John White Presents: Star Wars (age 9)
I was off work again with a chest infection the last two days and feeling restless, I opened the old suitcase I’d brought up from mum and dad’s, and the plastic Penney’s bag dad’d given me last time I was there. Both are full of my old drawings – mainly of Star Wars. Handing me the bag he said: “I remember you said ‘oh just throw them out’, but I kept them.” So he did, and I’m glad he did. My mum also kept some stuff I think. “No, don’t throw those out…” she pleaded.
Star Wars: the Definitive comic strip adaptation (note the Liebherr packing tape)
One of the most fascinating things is the comic strip adaptation of Star Wars that I started aged nine and a half. I have most of the first version, but some was sadly culled as my drawing improved. I’d remove pages no longer deemed up to scratch and replace them with better versions. These were the pages my mum wanted me to keep safe. Between dad and mum as I said, I have most of them. The odd thing is, the earliest, poorest ones are my favourites. The dawing is so poor, so out of proportion, so in need of a ruler at times! – but it brings me back immediately to that happy time, immersed in my drawing and the imaginary escapist alternate universe of Star Wars. It was also executed very quickly so has a wonderful immediacy and freshness.
To close, I must apologise to all the people that I bored senseless with my youthful Star Wars obsession! And I’ll also finish with a great quote I discovered in my comic adaptation. A few lines that Star Wars Director & Writer George Lucas hadn’t thought to add to one of Obi Wan Kenobi’s snippets of wisdom:
Kenobi: (Emits an animal wail to scare off the Sandpeople)
Luke: “Wow, that’s amazing. A Krag Dragon Call!”
Kenobi: “Easy with a set of well trained vocol cords (sic). After all: a duck can quack.”
Luke: (Without pausing to ponder this nugget exclaims, wide eyed) “What’s a duck?”
Classic stuff. Kenobi has seen more things in the universe than poor Luke could ever dream of. You know, ducks for instance. See it here on Star Wars age 9!
John White's Creative Blog 
The bit about the duck going ‘quack’ is hilarious. I was literally snorting with laughter at that.
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You were obviously lightyears ahead of your time, fusing two pop culture icons in the making by having Star Wars meet Howard the Duck – Jedi vs Quack Fu, so to speak 😉
I also like the “full colour” caption, which of course made your work stand out like fireworks in the 1970’s black & white world of the British weekly comic book.
There’s really only one thing wrong – you’re just flashing the cover. Let’s see the scene with the duck, at least!
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Ho ho! You asked for it…
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