Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An AnthologyDouglas Brode, Leah Deyneka In 1977, Star Wars blazed across the screen to become one of the highest grossing and most beloved movies of all time. It was followed by two sequels and three prequels, all of which became blockbusters. Comic books, novels, graphic novels, and magazines devoted to the films have added to the mythology of George Lucas’s creation. Despite the impact of the franchise on popular culture, however, discussion of the films from a scholarly perspective has not kept pace with the films. In Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology, Douglas Brode and Leah Deyneka have assembled an intriguing collection of essays addressing the influences that shaped the films, as well as the impact the franchise has had on popular culture. Contributors to this volume discuss the Star Wars universe and what its connection to various cultural touchstones—from fairy tales and Joseph Campbell to Disneyland and Marvel comics—mean to viewers. Essays examine the films in the franchise as well as incarnations of the Star Wars universe in video games, comic books, and television programs, including the films’ influence on new generations of filmmakers. A companion volume to Sex, Politics, and Culture in Star Wars, Myth, Media, and Culture in Star Wars is a diverse collection of criticism that investigates the dynamic force that Star Wars has become in popular culture, from every imaginable angle. |
Contents
Star Wars and the Western Film | 1 |
Chapter 2 Is Star Wars a Modernized Fairy Tale? | 13 |
George Lucas and Walt Disney | 21 |
Archetypes Mythic Elements and Aspects of Joseph Campbells Heroic Monomyth in the Original Star Wars Trilogy | 31 |
New Variations on Old Themes and Questioning Star Wars Revival of Heroic Archetypes | 47 |
George Lucass Star Wars Turns to Tragic Drama | 65 |
The Visual Style of George Lucas | 83 |
How Media Created by Star Wars Now Defines the Franchise | 101 |
Star Wars Portrayal and Inspirations on the Small Screen | 127 |
The History of the Expanded Worlds Canon Conflicts and Simplified Morality of Star Wars Video Games | 141 |
Chapter 12 Quentin Tarantinos Star Wars? Digital Cinema Media Convergence and Participatory Culture | 153 |
Chapter 13 Star Wars and the Technophobic Imagination | 169 |
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About the Editors | 189 |
About the Contributors | 191 |
The Mythic Comic Book Hero in Marvel Comics Star Wars | 113 |
Common terms and phrases
accessed November 27 Anakin audience battle become canon characters cinema Clone Wars comic book created Dark Side Darth Vader Death Star Disney Disney’s droids Empire Strikes Back epic evil Ewok Adventures fairy tale fantasy father fear film’s filmmakers Flash Gordon Force galaxy genre George Lucas Han Solo hero’s Hidden Fortress Ibid kids Kurosawa Leia’s lightsaber Lucas’s Lucasfilm Luke Skywalker Luke’s machine Millennium Falcon moral myth mythic mythology narrative Nogami Obi-Wan Kenobi original Star Wars original trilogy Padawan Palpatine Phantom Menace planet player plot prequels Princess Leia production Propp Rebel release robots romance saga scene science fiction serials shot Sith Solo special effects Star Wars films Star Wars games Star Wars trilogy Star Wars universe Star Wars video Starkiller StarWars.com story storytelling structure studio superhero Tatooine television toys tragedy tragic viewers villain visual Walt Wars video games Western Yoda young