The Steam Wars Holiday Special #1 comic cover is a unique pairing of Kenner Star Wars action figure packaging and the Star Wars Holiday Special imagery.
Steam Wars Holiday Special #1a - Antarctic Press, U.S. (November 2015)
Fred Perry, the creator of the Steam Wars comics, clearly is a fan of Star Wars. The cover for Steam Wars Holiday Special #1 is laid out like a vintage Kenner Star Wars action figure package with the silver bands and black frame. Under the title is the placard where the character's name would go but here it says Holiday Special. Even Fred Perry's "signature" is done in the style and font of the Kenner name on the front of the vintage card backs.
Inside that nostalgic cover dressing is art that reminds readers of the Star Wars Holiday Special. Characters from inside the comic book are designed after Chewbacca and his family on Kashyyk. In the middle back is the Chewbacca stand-in, with his arms around stand-ins for his wife Malla and his dad Itchy. At Mala's feet is their son Lumpy's stand-in, playing with a toy spaceship that looks very much like an X-Wing Fighter. The humans in front of the family represent Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia.
This comic was published in November, which is appropriate because the Star Wars Holiday Special was broadcast only once, on CBS on November 17, 1978.
Howard the Duck is an interesting Marvel character. Played for laughs by his creator, Steve Gerber, Howard the Duck is an anthropomorphic duck who becomes trapped on Earth and has adventures that satire politics and society. Visually, the character has a striking resemblance to Disney's Donald Duck and even has Donald's grumpy disposition.
Howard the Duck #22 and 23 contain a 2-part story which parodies elements from Star Wars.
Howard the Duck #22a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 1978)Howard the Duck #23a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 1978)
The extent of the Star Wars references on the cover to Howard the Duck #22 is the blurb May the Farce Be With You! The cover for Howard the Duck #23 is more recognizable as a spoof of the Star Wars movie poster by Tom Jung and later the Hildebrandt brothers. Howard is dressed like Luke Skywalker and at his feet is Jennifer Kale in Princess Leia's pose. Korek the Barbarian is Han Solo and the Man-Thing is Chewbacca. The two droids are NAAC-3PO and 2-2-2-2, or Tutu for short. Behind the two droids is Dakimh the Enchanter and the helmeted villain is one of the Dearth Vapor henchmen of Bzzk'Joh. The blurb reads: Right this very minute in a galaxy too close for comfort... Star Waaugh!
As you can imagine, much of the humor inside these two issues is dated and I found it a chore to read this story. Even so, I'm happy to add these relics from the 1970s to my Star Wars comic collection.
Marvel's Star Wars #25 kicks off a two part story that introduces the villain, Baron Orman Tagge, to the title. As Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia make their way back to the Rebel base on Yavin 4, we are shown the base being attacked by TIE Fighters. The Rebel Alliance is baffled about where the TIEs are coming from as this has become a regular occurance. Luke and Leia trade in the Simon Greyshade's yacht they used to escape the Wheel for a less conspicuous ship on the planet Centares. There, they see a House of Tagge Mining Explorer heading toward the Yavin system and decide to follow. While following the House of Tagge ship, Luke and Leia have a discussion that explains why the Rebel base is still located on Yavin 4:
Luke Skywalker:What's this blockade all about?! Princess Leia:I think the Empire is afraid, Luke. Luke Skywalker:Princess, no one's got more faith in Rebel fighting ability than me -- but I can't believe we've got the Imperial war machine paralyzed with fright! Princess Leia:That's not quite what I meant, Luke. But consider -- besides other earlier victories, we've destroyed their most awesome weapon... The Death Star! That's not the kind of news that makes it easy for them to control the galaxy. Luke Skywalker:Leia, you think the blockade is an attempt to keep that defeat secret? Princess Leia:Partly. By now, the Empire could have sent a massive fleet in retaliation --- but suppose our forces abandoned Yavin as they once did Dantooine? Or worse yet: pulled another victory out of the hat? That's what the Empire fears, Luke.
(This was the situation in the original Marvel series until The Empire Strikes Back adaptation, which is when the Rebellion was constantly on the run, seeking out hidden Rebel bases. In the new Marvel series, the Rebels abandon Yavin 4 immediately after they destroy the Death Star.)
