A word from Karen Traviss...

I received this in my email this morning, she asked that those of us who can to please help get the word out about this. I'm gonna go ahead and post this here because this section of TDH is where 99% of the talk on EU mandos takes place. Anyhow, here is a message from Karen Traviss concerning costumers who have emailed her asking character specific questions to fill in costume gaps:

*** With full permission to copy in its entirety ***

Folks, I'm getting a *lot* of mail from costumers asking for detail
on various characters. This is from all sorts of places, but I
mention it here because some of you have links into costume groups
and might get word out.

I can't give detail that's not in the books. Sorry, I want to help,
but this is causing me all kinds of problems. Nor will I share my
thoughts on what I might do with characters' costumes any longer,
because it's just made a rod for my back. I made a mistake helping
out one or two people in the past, and it's now getting in the way of
the stories - not through volume of mail, but because it's asking me
to pre-empt quite a complex worldbuilding process.

If it's not in the books, inventing it solely to fill in costuming
gaps causes real problems. Remember that long thread we had about
random continuity, inventing detail for the hell of it to "tie up
loose ends" and then finding some time later that it's cut across
some story further down the line? Even small detail can do that. If a
character carries a certain kind of bag, it's not just cosmetic -
they may well have a whole story to go with that about how they got
the bag and what it's made from. Imagine if someone had hassled to me
to find out what kind of gloves Jaing wore, and under pressure, off
the top of my head, I said blue.

Actually, Jaing's gloves ended up being grey, because what they're
made from and how he acquired them is a huge element in the plot of
the RC books.

Do you see my point? This is not actually small detail, however much
it might look like it. Detail has to grow organically from
storytelling. Otherwise it's the tail wagging the dog, and that kills
the books.

I love the costuming community, but I need folks out there to
understand why I can no longer give them any unpublished detail or
suggestions. Any help you can give me in getting word out will be
appreciated.

You may reproduce this message if you need to. In fact, it's probably
better if you use it, because paraphrasing might end up making it
look as if I can't be arsed, when in fact I have a very valid reason
for not providing information that has nothing to do with spoilers.

Thanks!

KT

*** End message ***

good deal. I am finishing my skirata costume. WooHooo I just need guants and my gun. and I just ordered my guants. if a detail changes I can change it later. Her new book is awesome btw.

That's a good message to keep in mind. I know when making my Bardan costume, I knew I only had a few facts to go on, and just inferred the rest myself. Perhaps if more costumers do the same for other characters with little visual reference, the fans themselves will help to establish the look. I agree we give Kar'buir a break from our questions.

I don't blame her. That's part of the problem today, where people (costumers) don't (or can't) use their imaginations when interpreting what they read in the books...to me, that's part of the fun of making this stuff...actually, it s sort of "creative license", if you will....
Rob

A lot of the reasons she states are kind of why I've always preferred to make my costumes unique, rather than try and copy a movie costume. Its the creative process behind why it is the way it is. Its my own license to create what I want why I want it that way. She needs it that way for her job, I just like it that way for fun!

On another note, its great she is willing to communicate so openly with the fan groups. I'm sure she's very busy.

-Brian

makes total sense, i love her books!

i just wish the 501st allowed to people to use the Null Arc Sgt. A'den as a legit costume. I mean she made it canon. Why deny the labors of the Mand'alor?

Unfortunately, there has to be enough visual references for them to become 501st acceptable gear. Unless it's seen a comic or video game, then unfortunately it doesn't count because there is to much room for personal customization to make them "standardized".

We have seen Clonetrooper Sergeants with the green trim in Episode II, though. So it should be the same as the movie-accurate ARC Captain and Lieutenant -- just with green trim instead, yes? I only have one reference for my ARC Commander, and it probably won't get 501st approval -- but since it's the same thing as the other well-documented ARCs and Phase I Clonetroopers, not allowing it would be really frikkin' pedantic. Ditto A'Den.

