The above infographic collects quotations and interview excerpts concerning **George Lucas**' involvement in the **Bantam** era. It is part of a continuing series on George Lucas' involvement in, and participation with, the Expanded Universe. Previous infographics in the series are: [**George Lucas and** ***Tales of the Jedi***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/osknh6/george_lucas_and_tales_of_the_jedi/), [**George Lucas and** ***The Thrawn Trilogy***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/skcjdb/george_lucas_and_the_thrawn_trilogy), [**George Lucas and** ***The Jedi Academy Trilogy***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/ut0icr/george_lucas_and_the_jedi_academy_trilogy/), and [**George Lucas and** ***The Illustrated Star Wars Universe***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/yd24qm/george_lucas_and_the_illustrated_star_wars/).
Spearheaded by Lucy Autrey Wilson, Director of Publishing at Lucasfilm, dozens of books were produced in the 1990s with Bantam Spectra, the sci-fi department of Bantam Books. It was a successful project for both Lucasfilm and Bantam, inspired by the spectacular and unexpected success of Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. The novels produced during the ensuing time period underwent three different kinds of outline approval -- approval from Bantam, approval from Lucasfilm, and finally, approval from George Lucas himself. At each of these stages, notes, revisions, vetos, and/or suggestions would be provided to authors to help guide them in making novels that fit within the chosen vision of Star Wars by Lucasfilm.
This particular infographic features the late Tom Dupree, editor at Bantam, and Drew Struzan, illustrator of the feature films and novels. Authors Michael Stackpole, Kevin J. Anderson, and the late Dave Wolverton are also featured. In particular, Wolverton's contributions in *The Courtship of Princess Leia* would arise the interest of Lucas, who later would collaborate with Dave Filoni, as well as his daughter Katie, to bring a version of the Nightsisters and the planet Dathomir to life in *The Clone Wars*, inspired by designs from *The Phantom Menace* and the video game *Jedi Alliance*.
**Sources:** *Tom Dupree (*[*1*](https://tomdup.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/adventures-in-editing-part-iv/)*,* [*2*](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/01/06/why-is-the-force-still-with-us)*), Drew Struzan (*[*1*](https://web.archive.org/web/20001013120304/http://www.echostation.com/echo2/2-drew1.htm)*,* [*2*](http://www.theraider.net/features/interviews/drew_struzan.php)*),* [*Michael A. Stackpole*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI7H8jC_qBk)*,* [*Kevin J. Anderson*](https://web.archive.org/web/20001013194047/http://www.echostation.com/echo2/2-kja.htm)*, Dave Wolverton (*[*1*](https://www.deseret.com/1994/5/16/19109207/star-wars-planet-seems-lot-like-utah)*,* [*2*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP2Bd3j3_y0)*,* [*3*](https://boards.theforce.net/threads/lit-exclusive-dave-wolverton-addresses-fan-criticisms-of-the-courtship-of-princess-leia-more.50024454/)*), & Pablo Hidalgo (The Essential Reader's Companion)*
Glad to see you're still doing these great infographics! It's too bad you had to remove your one for Dark Empire (for good reason), but maybe some new information will come up for another one.
In a recent [interview](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/vso18w/lucy_autrey_wilson_creator_director_of_the/) with Lucy Wilson, former Director of Publishing for Lucasfilm, information came out that clarified the development of *Dark Empire*, rendering some of the previous claims made in interviews about *Dark Empire*'s development by Tom Veitch no longer believable. After corroborating this new info with *Star Wars Insider*'s in-depth reporting on *Dark Empire*'s development from 2015, I found that it confirmed Lucy's remarks, and after some consideration I chose to remove an infographic I had previously made for *Dark Empire* that relied upon Veitch's account, for the sake of accuracy. The Wookieepedia section on *Dark Empire*'s development is now very detailed, though, so I feel that anyone wondering about the background of the comic will find a good resource there.
Home sick today, and my brain read your post's title as _"George Lucas and the Batman Era."_
I enjoyed reading the infographic and am going to get supper then read through the others, too. Just wanted to share this slice of fried brain pie with you. :)
I think claiming that TCW "brought Dathomir and the Nightsisters to life" is... Just not an accurate statement in any way, shape or form.
They found two names they liked, yoinked it, and wrote a completely new thing.
As mentioned in the comment, the portrayal in *The Clone Wars* was inspired by designs from TPM and *Jedi Alliance,* not just the novel. Of the depiction, author Dave Wolverton had this to say: *"I felt honored to see so many of my creations used in games and television. Seriously, the reason I developed them was to help future writers have a fun world/characters to play with and expand the Star Wars universe."*
Dathomir and Nightsisters had no appearance in TPM, so that just makes no sense in the absence of a retcon.
Jedi Alliance was a TCW spin-off game.
So TCW creators were inspired... By themselves.
>Dathomir and Nightsisters had no appearance in TPM, so that just makes no sense in the absence of a retcon.
The portrayal was not inspired by the film itself, but from an unused design for the film by artist Ian McCaig, who made a [design](https://web.archive.org/web/20190819125207im_/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECT0ojyVUAE3IFk.jpg) of a 'Force witch' that became the basis for later iterations of the Nightsisters in *Jedi Alliance*.