After an encounter with mines laid by the House of Tagge Mining Explorer, Luke and Leia don spacesuits and observe the spacecraft from a small moon where they learn that the TIE Fighters are actually hiding in the gaseous atmosphere that makes up Yavin. The issue ends with the pair back aboard their now damaged ship, with information vital to the survival of the Rebel Alliance, under attack by TIE Fighters!
The cover to Star Wars #25 shows Luke and Leia in spacesuits being attacked by TIE Fighters.
Star Wars #25a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 1979)
The cover to Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #4 published by Ediciones Surco is a similar image.
Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #4a - Ediciones Surco, Spain (August 1983) Star Wars #25 and 26
Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are easily recognizable on the cover to Star Wars #25. On the cover to Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #4, Leia is recognizable, but the male character looks nothing like Luke. Both the U.S. and the Spanish covers have the TIE Fighters drawn with small solar panels. This was very common for Carmine Infantino who was probably inspired by the Kenner TIE Fighter which has small panels, but the Spanish cover (not drawn by Infantino) has even smaller panels. On both covers, Leia is an observer, with Luke taking action with his pistol. I like the background on the Spanish cover, but the characters and ships on the cover to Star Wars #25 are better. Both covers depict a scene that does not actually occur inside the comic, but is representative of the peril our heroes are in. Overall, the U.S. cover is the superior cover, although these Ediciones Surco covers are cool because they are so unfamiliar to U.S. Star Wars comic collectors.
Arthur Adams is another artist who contributed a single cover to Dark Horse's Star Wars line. He is best known for the 1985 mini-series Longshot and his creator owned title Monkeyman and O'Brien. Extremely popular in the 1980s, Arthur Adams' influences include Michael Golden and Walter Simonson, both Star Wars comic alumni from Marvel's original series. His stylized artwork is easily recognized and he tends to put a lot of detail into his work. His females tend to have round faces, pouty lips, and are doe-eyed, another feature of his unique style.
He provides the cover for Classic Star Wars: A New Hope #1, a prestige format comic that contains Marvel's Star Wars #1 - 3. He was a founding member of the Legends imprint published by Dark Horse comics in 1994, which made him available to Dark Horse for this cover art.
Classic Star Wars: A New Hope #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (June 1994) reprints Marvel Star Wars #1 - 3
This Arthur Adams' drawn Star Wars cover is busy. All the principal characters are shown, with Luke Skywalker front and center and the typical Darth Vader visage in the background. In addition to showing Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader, we also have Grand Moff Tarkin flanked by Imperial Officers, Greedo, Tusken Raiders, Jawas, and a squad of Stormtroopers. And if all those characters are not enough, the cover also shows the Death Star, the Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters, X-Wing Fighters, and Luke's Landspeeder. Arthur Adams also managed to squeeze in a star filled background. I like that he drew pauldrons on the Stormtroopers which identifies them as the Sandtroopers on Tatooine.
Star Wars: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan - Last Stand on Ord Mantell is a 3-issue mini-series that started in December 2000. The first issue has three different standard covers and received a Dynamic Forces exclusive cover.
Star Wars: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan - Last Stand on Ord Mantell #1e - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (2001) Dynamic Forces gold foil exclusive
The Dynamic Forces cover is a unique photo cover with parts of the title in gold foil. This exclusive was limited to 999 copies. Like several of the Dynamic Forces Star Wars exclusives, there is a signed version of this comic that uses the same cover. The signed version is limited to 750 copies.
Late last year, Mile High Comics had an email newsletter talking about them buying more of the early Star Wars variants from Diamond. It looks like Marvel is set to dump even more back issue Star Wars variants on the market for retailers. The article also talks a little about the impact publishing Star Wars comics has had on Marvel's other publishing plans. Please read the blog David Gabriel, The Prince Of Variants over at BleedingCool. And then read the original blog with even more Star Wars comic talk Marvel's David Gabriel On Variant Covers, Star Wars, Deadpool & More! over at comicbook.com.
Star Wars: Jedi Quest is a 4-issue mini-series that started in September 2001. The first issue received a Dynamic Forces exclusive cover.
Star Wars: Jedi Quest #1c - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (2001) Dynamic Forces ruby red exclusive
The Dynamic Forces cover is the same as the standard cover, except the title is ruby red. This exclusive was limited to 1,500 copies.
