George Lucas Says He's Retiring

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fan of George Lucas. It is true that I am a huge fan of Star Wars, but a Star Wars fan is not necessarily a Lucas fan. I, however, have great respect for the man who built from scratch an empire and a legacy. In addition to Star Wars, Lucas has created Indiana Jones which spans across 4 movies (1 more on the way), a TV show, comic book tales via Marvel and Dark Horse, books and more. Other great films include American Graffiti, Willow, Tucker, THX 1138, and the upcoming Red Tails. Lucas has also been a producer on other films. Some of which you may recognize. These include Howard the Duck, Labrynth, Land Before Time, Kagemusha, Body Heat, Latino, More American Graffiti, Mishima, Radioland Murders, and Twice Upon A Time. This list is certainly not all inclusive.

Lucas has often come under fire by fans for his films. Even Star Wars fans complain about those films. Granted there are some aspects of the films that merit a consideration for improvement but the majority of complainers fail to miss the level of involvement and effort that goes into production. It is easy to miss mistakes, overlook editing cuts, or fail to notice storyline errors. However, considering the immense time span upon which the Star Wars tales have been told, it can be a challenge to fit all stories within a general framework without errors. As a fan I am willing to accept some errors or perceived errors amidst films that span across 5 decades. Lucas' films are really just the icing on the cake. It is his other contributions to the film industry that deserve attention and credit. Lucas' companies such as Lucasfilm, Ltd., Skywalker Sound, and Industrial Light and Magic have been at the forefront of developing new technology and standards that the film industry has needed and adopted. The standards for digital sound via THX has greatly improved the movie experience. Few movies can be watched without the imprint of George Lucas somewhere being stamped. Lucas' announcement of retirement is only in regards to epic films. He will finish the 5th installment of the Indiana Jones universe and focus on smaller films that focus on artistic quality. Regardless of what Lucas does, this writer will always be a fan!

From Jedi to Joker

The year 1977 witnessed the debut of a character that would eventually become famous around the globe and would continue to be so for decades.  The Star Wars era began and with it the famous, young and soon-to-be Jedi, Luke Skywalker.  The revelation of the Stars Wars epic was that the evil Darth Vader, a villain unlike any that preceded him, was in fact the father of Luke Skywalker.  Later it was also revealed that Princess Leia was Luke's twin sister.  Of course, any true Star Wars fan knows this information, but it was the twists in the story and the secret ties that made the story great.  Luke Skywalker came to be the hero among all young fans.  He was a new character with a unique name. 

That same year, in fact the same film, produced an unknown actor to be Luke, Mark Hammill.  It was Mark's portrayal of Luke that defined the character and carried the movie franchise.  It's his likeness that is continually used in paintings and artwork depicting Star Wars themes.  So what has Mark Hammill done since Star Wars?  Quiet a bit actually.

It would seem that Mark has a talent for voices as he has been providing the voices for characters for animation and video games.  His first use of his voice, at least from what I can find, was in 1973 (pre Star Wars) in Scooby-Doo: Mysteria in Persia.  Years later in 1989, he provided a voice in The Little Mermaid but received no credit for it and in 1993, he provided the voice for E'Lectromag in Biker Mice From Mars. Later that same year, he became the voice of one of comicdom's most notorious villains in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.  Which villain?  The ever popular, Joker.  Unlike other actor/character combos he has maintained that role providing the  voice of the Joker even in video games, such as the upcoming Batman:Arkham Asylum II.  Who would have guessed that Luke Skywalker and the Joker would have something in common?

Other animated comic book characters that Mark Hammill has voiced include: Hobgoblin, Wolverine, Solomon Grundy, The Trickster, The Spectre, Iron Man, Red Skull, Gargoyle, Maximus, Triton and many others.  It would seem our young Jedi Knight has a talent of using his voice in quite a number of ways.  If you would like to see the long list of things Mark Hammill has done just click here.  You will be surprised at the amount of work he has had over the decades.

From Jedi to Joker the talents of Mark Hammill continue to infiltrate our lives as comic book and science fiction lovers.  Will we ever see him in another Star Wars role?  That remains to be seen, although unlikely.  One thing is for sure, we will contiue to enjoy Mark's legacy whether we realize it is him or not.

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