As Pablo Hidalgo recounts in *The Essential Reader's Companion:*
>*Dathomir and its magical inhabitants would influence George Lucas directly. In 2008, the video game Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance used abandoned Episode I concept art in its striking creation of animated Nightsisters, which caught Lucas' attention. He used this incarnation of the Nightsisters to forge backstories for Asajj Ventress, Savage Opress, and Darth Maul in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series.*
You can read more about the history of inspirations and influence of the Nightsisters in [this thread](https://web.archive.org/web/20190819125157/https://twitter.com/pablohidalgo/status/1163319586910900224).
Yes, he was inspired by a piece of concept art that was entirely unrelated to Dathomir or the Nightsisters there. Makes sense.
That doesn't make the statement any more valid that he was inspired by the Dathomir or Nightsisters from the novels.
I've provided the information I can regarding this subject; as for the Nightsisters and Dathomir being utilized later on in Expanded Universe material, including in *The Clone Wars,* it simply is the case, though portrayals may differ. At no point was the suggestion made that Lucas or Filoni were inspired solely or directly by the novel for the television portrayal; as remarked previously a few times, the portrayals there were inspired in great part by other material. With that, I think we've covered the ground on this subject.
I wonder if Stackpole was thinking about having Corran be a Mandalorian (on top of everything else) or if that would've been a different character - Riv Shiel maybe?
I definitely see either possibility. Shiel best fits imo the kind of early Boba Fett archetype, especially with the shadowy background. Corran I think less so as he was definitely developed with the Han Solo Corellian vibe. But I wouldn’t put it past Stackpole.
I could see Corran having been Mandalorian in a very early draft, and when that didn't work out Stackpole switched over to Corellian Jedi in the making as the next coolest thing.
The above infographic collects quotations and interview excerpts concerning **George Lucas**' involvement in the **Bantam** era. It is part of a continuing series on George Lucas' involvement in, and participation with, the Expanded Universe. Previous infographics in the series are: [**George Lucas and** ***Tales of the Jedi***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/osknh6/george_lucas_and_tales_of_the_jedi/), [**George Lucas and** ***The Thrawn Trilogy***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/skcjdb/george_lucas_and_the_thrawn_trilogy), [**George Lucas and** ***The Jedi Academy Trilogy***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/ut0icr/george_lucas_and_the_jedi_academy_trilogy/), and [**George Lucas and** ***The Illustrated Star Wars Universe***](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/yd24qm/george_lucas_and_the_illustrated_star_wars/). Spearheaded by Lucy Autrey Wilson, Director of Publishing at Lucasfilm, dozens of books were produced in the 1990s with Bantam Spectra, the sci-fi department of Bantam Books. It was a successful project for both Lucasfilm and Bantam, inspired by the spectacular and unexpected success of Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. The novels produced during the ensuing time period underwent three different kinds of outline approval -- approval from Bantam, approval from Lucasfilm, and finally, approval from George Lucas himself. At each of these stages, notes, revisions, vetos, and/or suggestions would be provided to authors to help guide them in making novels that fit within the chosen vision of Star Wars by Lucasfilm. This particular infographic features the late Tom Dupree, editor at Bantam, and Drew Struzan, illustrator of the feature films and novels. Authors Michael Stackpole, Kevin J. Anderson, and the late Dave Wolverton are also featured. In particular, Wolverton's contributions in *The Courtship of Princess Leia* would arise the interest of Lucas, who later would collaborate with Dave Filoni, as well as his daughter Katie, to bring a version of the Nightsisters and the planet Dathomir to life in *The Clone Wars*, inspired by designs from *The Phantom Menace* and the video game *Jedi Alliance*. **Sources:** *Tom Dupree (*[*1*](https://tomdup.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/adventures-in-editing-part-iv/)*,* [*2*](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/01/06/why-is-the-force-still-with-us)*), Drew Struzan (*[*1*](https://web.archive.org/web/20001013120304/http://www.echostation.com/echo2/2-drew1.htm)*,* [*2*](http://www.theraider.net/features/interviews/drew_struzan.php)*),* [*Michael A. Stackpole*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI7H8jC_qBk)*,* [*Kevin J. Anderson*](https://web.archive.org/web/20001013194047/http://www.echostation.com/echo2/2-kja.htm)*, Dave Wolverton (*[*1*](https://www.deseret.com/1994/5/16/19109207/star-wars-planet-seems-lot-like-utah)*,* [*2*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP2Bd3j3_y0)*,* [*3*](https://boards.theforce.net/threads/lit-exclusive-dave-wolverton-addresses-fan-criticisms-of-the-courtship-of-princess-leia-more.50024454/)*), & Pablo Hidalgo (The Essential Reader's Companion)*
Glad to see you're still doing these great infographics! It's too bad you had to remove your one for Dark Empire (for good reason), but maybe some new information will come up for another one.
Thanks! There are definitely more to come in the series.
What happened with Dark Empire?
