Oh So Geeky

For forty years, Star Wars reigned as one of the best phenomenons in the world. It's captivated generations of fans to the force, stand up against the Empire, and trail the Skywalker legacy. With director and creator George Lucas's initial saga having finally completed in 2019, and the rest of the universe on-hold for both theatrical releases and Disney+, I thought it's about time to rank the film franchise and spin-offs so far. How would you rank the series? Feel free to let me know in the comments.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Since legendary filmmaker George Lucas changed movie history with a little space opera called Star Wars (1977), generations of fans have been obsessed with the imaginative sci-fi universe he created.  Slated to tell the story of the Skywalker clan over the course of nine movies, it’s been written in the stars that the epic saga would eventually close this chapter forever. Expected to stick the franchise’s landing with the latest trilogy  The Force Awakens  (2015) and The Last Jedi  (2017), its final film  The Rise of Skywalker is not the finale many of us were looking for. In 2015, the Star Wars legacy was reignited with director and writer JJ Abrams’s  The Force Awakens . A ragtag group of heroes fighting against the Empire 2.0 hit too close to home with  A New Hope , but offered a chance to connect with a younger generation of characters and explore new plots. Namely, why did Luke Skywalker disappear? How di...

Superhero Faces Productions / Geek, And You Shall Find Superman. Spider-Man. Captain America. Wonder Woman. These are just a few super-heroic characters who have become beloved icons for children and adults alike. From the famous Hall H at San Diego Comic Con to breaking box office records, it’s almost impossible to believe the arduous and inspiring evolution of geekdom. And yet, fandom not only started with the humble origins of comic books, but has also catapulted the way in which we navigate our everyday lives and the world around us. Geek, and You Shall Find explores the fascinating past and future of comic books. Its creators and their stories have made a lasting impression on generations of readers, but where did it all start? How do the stories we love reflect society and vice versa? What can we truly gain from admiring characters that wear masks, don capes, and try to save their fellow man? Superhero Faces Productions journeys into the depths of Marvel, Westeros, Star Wa...

At the heart of every fandom, a sense of community remains an intricate element of every convention. At MegaCon Orlando, hundreds of thousands of attendees enjoy the opportunity to interact with local organizations to share in the love and craftsmanship of their favorite  films, television shows, anime series, or comic books. The Community Zone at MegaCon Orlando exhibits a vast number of one-of-a-kind experiences for everyone. To benefit charities around the country, attendees can donate money in exchange to have their photo taken in front of an iconic piece of film history like the Batmobile or the Delorean from Back to the Future. Booths offer family-friendly activities like getting close to exotic wildlife to learn and donate to conservation efforts. Located in the midst of the retail section, autograph booths, and cosplay red carpet, fans act out their biggest dreams to help make the world a better place or learn something new.  This year I discovered a few spe...

LucasFilm / Disney This weekend the 2019 Star Wars Celebration in Chicago wasted zero time getting fans pumped up for the next long-awaited installment. Opening the weekend ceremony with the title reveal of Star Wars: Episode IX and a teaser with the cast in person, our anticipation and hype was already on edge. While news of the latest actors to join the LucasFilm family was well-established for the better part of 2018, one surprise blew up the internet like the Death Stars being blasted into a million pieces. In case you're avoiding spoilers for the next Star Wars film set for release in December 2019, this post contains info about one legendary character's epic return. Read at your risk!

Some movies just have really bad luck. One wouldn't think that this would be the case for Star Wars, but since its Disneyfied resurgence in 2015 the beloved phenomenon has had its ups and downs. The highs have been relatively good enough to give the movies a new life, while the lows of critically-panned sequels and spin-offs are enough to put a kink in the franchise's hype. Overshadowed by high expectations and franchise-overexposure,  Solo: A Star Wars Story has the unfortunate disadvantage of landing right in the middle. Set before the original Star Wars films, young Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) joins forces with a group of smugglers in order to make good on a deal that went sour. Along the way, he reconciles with a partner-in-crime he thought he'd lost for good, gains enemies, and makes new friends as he aims to become the best pilot in the galaxy.

Ask any Star Wars fan, especially of The Clone Wars , and they probably know the name of Ashley Eckstein and her voice for the popular character Ahsoka Tano. Same goes for female geeks of all ages who love the adorable and comfortable clothing line known as Her Universe . Having loved Her Universe and been following Eckstein on Instagram , I learned that she was going to be in Orlando for the launch of her book It's Your Universe: You Have the Power to Make It Happen. Though I prefer to stay inside my hut on Jakku, this wasn't an opportunity I was going to pass up! I hadn't even met her yet, and already she was pushing me out of my comfort zone.

Despite being a huge geek,  Star Wars  wasn't a fandom I easily connected with growing up. My mom and sister have always been obsessed with George Lucas's space opera. Even though they took me to the prequels released in theaters, always had the original trio playing on tv, and even attended conventions to meet a parade of castmates, The Force failed to click with me. Even though I didn't get the hype of the original movies, the iconography of the damsel-without-the-distress was a simple concept to love. My interest in the Star Wars realm wasn't strong, but I hugely admired Carrie Fisher. When it’s out, it’s someone else’s version of what’s the matter with me. I want it to be my version of what it is. My recourse is to do my version. ( x ) In 2015, when the original cast was announced to return to  Star Wars: The Force Awakens , knowing Carrie Fisher would be on press tours and much more involved in the public than she had been was an absolute gift for me. If ...

