Lucasfilm Unveils List of Books Coming December 18th

By: Dominic Jones

As if seeing a new Star Wars film wasn't enough, Lucasfilm has released a list of 19 books (and most of their covers) that will hit shelves on December 18th to coincide with the release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens.  Some we've heard about before, but most are new.  Without further ado, here they are (via: StarWars.com),

The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Step inside the Lucasfilm art departments for the creation of fantastical worlds, unforgettable characters, and unimaginable creatures. The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens will take you there, from the earliest gathering of artists and production designers at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco to the fever pitch of production at Pinewood Studios to the conclusion of post-production at Industrial Light & Magic — all with unprecedented access.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary

The complete guide to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, this Visual Dictionary reveals all of the characters, creatures, droids, locations, and technology.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Ultimate Sticker Collection 

Join the heroes of the galaxy on their amazing adventure. Explore incredible worlds, meet bizarre aliens, and face sinister new villains. 

 Star Wars: Before the Awakening

A companion piece to the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens character novels, Star Wars: Before the Awakening is an anthology book that focuses on the lives of Rey, Finn, and Poe before the events of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

 Star Wars: Rey Meets BB-8 (Level 1 Reader)

Rey’s life is turned upside down when she meets a little droid named BB-8.

Star Wars: Finn & Rey Escape! (8×8, w/stickers)

When Finn and Rey find themselves on the run, they must work together to escape from the evil First Order.

Star Wars: Han & Chewie Return! (8×8)

Everyone’s favorite smugglers are back! Han Solo and Chewbacca return in a heroic new adventure set in a galaxy far, far away.

5-Minute Star Wars Stories

Blast off into hyperspace with these 11 action-packed Star Wars tales! Jedi Master Yoda has a lightsaber showdown with the dreaded Count Dooku; Luke Skywalker and the Rebels race against time to destroy the Death Star; and the brave but lonely Rey makes a new friend when she meets the astromech droid BB-8. Each of these stories is the ideal length for reading aloud in five minutes — perfect for galactic adventures at lightspeed.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Flashlight Adventure Book

Grab your flashlight and discover hidden surprises as you explore planet Jakku with Rey, Finn, and BB-8. This box set features a board book with pop-ups on every spread, and a real working flashlight that plays five different sounds from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Lightsaber Rescue

The galaxy is in trouble again! Activate your lightsaber and help join the fight! The Lightsaber Rescue storybook features a non-removable lightsaber module with six sounds to bring the story of Star Wars: The Force Awakens to life.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Mix & Match

Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, Poe, Rey, and Finn are featured in this book that blends spectacular action with three-panel pages to create confounding combinations! Mix and match the heads, bodies, and legs more than 200 different ways to create crazy mash-ups between the Resistance and the First Order!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Rey’s Survival Guide

Complete with stories, secrets, and insights, this guide will immerse readers in the world of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Discover what you need to survive the hostile planet, Jakku. What secrets lurk inside the ship graveyard? What do you want to salvage? What should you avoid to stay alive? Includes gatefolds with exclusive artifacts including starship schematics and more!

Still to come on 12/18:  Star Wars: Finn and the First Order; Star Wars: Look and Find; Star Wars: The Force Awakens Incredible Cross-Sections; Star Wars: The Force Awakens New Adventures; Star Wars: The Force Awakens Adult Novelization, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Junior Novelization

Wow!  That's a lot of reading to do!  The one that intrigues me the most, besides the "Art of" book, is Greg Rucka's Before the Awakening.  I'm sure that once we leave the theatre after seeing The Force Awakens, we'll be wanting some more stories with our new heroes and that sounds like the best place to find them. 

Source: StarWars.com

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'The Art of The Force Awakens' Book to be Released December 18th

By: Dominic Jones

It has been announced that once you step out of the theatre having seen Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, not only will you be able to pick up the soundtrack, you'll be able to the pick up the 'The Art of The Force Awakens' book as well.   StarWars.com announced today that the new book featuring concept art from the production of The Force Awakens will be available on December 18th, the same day as the film.  The book is written by Phil Szostak, with a foreword by Rick Carter. 

According to StarWars.com,

Kylo Ren. Finn. Rey. Jakku. BB-8. How did this new generation of memorable Star Wars characters, worlds, and creatures come to life? A stunning new book, The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will tell that story.

The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, written by Phil Szostak, is a portal that takes you from the earliest gathering of artists and production designers at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco to the fever pitch of production at Pinewood Studios to the conclusion of postproduction at Industrial Light & Magic. Arriving in stores on December 18, the same day that Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters, it takes fans deep inside the evolution of the film. Exclusive interviews with the entire creative team also provide a detailed look at what it took to bring director J. J. Abrams’ vision to life, while the unused “blue sky” concept art offers glimpses into roads not traveled.

Bursting with hundreds of beautiful works of art that include production paintings, concept sketches, storyboards, blueprints, and matte paintings, The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens will delight both Star Wars fans and film enthusiasts for years to come.