My advice is, if you want to do it, do it. Do something basic and straight from the movies if 501st approval is what you want. You can always champion some obscure or seldom-/never-seen EU character if there's enough peripheral evidence that you think they should be acceptable/approvable. But be ready for it to take a long time, or never. Remember what Robert Heinlein said about committees...

--Jonah

We just have to wait for them to make more video games or animated series'. I kinda wish Karen Traviss would write for the Clone Wars series and make the stories more clone centric. I think we could agree we've heard enough stories about Anakin Skywalker and Co. Let's make some clone main characters not just some plot detail or sidekick like Cody and Rex seem to be (though they're still nice characters).

With Anakin being the main character of the prequels I don't think that will happen. I'm sure there will be more episodes in the future like "ROOKIES", but not all the time.

Unfortunatey it's called the "CLONE WARS" not the "CLONE'S WAR".

I'm going to be honest here, Isn't it we who should be providing her with detail on mandos? Shouldn't WE support Karen by giving her as much help as possible? I know that she has given customs cameos in her books before, who's to say she won't do it again? Therefore, I say we should be providing Karen with information and support instead of drawing her away from her work by drowning her with requests for non-cannon information on characters that she hasn't provided in her books.

Just my opinion.

Kal'ika

I don't actually know if that's possible. Support, heck yes! But information... I don't think she's even ALLOWED to look at anything like that, if someone sent something to her. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere... I could be wrong, I don't remember. Darn memory cells!

Besides, like most of the books and comics, when lucas wants to go his own direction, he'll blatantly ignore a lot of the canon that has been written. So really the books are a tenuous link to what's going on. I'm fully expecting the TV series he's producing to contradict a lot of what the writers have said. It's why I don't read the books anymore.

Any time you build armor, you give her support. Karen builds her own characters, plain and simple. She has to for them to be allowed into a book in the first place. Now, she does use the names or armor of a very few of the real-world characters for her own reasons. However, she has to completely ignore any back story the owner of that character's name may have come up with previously. So at that point your character is no longer your character. =)

She can and has looked at some individuals armor for reference in the past, as well as for references on weapons etc. If she likes a particular armor item and thinks it's something that will fit into her books well then she will learn about it.

by providing her with detail and information I mean tech info on specific things, like for example the verp shattergun that was finally quantified by one of our members here. Or if she asks how a certain piece of kit works, since we're the ones who create it. I don't mean giving her our characters and their back stories, since that would be doing her job for her. Honestly, I'm just glad Karen is willing to share her talent with the rest of the world.

Kal'ika

Hey guys! I'm new to the whole posting community. I totally agree with Karen. I would love to see what she has pictured in her head of certain characters or things but I completely understand that that would involve too much time for back stories. I myself have looked up some of the most bizarre things just to get a visual. Some of the costumes and designs I have seen on here are amazing and show the creativity of individuals

Who is Karen Traviss

***!!! Can't believe I read that! lol jk
Karen is the genius behind the Republic Commando series of books from which a lot of our (mando'ade) culture stems. She is the one who basically reinvented the mando. Thanks to Karen's brilliant writing mandalorians have acheived an unprecedented level of popularity in the SW Fan community. She also wrote many of the books from the Vong War on that use mando'ade a lot in the writing. She is the one who gave us a lot of what we know about Boba and all the rest of the cannonized mandos. I guess Karen is the only writer who really understands how much people like to read about mandos.

Kal

Originally Posted by Jango 425

Who is Karen Traviss

Sas: You should still read the books man! they are the bomb. Just because Lucas is an idiot sometimes doesn't mean that you should read, enjoy, and prefer the books. Honestly the first three movies were amazing, the second three ok, but we all know that the real depth and quality of the universe, WHY IT IS SO AMAZING, is because it has had so many talented writers working towards common goals and themes giving life, variety, and depth. Don't worry about what silly storyline changes Lucas makes because his pride mandates he been in control of these new projects (until he gets bored and hands it off to some one else) they all get smoothed out and fixed by better story tellers later.

Get your fill of Karen while you can. After her last book in 2011, we more than likely won't see anymore Star Wars books written by her.

