05/15/2021
Star Wars Behind the Scenes
March 8th, 1977: it may not seem like it, but this is a huge date in Star Wars history. So much so that I plan on doing a larger, more detailed write-up in the near future because the back-story of how this Star Wars comic came to be is so deeply fascinating. But that's for another time.
But for now, I'll try to keep this kinda short: the 1st issue of the Marvel comic book adaptation of the Star Wars film released on this date today, March 8th, 42 years ago today.
Why is this important? And why is this different from any other comic book release? Good question. Well, George Lucas understood early on that with the board of directors at 20th Century Fox actively against this film getting made, he was probably going to have be creative and find ways to promote the film himself before its theatrical release to hopefully make it a hit. A life-long avid comic fan himself, Lucas - along with Charles Lippincott, then in charge of promotion and advertising for Star Wars - approached Marvel to do a six-issue comic book adaptation of the Star Wars film. Lucas and Lippincott - both sci-fi and comics geeks back in an age long, long before it was socially cool to admit that - understood that science fiction and comic book fans were often the same audience. Therefore, if you release a comic book based on your sci-fi-fantasy film in advance of its release, you're reaching the same audience. Somehow, nobody had ever realized this simple fact before. But this was long before geek culture existed. Everybody in Hollywood has since then learned from this. Just look at Comic Con as a prime example.
At this point, there is a hugely fascinating story to tell in how George Lucas and Charles Lippincott - in true Godfather style - gave Marvel an offer they could not refuse to do a six-issue Star Wars comic adaptation. Their only demand was that the first 3 issues would be released before the film, so that avid sci-fi and comic book readers would pick up on the release of this film before the May 25th, 1977 premiere.
Issue #1 would release in March, 1977, with issues two and three releasing in April and early May of '77. George gave Stan Lee such a great deal that even if this comic series failed and the film flopped, he would lose nothing.
It worked. Marvel - fully expecting this comic to fail but owing no royalties - printed 100,000 copies for its March 8th, 1977 premiere (back in 1977, that was the ceiling for comics sales that only Spidey and Superman could reach) and within weeks
Marvel execs were shocked that this comic sold out everywhere. Issues 2 & 3 in April and early may of '77 also sold out instantly, both also with 100,000 printings. This is one of the earliest hints that Star Wars just might hit a cultural zeitgiest - if the movie itself is actually good.
Once it released to theaters on Memorial Day weekend of 1977, Star Wars instantly became one of the biggest box office and pop cultural phenomenons of all time, staying in movie theaters for an unthnkable 18 months. Marvel soon found itself reprinting and re-re-reprinting this issue in countless forms due to unprecedented popular demand, ultimately selling several million copies along the way. To this day, Marvel's Star Wars #1 stands as one of the best-selling comic book issues of all time.
Star Wars #1 isn't just huge in Star Wars lore, but it stands as one of the biggest sellers in comic book history.