Carrie Fisher didn't expect to become famous, let alone the icon of a major franchise.  Daughter to actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher, she started studying the arts as a young adult, and then sort of fell into showbusiness by taking one small job and then landing the role of a lifetime. In 1977, Princess Leia in George Lucas's A New Hope became a beacon for what would become generations of fans. Her character's intelligence, tenacity and resilient attitude set herself among the best and most beloved heroines in film history. After being absent from the big screen for nearly thirty years, the fandom never thought Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia would ever return. When Disney rebooted the franchise in 2015 with The Force Awakens , one of the greatest most anticipating moments was to see the original characters come back. Leia returned as a sophisticated General still fighting the good fight against evil. Though Fisher unexpectedly passed a...

Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures In 2015, Disney brought back George Lucas's Star Wars with ambitious plans to churn out films until 2020. Following a long-awaited ten years after the prequels disappointed the masses, Star Wars: The Force Awakens renewed the beloved franchise to a solid, mixed reaction. Leaving its sequel with a lot of questions to answer, The Last Jedi had one job to do, and unfortunately, didn't get it exactly right. THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS. Please return when you've seen the movie.

In 2015, Disney revitalized the galactically popular Star Wars franchise with the exciting reboot Star Wars: The Force Awakens . In the seventh installment, Rey (Daisy Ridley) was an orphaned scavenger who discovers her astonishing Jedi abilities and becomes entangled in Luke Skywalker's legacy, the rise of the First Order, and the dark Jedi-in-training Kylo Ren. As the follow-up to the previous flick,  The Last Jedi   aims to be a massive success at the box office and hopefully  answers a lot of questions its predecessor left behind. Before we hop into our Millennium Falcons and hit hyperdrive to the movie theaters this weekend, here are five questions that need to be answered in Star Wars: The Last Jedi ! Hope you enjoy!

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures The time has finally arrived young Padawans! After months of the first teaser release , the Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer dropped. As expected excitement for the eighth film, which will return to the Resistance's fight against the First Order, and Rey's ascent/descent with the force, was absolutely insane as we get a bigger idea of what's going to happen next. Let's get straight into the new trailer!  SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures With Princess Leia ruling the original trilogy and Rey holding up the mantle for  The Force Awakens  as girl power icons of the galaxy,  Rogue One  offers another brave warrior the opportunity to give fans a new heroine to aspire to. Renegade Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is called upon by the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans for the Death Star, and in doing so, finish her family's attempt to bring down the Galactic Empire. Like the  Star Wars  movies that came before and will come after  Rogue One , the immersive journey relies heavily on ordinary people, Jedis or not, to vie for light, humanity, and goodness against the darker forces threatening the galaxies. This prequel (to  A New Hope ) relies heavily on Erso to bring a deeper meaning to the cause, but unfortunately, the production and lead character just don't have the force on their side. Erso has all the makings of a compelling insurgent, but h...

Photo Credit: Star Wars / Walt Disney Studios This year's  Star Wars Celebration  has been an epic reflection of the forty-year franchise created by George Lucas. It promised an action-packed weekend of panels, tributes, and news for fans. Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm did not disappoint with a thrilling teaser of the next installment  Star Wars: The Last Jedi ! The anticipation for the eighth film has been galactic-sized proportions as we've waited to see what happens in the next battle of the forces. Take a look! (Spoilers below!) What are your first reactions? Feel free to share in the comments! My first reaction is that I want the movie too. I. WANT. IT. NOW. In expert Disney fashion, the teaser is just as cryptic as the initial  Star Wars: The Force Awakens'  first look. But that just gives us further room to get hyped up and the anticipation to build. Rey is obviously receiving training by the one and only Luke Skywalker. But will t...

Despite being a massive geek, I was never really a Star Wars fan. Not that my mom and sister didn't try to influence my disinterest over the years by watching the films and going to the conventions, as I grew up with the first era of early 2000s installments. But the Disney and J.J. Abrams's reboot changed my enthusiasm. And I guess you could say Saturday Night Live played a big role too. When Adam Driver hosted the weekly sketch-comedy show, there was one clip I was totally obsessed with: Undercover Boss. The skit has Darth Vader's grandson Kylo Ren posing undercover at Starkiller Base as Matt the Radar Technician. Certain lines like "Kylo Ren is a punk-bitch", as much as I thought it was creative and funny. The entire skit became a fandom of mine ever since it aired. Immediately, the video inspired me to make this my Halloween costume. I'm not sure there's ever been another costume I was so determined to complete as much as possible.

Jozef Kyselica  /  Ricardo Polo More than any other movie in our galaxy the  Star Wars  series has inspired artwork from its legions of fans. Search anywhere on the world wide web and you'll discover hundreds of thousands original posters, sketches, illustrations. In celebration of the highly-anticipated release for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I've collected some adorable and out of this world artwork. I hope you enjoy!