Originally Posted by SaberMaker

Sas: You should still read the books man! they are the bomb. Just because Lucas is an idiot sometimes doesn't mean that you should read, enjoy, and prefer the books. Honestly the first three movies were amazing, the second three ok, but we all know that the real depth and quality of the universe, WHY IT IS SO AMAZING, is because it has had so many talented writers working towards common goals and themes giving life, variety, and depth. Don't worry about what silly storyline changes Lucas makes because his pride mandates he been in control of these new projects (until he gets bored and hands it off to some one else) they all get smoothed out and fixed by better story tellers later.

I'll give her a looksee, I need some holiday reading material.

Originally Posted by NovallTalon

Get your fill of Karen while you can. After her last book in 2011, we more than likely won't see anymore Star Wars books written by her.

Breaks my heart mandalore.

Kal

Originally Posted by NovallTalon

Get your fill of Karen while you can. After her last book in 2011, we more than likely won't see anymore Star Wars books written by her.

Bah! That's lame.

Originally Posted by NovallTalon

Get your fill of Karen while you can. After her last book in 2011, we more than likely won't see anymore Star Wars books written by her.

Wait, why? I missed this.

LFL is too adept at spin, and Karen is too British, for either of them to come right out and say whether it was one party, the other, or both who decided to end it. I can therefore only offer my instincts and what I see lurking implicitly between the lines. You can see it most glaringly in the disconnect between Revelation and Invincible of the Legacy of the Force series.

Broadly speaking, she's made Mandalorians too popular and central and identifiable, she has a strong anti-Force-user bias in her writing (don't know about her personal opinions there, but writers tend to not write contrary to bias), and seems to not want to veer too far from there. Which would be great if she were writing a series about how the Mandalorian resistance survived during the Empire, under Fenn Shysa. But when the rest of the EU is trying to get away from Mandos... *shrug*

Despite her anti-Jedi bias, I would rather read her books than anyone else since those of the late Brian Daley. Tim Zahn is good at character, but not as aware of the technical minutiæ as he should be; KJA is a good idea man, but his sense of scope is lacking (three Star Destroyers are a threat to the entire New Republic? Really?); Michael Stackpole writes very good stories for character, scope, and detail, but Corran is such a Mary-Sue... None of the rest have really stood out as spectacularly good or bad.

And out of this current group, Aaron Allston is okay; James Luceno is good, but so flowry with his prose that I too often am exhausted before I can finish slogging through the first page or three; and the less I say abot Troy Denning, the less likely I am to be banned. >_>

--Jonah

lol to be honest... I had given up reading the books until Karen revived the mando'ade. The other books are just too boring, or too overflowing with the force. I've started the newest series, but unless something changes soon... I don't foresee myself reading too much more into it. The mando'ade must return! lol More boba, less Luke. Just my opinion, and Karen does a good job at that. She writes for a specific audience with which she is VERY popular and... let's be honest here, mandos add an element of interest to the stories that no other group of characters really brings to the story.

Kal

Well, the word just came down at TheForce.Net. Imperial Commando #2 will officially be Kar'Buir's last Star Wars Novel, due to the fact that she doesn't want to have to fight the "canon" visual guides and such to continue her tales of our favorite Mando's.

*is sad*

yes very sad!! I quit buying star wars books until I was bored and picked up teh first book of her series. Macho gritty Darkheroes.Loved it. We don't have enough of those gritty heroes anymore. Why do all of our heroes now days have to look like anorexic teens??
Guess I will be back to reading Stephen King.

Karen is still doing plenty of other books! I encourage you to pick up her Gears of War books as the writing style is very close to the RC books. She also has a new series of her own that she is working on.

If you like her writing style, then you will definitely like her other books.

yeah tried the GoW series. Don't care for it much, but then again it's not Star Wars.

