of view, Hearne’s Heir to the Jedi moved from January 2015 to February 17, 2015. The novel featuring Darth Vader and the Emperor by Kemp moved from March 2015 to April 21, 2015. The date change is something that publishers often do and fans have been reassured that neither date is related to “the status of the manuscripts, the authors, or Harrison Ford’s broken leg.”

Which novel are you looking forward to reading the most? Star Wars: A New Dawn is definitely at the top of my list!

Star Wars Scene Maker Now Available!

Looking for a new app to download? Star Wars Scene Maker is now available for iOS devices. Disney Publish Worldwide seeks to re-define the storytelling experience by developing interactive apps that engage users and allow them to be more creative throughout the story. A similar app that also combines the power of play, technology and storytelling is Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace, which happens to be my favorite. I’m a big fan of the podracing feature and how it bears similarities to the N64 game Episode I: Racer.

Fangirls of the Day

Voice actor Vanessa Marshall and Kristen “Kay” from FANgirl Blog were recently nominated as fangirl of the day in Her Universe’s Year of the Fangirl. Vanessa is not only the voice of Hera Syndulla in Star Wars Rebels, but she is also a big Star Wars fan herself, often engaging fellow fans through social media. She also participates in charities and supports initiatives and organizations that help empower individuals. Kay is a contributor for the FANgirl Blog and an awesome Star Wars fan. We started following each other on Twitter several months back, and like Vanessa, she engages her fellow fans through writing and social media. Both ladies are lovely fangirls in the community, and I’m sure we’ll see many great things from them!

Star Wars Rebels Spelling Bee

In case you missed them before, a series of video shorts featuring actors from Disney’s live-action programs promoted Star Wars Rebels in the form of a spelling bee contest at Tosche High School. Each video highlights a Star Wars word and hilarity ensues! My favorite one has to be Karan Brar’s video. He demonstrates what it means to be a true rebel! To check out the series, visit Rebels Report. If you’re international, the videos are also available on YouTube.

Star Wars as Guardians of the Galaxy

Ross Thompson, also known as The Unusual Suspect on YouTube, loves editing and creating mash-ups. His latest video combines Star Wars clips and the vibe of the upcoming Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy. Released on June 21, the video has been making the rounds across the Web, capturing everyone by surprise.

Rebels Report’s Frame By Frame

For an in-depth look into the full Star Wars Rebels trailer, I highly recommend watching Rebels Report’s “Frame By Frame Star Wars Rebels Trailer Analysis.” Pete Morrison and Andy Ury break down the trailer and offer insight into the scenes and characters. For all things Star Wars Rebels, please follow my favorite Twitter accounts to stay on top of the latest: @RebelsReport, @Rebels_TK421, and of course, @MakingStarWars!

Chicago: New Home of George Lucas’ Museum

George Lucas selected Chicago as the future home of his art and movie memorabilia collection. Los Angeles and San Francisco were also included as possible locations. According to the Chicago Tribune, “The museum will house a collection that includes valuable Norman Rockwell paintings, examples of the special effects he pioneered at Industrial Light & Magic, and memorabilia such as the Darth Vader costume.” Personally, I like the choice. Chicago is not exactly at the center of the United States, but it will require national fans from the west side and east side of the coast to travel.

Star Wars Pajamas

The Walt Disney Company recently held a Holiday Product Showcase at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. A variety of Star Wars products were present at the event, but the one that caught my attention the most was the Darth Vader pajamas…for girls! As expressed in my brief write-up at Making Star Wars, the presence of Star Wars female products and toys are practically nonexistent in Disney Stores. However, efforts through the #WeWantLeia campaign quickly revealed that products are being planned for the near future. This particular set of pajamas may not be a direct result of #WeWantLeia, but it’s certainly a start and we will watch Disney carefully every step of the way to make sure that the franchise strives to be more inclusive.

Star Wars Rebels Merchandise

Justin LaSalata of Jedi News recently spotted a Star Wars Rebels backpack and lunch box at Toys “R” Us. We’re getting closer and closer to the premiere of the highly anticipated animated series, so products such as these will be popping up at different retailers. Keep your eyes open for anything and everything Star Wars Rebels and report back to Jedi News (or The Wookiee Gunner) if you find anything of interest!

LEGO Star Wars: Episode VII Cast

The unforgettable black-and-white photograph of the Star Wars: Episode VII cast sitting in a circle with scripts in hand has now been transformed into LEGO minifigures! The caption to the photograph on Facebook read, “It is both thrilling and surreal to start building in a couple of weeks, and we look forward to bringing this new world to life, once again (in 1/48 scale)!” What I love most about LEGO is how they incorporate humor into everything they do (E.g. Andy Serkis holding the ring from The Lord of the Rings). If you’re a fan of LEGO, I suggest watching The Lego Story to go back in time and discover the origins of one of our favorite childhood toys.