Its December. I like that.

Seems like everyone is doing big elaborate lists of things about them lately, thought I might make one up myself...

10 Things I Love About Star Wars (out of order):

1.I love the relation Star Wars has to every day life. In other words,the Star Wars saga represents so many quasi-logical parallels to the human predicament and situations we as a human race go through it is unreal. You can look at the ongoing battle between the Empire and the Rebellion and easily relate it to past historical events. Take, for instance, the French Underground forces in World War II under Charles De Gaulle who openly defied Nazi occupation in their country. Open tyranny has always been interlaced with conflict. The Empire is the perfect example under the Emperor as the type of regime that would come in after anarchy that results after deep change. Take for instance when the Jedi were hunted down and slaughtered? The people of the galaxy had lost their initial peacekeepers that they were so accustomed to so they sided with the only faction that would be able to support them. And for twenty years they lived under that tyranny until the rebellion led by some rag-tag soldiers took down the massive machine that was the Empire. Poetic.

See the comparison?

 

2. Jedi Knights are some of the most noble role models that a child can look up to. Heck, even I look up to them as heroes still. As a kid I would always love reading about the peacekeeping actions and noble deeds that they were able to complete against all odds. Take Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in episode 1, my favorite episode. They go on a peacekeeping endeavor to try and negotiate with the scum Trade Federation Nemoidians including Nute Gunray, are gassed and assaulted, but still escape and make it to the queen safe and sound.

3. There are so many intense lightsaber battles, it is hard to choose a favorite. Lightsabers in general are just awesome pieces of technology. I always tried to imagine how to invent one, perhaps someday I shall. My favorite lightsaber battle is impossible to choose, but is split between the 2 v. 1 battle of Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul and the end battle between Anakin and his master, a gentler and more aged Obi-Wan.

4. Space ships are my thing. Flat out. Everyone has something they could read about for ages and never get tired of it, for me it is space ships. I don't care what they look like, where they come from, what planetary species manufactures them, (although I do prefer Correlian made vehicles), they all rock. My favorite small fighter from Star Wars (you see, there are different classes of ships), is probably split between the ARC-170 and the Naboo N-1 Starfighter. I had a lego version of the Naboo N-1, but for sheer battle damage I would go with an ARC-170 with a good clone trooper by my side.

5. How could someone create a species as cute as the Ewok? They are the quintessential teddy bear. They are cute and cuddly and can hold up themselves in a good fight on the forest moon of Endor in episode 6! Honestly, I think it would be impossible to hate these little guys as they come flying in on vines and sometimes single handedly destroy an AT-ST walker.

6. Respect your elders. That is something I get out of Star Wars that has really helped me be a better person. As Luke Skywalker, the proverbial "Thor" of the Star Wars series (yes, Star Wars has many mythological -- or should I say monomythological references of the heroes journey), would come to find out, there is always someone to mentor him along the way. That is the same with our lives. Be it a parental figure, a professor, teacher, a church leader, or any other person, they are there to help us along our way. An elderly Obi-Wan Kenobi, or "Ben, the crazy old man who lives in the dunes", would come to tell Luke, "The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." A true statement for a true age. I am glad that Luke heeded the instruction of his elders and ultimately brought about the timely end of the Empire as we all knew it. 

7. Star Wars teaches us to control our own fates. I was recently reading up on this website where a guy was talking about this popular Harrison Ford quote; "There’s no mystical energy field that controls my destiny.” Han Solo, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" This is the bare ideal of the American Dream in dramatic form. Here we have a lone ranger, one as famous as Han Solo no doubt, teaching us about taking things into our own hands. If we have a dream, don't leave it up to chance. If we want to go after something we have always wanted, who is anyone to tell us we can't? Han Solo is a stud, unruly and unkempt, and frankly a scruffy looking nerf herder at times, but a stud nonetheless. 

8. The Music. If you don't know me, I love Star Wars music. John Williams is my man because he created the perfect backdrop to the perfect space odyssey. When has that first sequence of the big blast or sound where the yellow words are panning up the screen ever been old? When has the lighthearted celebration music when the empire was defeated been annoying, or the intense, jumpy, suspenseful sounds of when Luke is in the Death Star trench firing off his proton torpedo been thought of as, unfitting? I love Star Wars music, and will probably love it for the rest of my life. You should all look up the song, "The Moisture Farm" from A New Hope and tell me that isn't the quintessential song of Star Wars, with the perfect Luke motive at the end. Or the song "Throne Room/End Title" from the same movie. John Williams has composed a masterpiece that will be enjoyed for countless years to come.

9. Many childhood memories. One of the reasons that I am a huge star wars fan is indeed the fact that is was one of those childhood things that helped me progress as an individual. It helped me learn to have an attention for detail in drawing when I would try to replicate what Doug Chiang would draw as concept art in my The Art of Episode 1 book I got in 7th grade. It made me want to write stories about people that I created within the Star Wars universe. It made me envision and want to learn about what was happening lots of years before and after the movies, and you better believe stuff was happening then (like a great sith war 1000 years before the first movie). I would always draw space fleets with my friend Nathan Reed in 6th grade on small pieces of notebook paper folded into 4ths and we would compare different designs. I would have 2 or 3 plastic lightsabers and choreograph the moves they did in the Arena scene in episode 2. I would play some of the video games, including my favorite "Knights of the Old Republic". Overall it has had a big impact in my life. Some people would argue, "you must have been a huge nerd, heck you still are!" Honestly, WHO CARES? I could care less what people think about me. If Star Wars gives me the inspiration to draw things like this, I am fine with that;

10. The ULTIMATE example of good vs. evil. (Brenton helped me a little with this one).
Obviously there are countless tales of good vs. evil, but how many are this all emcompassing? This passionate? This enthralling? That's what I thought. Think of the Emperor as Satan. The most evil thing anyone can conjure. Are we not in a constant battle with him every day? Darth Vader's temptations to Luke to join him on the dark side to ultimately control the galaxy? Do we not face that every day? The world we live in is like the Empire that is constantly trying to delve deep into our spirits and bring us over to them. People love to put us under scrupulous peer pressure to do this. I hope we will all stay on the rebellion and help overthrow this Empire. The world we live in can be changed by our good examples. I hope you have enjoyed this short little list. I wish I could go more in depth, but for now this will have to do. Have a good day everybody.