BANTHA TRACKING 4: THE OFFICIAL STAR WARS NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 1978 | LUCASFILM FANDOM HISTORY

In this instalment of Bantha Tracking, Dan and Jez continue their journey through the early history of Star Wars fandom as they explore the fourth issue of the Official Star Wars Fan Club Newsletter, published in September 1978.

This issue features a look at the career of producer Gary Kurtz, charting his work to date and his role producing Star Wars. We discuss Kurtz’s post Star Wars career and his role in bringing the original film and its sequel to the screen- and why he didn’t return for the third instalment.

There’s also some major Star Wars news, as the newsletter reveals the title of the second Star Wars movie—The Empire Strikes Back. We look back at this early announcement and the excitement surrounding the next chapter of the saga, nearly two years before the film would eventually arrive in cinemas.

AND the Newsletter is finally christened with its new title when the results of the “name the newsletter” contest is revealed.

We also put the Generation Skywalker crew to the test with a Star Wars trivia quiz based on the contents of the newsletter. Just how well do Jez and the rest of the crew know their Star Wars trivia? There’s only one way to find out!

featuring a complete audio presentation of issue 4 of the newsletter, join us as we continue our look at the history of early Star Wars fandom—one newsletter at a time.