You can also check out the cover of the book below,

Source: StarWars.com

Follow The Star Wars Underworld on Twitter @TheSWU for more updates about this story and other breaking Star Wars news.

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'LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded' and Proto Fett Minifigure Announced

By: Dominic Jones

StarWars.com announced today that the upcoming book from DK Publishing, LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded will include a special Proto Fett minifigure.  The Proto Fett is the all white Boba Fett based on the prototype armor created for The Empire Strikes Back, seen in this famous behind the scenes video,

As for the book itself, StarWars.com describes it as,

Featuring 72 extra pages of new minifigures, little-known facts, and much more, it’s a treasure trove of beautiful imagery and in-depth information fans. If that’s not enough, there’s one more addition that definitely makes it worthy of inclusion in your personal Jedi Archives.

No word yet on when the book will be released.

Source: StarWars.com

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Report: 'The Art of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens' Book Coming November 2nd

By: Dominic Jones

It's no secret that the build up to the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will be huge, with many books, toys, and who-knows-what-else be released to tie-in.  One of these will be a The Art of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens book from Abrams publishing, which is slated for a November 2nd release.  The good folks over at Jedi-Bibliothek discovered a Amazon UK link for the book.

Little more is known about the book, but it does raise an interesting question.  With this material coming out over a month before the film, how does Lucasfilm expect to release an "art of" book without giving away too many spoilers.  If they were feeling cheeky they could just put out a book featuring all the concept art that's been leaked over the past year or so.  It will be interesting to see what they do when the book comes out.

Source: Amazon UK

Via: Jedi-Bibliothek

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Rancho Obi-Wan Announces "Inspired by the Force: Star Wars Fan Artifacts & Art" Book

By: Dominic Jones

Steve Sansweet's legendary Star Wars collection housed a Rancho Obi-Wan in California is about to be commemorated in book form.  Rancho Obi-Wan announced today the first in a new series of books called The Treasures of Rancho Obi-Wan.  The first book, titled Inspired by the Force: Star Wars Fan Artifacts & Art will be feature many of the fan made items in Sansweet's collection.  The book will cost $25 and will be available for pre-order in March and pick up at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim.  

The official Rancho Obi-Wan site describes the book saying,

Rancho Obi-Wan’s 900-square-foot exhibit at Celebration Anaheim April 16-19 will focus on how Star Wars fans through the years have made their own tremendous contributions to that far-away galaxy, and in commemoration the nonprofit museum will make available a limited print-run book, “Inspired by the Force: Star Wars Fan Artifacts & Art.”

The full-color, hardcover 72-page book will act as an exhibit guide, containing photos and stories of scores of the items on display. Written and photographed by Steve Sansweet and Anne Neumann, with design and layout by Stan Stice, the book is intended to be the first volume in a series, “The Treasures of Rancho Obi-Wan.” It also includes a 4-page centerspread foldout that has hundreds of photos of visitors to Rancho and to our exhibits at past Celebration events.

The new book, with an initial printing of just 1,000 copies, is one of several surprises that Rancho will reveal in the weeks leading up to what many believe will be the largest and most exciting Star Wars fan event ever.

The Rancho Obi-Wan Experience exhibit will feature fan objects and art starting in the late 1970s through today, from an airbrushed van tire cover and hand-tooled leather backgammon board to a Chewbacca tissue box cover and bird house, from amazing art mash-ups based on a print by Goya and a painting by Picasso to bizarre limited edition figurines made by urban artists.

The book will cost $25 and pre-orders for pick-up at Celebration will begin in March on this web site.

Both Steve Sansweet, chairman and CEO of Rancho Obi-Wan, and Anne Neumann, vice president and general manager, will be available at posted hours to sign the new book at no charge.

More exciting news about the Rancho Obi-Wan Experience Exhibit and other Rancho activities will be announced soon.

I have to say this book looks fantastic.  I will definitely be picking up a copy for myself.  I saw the Rancho Obi-Wan display at Celebration Europe in 2013 and it was fantastic.  I can't wait to see what they have in store for Celebration Anaheim!

Source: Rancho Obi-Wan

 

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'Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy' Book Trailer

By: Benjamin Hart

A new Star Wars behind the scenes book is coming very soon!  "Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy" is slated for release May 13th, just a few days away, and today we received a trailer for it, which you can check out below:


Produced by Abrams Books and edited by J.W Rinzler, Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy features over 1,200 storyboards from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. It also features a foreword and introduction by Joe Johnston and Nilo Rodis-Jamero, respectively. Also included is exclusive commentary by Joe Johnston, Nilo Rodis-Jamero, Dave Carson, Alex Tavoularis and Paul Huston.

Find it at book stores everywhere on May 13th.