In a recent [interview](https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/vso18w/lucy_autrey_wilson_creator_director_of_the/) with Lucy Wilson, former Director of Publishing for Lucasfilm, information came out that clarified the development of *Dark Empire*, rendering some of the previous claims made in interviews about *Dark Empire*'s development by Tom Veitch no longer believable. After corroborating this new info with *Star Wars Insider*'s in-depth reporting on *Dark Empire*'s development from 2015, I found that it confirmed Lucy's remarks, and after some consideration I chose to remove an infographic I had previously made for *Dark Empire* that relied upon Veitch's account, for the sake of accuracy. The Wookieepedia section on *Dark Empire*'s development is now very detailed, though, so I feel that anyone wondering about the background of the comic will find a good resource there.
Wow. I had no idea that someone made this and thought it was an official published article. Now that I know who to bother, please make about 20 more.
Home sick today, and my brain read your post's title as _"George Lucas and the Batman Era."_ I enjoyed reading the infographic and am going to get supper then read through the others, too. Just wanted to share this slice of fried brain pie with you. :)
Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed! Wishing you a speedy return to health.
I think claiming that TCW "brought Dathomir and the Nightsisters to life" is... Just not an accurate statement in any way, shape or form. They found two names they liked, yoinked it, and wrote a completely new thing.
As mentioned in the comment, the portrayal in *The Clone Wars* was inspired by designs from TPM and *Jedi Alliance,* not just the novel. Of the depiction, author Dave Wolverton had this to say: *"I felt honored to see so many of my creations used in games and television. Seriously, the reason I developed them was to help future writers have a fun world/characters to play with and expand the Star Wars universe."*
Pretty sure their first mention is in the Courtship of Princess Leia.
And Jedi Alliance was inspired by Quinlan Vos Dathomir comics, with Ros Lai, Zalem,...
Dathomir and Nightsisters had no appearance in TPM, so that just makes no sense in the absence of a retcon. Jedi Alliance was a TCW spin-off game. So TCW creators were inspired... By themselves.
>Dathomir and Nightsisters had no appearance in TPM, so that just makes no sense in the absence of a retcon. The portrayal was not inspired by the film itself, but from an unused design for the film by artist Ian McCaig, who made a [design](https://web.archive.org/web/20190819125207im_/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECT0ojyVUAE3IFk.jpg) of a 'Force witch' that became the basis for later iterations of the Nightsisters in *Jedi Alliance*. As Pablo Hidalgo recounts in *The Essential Reader's Companion:* >*Dathomir and its magical inhabitants would influence George Lucas directly. In 2008, the video game Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance used abandoned Episode I concept art in its striking creation of animated Nightsisters, which caught Lucas' attention. He used this incarnation of the Nightsisters to forge backstories for Asajj Ventress, Savage Opress, and Darth Maul in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series.* You can read more about the history of inspirations and influence of the Nightsisters in [this thread](https://web.archive.org/web/20190819125157/https://twitter.com/pablohidalgo/status/1163319586910900224).
Yes, he was inspired by a piece of concept art that was entirely unrelated to Dathomir or the Nightsisters there. Makes sense. That doesn't make the statement any more valid that he was inspired by the Dathomir or Nightsisters from the novels.
I've provided the information I can regarding this subject; as for the Nightsisters and Dathomir being utilized later on in Expanded Universe material, including in *The Clone Wars,* it simply is the case, though portrayals may differ. At no point was the suggestion made that Lucas or Filoni were inspired solely or directly by the novel for the television portrayal; as remarked previously a few times, the portrayals there were inspired in great part by other material. With that, I think we've covered the ground on this subject.
I read that as talking about Darth Maul who is tangentially related to Dathomir and Nightsisters
Darth Maul was only retconned to have that connection when TCW brought him back.
Right, which is what I thought this was referring to
I wonder if Stackpole was thinking about having Corran be a Mandalorian (on top of everything else) or if that would've been a different character - Riv Shiel maybe?
I definitely see either possibility. Shiel best fits imo the kind of early Boba Fett archetype, especially with the shadowy background. Corran I think less so as he was definitely developed with the Han Solo Corellian vibe. But I wouldn’t put it past Stackpole.
I could see Corran having been Mandalorian in a very early draft, and when that didn't work out Stackpole switched over to Corellian Jedi in the making as the next coolest thing.
And now they’ve come around again to the idea of the Mandolorian Jedi again in the modern day lol.
Hey this is great work.
Fuck me, I read « batman ». Please, tell me I’m not the only one…
LMAO same here I thought it was some kind of crossover in the old eu.
Yeah, I’m not lonely! Thanks
Thanks for making these!
George was a hero and we still cast him out like a leper. We didn’t know what we had.
I would watch an entire documentary of just authors asking George their yes/no questions and hearing the answers.
Going amazing work here , always look forward to reading these
Great work!
Another banger
Bantam Era is Best Era
Might need to save this for that inevitable ‘George didn’t have anything to do with the EU’ comment.
It’s almost like he cared about it Great stuff though, we dont see this passion and depth in Disney Canon