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My Uncredited Masterwork!

A few years back, I did the adaptation and image selection for Tokyopop’s The Empire Strikes Back “Cinemanga” (aka film comic). For licensing reasons, could only be sold by Tokyopop in the UK. It was a fun exercise in abridgment, trying to cram the best of the Star Wars films into 90 pages of screen grabs and word balloons, and given the parameters of the project, I thought it turned out pretty fun– a nice gift for your 7-year-old Star Wars fan who just can’t get enough of Han and Leia’s screwball banter (was I the only only one who learned the ways of love from watching those two in the dirty passages of the Millennium Falcon?). Anyway, not something I would ever by myself, but one of the most enjoyable freelance assignments I ever worked on, in a “popcorn” sort of way.

Now it appears that Dark Horse, who has the exclusive license for Star Wars comics in the US, republished it last week under their branding for North America: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Photo Comic. Sadly, they don’t credit me or the original graphic designer for our work! As we were work-for-hire, we are not guaranteed such rights, but still, I kinda wish I’d got my name listed in the credits, if only so that I could say I’ve been published by Dark Horse.

At least I still get credit for my stellar adaptations of Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams and That’s so Raven Vol. 2. Hey, a guy has to pay the bills.

posted by Jake Forbes in Author Doings and have Comments (6)

6 Responses to “My Uncredited Masterwork!”

  1. Helena says:

    It’s a shame that they didn’t credit you. Sounds like such a fun project; I’d be interested in taking a look at it because I, not unlike said seven-year-olds, thoroughly enjoy a good “stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder” reference.

  2. Cristin says:

    Yea, that does suck! I do want it tho so thanks so much for the link! I just clicked through the Search Inside and LOLed at the Hoth scene because it ALWAYS reminds me of a video recreation an old friend did with his action figures and a white teddy bear for the Wompa on a snow day. He stuck action-figure-Luke in the snow and put his camera on the ground upside down. It was HILARIOUS because you could see houses in the background upside down. hahaha. I’ve tried for years for him to put them on YouTube. If he ever does you can bet I’ll be sharing.

  3. Kristi O. says:

    Well that sucks, although you’re taking it in good grace. If it were me I’d be a little cheesed off, I hate the thought of working so hard on something, and then not getting the recognition I rightfully deserve.

    And is it strange that I have yet to watch any of the Star Wars film? I think I have some sort of fear of the mainstream, I can’t get into anything that has legions of fans cluttering up popular culture.

  4. LDP says:

    My contribution to that project was translating “They’re headed for that small moon” into Japanese for TP-KK’s edition. :-)

  5. tanuki says:

    Kristi O, if you ever do watch the Star Wars movies see the “old” trilogy first. The new “prequels” lack the sheer fun of the original movies, and also give away all the nifty secrets and plot points that made them so enjoyable.

  6. [...] cast this role as you wish. Readers of the site know this isn’t my first dabbling with Star Wars books, or my first stab at a choose-your-own-adventure story, but to write one on this scale, and for [...]

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