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Report: 'Star Wars Ralph McQuarrie Picture Book' To Hit Shelves October 7th

By: Dominic Jones

Concept artist extraordinaire Ralph McQuarrie's legacy on the Star Wars films has an incredible place in the saga's history and future.  The upcoming animated series Star Wars Rebels will be based on the look of his concept art and now, it seems, Disney Press will be publishing a new book titled  Star Wars Ralph McQuarrie Picture Book, like to tie in to the premiere of Rebels.  Lightsaber Rattling discovered a listing for the book on Hatchette, which reads,

Star Wars Ralph Mcquarrie Picture Book
By: Disney Book Group

• ISBN: 9781484706688
• Publisher: Disney Press
• Imprint: Disney Press
• On Sale: Oct. 7, 2014
• Format: HARDCOVER BOOK
• Edition: N/A
• Price: $19.99 ($19.99 in Canada)
• Category: JUVENILE FICTION
• Territories:
• Size:
• Pages: 64

• Unit Weight: 0
• Carton Weight: 0
• Carton Qty: 20
• Country of Origin: USA
• Substitute ISBN:
• EAN: 9781484706688

Description:

The classic tale of good versus evil set in a galaxy far, far away, quickly became a cultural phenomenon during its time, inspiring a generation of story lovers and storytellers. Now, the original trilogy of Star Wars shines anew with the vibrant concept art of Ralph McQuarrie, the legendary conceptual designer behind the original trilogy.

Collected in a picture book for the first time, McQuarrie's art is paired with captivating text by a high-profile author-a winning combination that will delight Star Wars fans old and new and delight generations of readers to come.

This is a book I certainly look forward to picking up.  It's great to see that as we move forward into this new era of Star Wars, with Disney, the people who helped made Star Wars what it is, like Ralph McQuarrie, will still be celebrated.

Source: Hatchette (via Lightsaber Rattling)

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'Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy' Coming May 2014

By: Benjamin Hart

Hot off the heels of his newest book, The Making Of Return Of The Jedi, author J.W Rinzler has revealed his newest project via Twitter! Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy is set for release on may 13th, 2014 and will be edited by Rinzler with a introduction by Joe Johnston. The description for the book on Amazon.com reads:

For the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its Archives to present the complete storyboards for the original Star Wars trilogy—the world-changing A New Hope and its operatic sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi—as well as never-before-published art from early conceptual and deleted scenes.

From the opening chase above Tatooine in A New Hope to the Battle of Endor in Jedi, this book presents the visual inspiration behind now-iconic moments. Readers can finally see a full set of storyboards by legendary artist Joe Johnston, as well as early boards for Episode IV by Alex Tavoularis and for Episode V by Ivor Beddoes, rarely seen Episode VI boards by Roy Carnon, and Ralph McQuarrie’s never-before-seen storyboards for Episode V.

You can pre-order it on on Amazon.com!

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"The Making of Return of the Jedi" Book Trailer

By: Dominic Jones

Check out this awesome trailer J.W. Rinzler's upcoming book The Making of Return of the Jedi, due out October 1, 2013.

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"Star Wars Storyboards - The Prequels" Announced

By: Dominic Jones

Star Wars author Jonathan Rinzler announced on the Star Wars Blog that he will be writing a new book titled Star Wars Storyboards - The Prequels. As the title suggest the book will be centered around the work that went into story-boarding the Star Wars prequels, despite the fact that a majority of the pre-production work on the prequels was done through animatics. The book will be in a similar vain to Rinzler's previous "The Making Of" books and will feature a foreword by prequel concept artist Ian McCaig. The book is slated for a release in Spring 2013. You can read all about how Rinzler came up with the concept of the book in his latest post on the Star Wars Blog.

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October 6th is Star Wars Reads Day

By: Dominic Jones

StarWars.com announced a brand new event happening in bookstores and Libraries across the United States on October 6th, 2012. Star Wars Reads Day will be held in conjunction with multiple Star Wars publisher's, including Del Rey, Dark Horse, DK, Scholastic, Titan Magazines, Abrams, and Workman. As for what you can expect at participating locations, the official site has this to say:

Officially participating bookstores and libraries will receive a Star Wars event kit (free of charge). The kit includes: an exclusive Star Wars Reads promotional item (25-50 per event); raffle prizes; promotional giveaways; a packet of event ideas, reproducible activity sheets and trivia; and more. The events will have the PR and marketing support of the eight participating publishers and Lucasfilm.

If you happen to run a book store or library, you can sign to participate in the event here, cosplayers who wish to participate can sign up here, and everyone else is encouraged to like the event on Facebook.

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Rinzler Teases New Book

By: Dominic Jones 

Star Wars author Jonathan Rinzler (The Making of Star Wars) tweeted today that George Lucas himself had just apporved a new book project that would " thrill fans". Rinzler tweeted "George Lucas has just approved a book project that should thrill fans. Those who know are already stoked... Stay tuned...!!" While there is very little to go on, knowing Lucas' usual level of involvement (or lack there of) in the Expanded Universe, it is a probably a safe bet to assume that this will be more of a "coffe table" book, like Star Wars: Visions, or Rinzler's The Making of series, rather than the next big novel. We'll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more.

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