Kal

As much as this sucks! I can see why she has made this decision and support her fully as a fan of her work. However it is still going to be a bittersweet day when IC 2 is released. What she has done for us mando fans is huge! Increasing general awareness of the mandalorians as a culture for the wider Star Wars fan group and expanding hugely on the culture and life style of mandalorians... And hell... Now we are even up there with Star Trek (klingon) and Lord of the Rings (elvish) having our own fictional language, and we owe it all to KT! We all have a lot to thank her for and therefore while I personally wish she didn't have all these canon, continuity issues to deal with, I fully understand her decision to pull out of Star Wars, and will continue to support her in any way I can...

I'll always support you Kar'buir!

Tracyn

i feel reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy stupid

I'm going to miss her contributions to the Star Wars Universe as well, but I do have a couple of her Wess'har books and plan on getting her GOW ones too.

At least our beloved Kar'buir Mandos will always live on in the books already out and the imaginative tracks we have formed from them.

is 10/27 still a go for Imp Co #1?

Yup, that's the official release date!

Thank you Karen Traviss for your awesome books! You make our imaginations run wild when we start reading your works. Just freakin awesome!

Speaking of which...dont know how many of you have seen this yet:

http://karentraviss.typepad.com/blog/2009/12/index.html

Not sure if anybody's posted this already, but Imperial Commando 2 came up on TheForce.net today...

http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/s...ies_128128.asp

Originally Posted by Nau'ur Baatir

Not sure if anybody's posted this already, but Imperial Commando 2 came up on TheForce.net today...

http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/s...ies_128128.asp

In a way thats good news. I woudl like if KT stuck with it to finish up the books. But maybe now, the story may have an end to it. Who ever gets to do it, has BIG shoes to fill. KT's work is great. and it would suck if the new guy frak'd everything up (odds are that will happen )

I just wish Lucas would give her a ring and ask Karen to write a script from her outstanding series!!

........Oh my goodness.....I hadn't even considered that....

Shab! Now I've gotta go make up a dream cast for that film. Dang it!

Originally Posted by TK2280

In a way thats good news. I woudl like if KT stuck with it to finish up the books. But maybe now, the story may have an end to it. Who ever gets to do it, has BIG shoes to fill. KT's work is great. and it would suck if the new guy frak'd everything up (odds are that will happen )

Couldn't agree less (about that being good news)--no offense intended. I've read a few Star Wars novels other than Traviss', and can't stand too many of them. Having the last book of the series written by anyone else would feel about as right as someone other than Lucas doing episodes 7-9 of the Star Wars series, even if they did them better. Looks like I'm done with Star Wars books for a while.

As someone who appreciates writers and the writing they do, there's too much I could say about Traviss. This news frustrates me much more than it should...

I guess she does have a very valid reason for her response to people asking her questions. I'd rather have a new book in the RC/IC series than know if Kal Skirata's armor is sand colored or mustard color. Thanks for letting me know this, I'll tell some of my friends that aren't on the costuming sites and just ask her without looking at posts. Thanks for the info!

hello all, new to the site and am loving it.

trying to come to terms with this. i'm not a forum troll so i'm running about a month behind everyone else. when my buddy first told me about Karen's post a month ago i was literally enraged. i felt betrayed by lucas and his constant meddling (its ok to be a control freak and run things your own way, but if thats the way you're going to be, dont let anyone else play the game). and who are these jags that are writing that stupid cartoon? does anyone else only watch it waiting to see if that turd ahsoka just gets killed?

karen is now my favorite modern novelist. i intend to buy and read everything star wars she has written. her experience really makes her military and police characters shine, warts and all, and i've grown very fond of them. and that's what it really comes down to. as much as i adore karen's writing, my loyalty lies more with the characters than the author.

now if the new person doesn't f* it up i'll be satisfied. i personally dont care much about "continuity conflicts" as my tastes run somewhat cafeteria-style. put it all out there and i'll pick and choose what i like and ignore what i dont. case in point, the "tales of the bounty hunters" is an older book for sure, and boy does it ever suck. therefore, i ignore it.

Second the post above.

Up until picking up one of Ms Traviss's books a few months back, I hadn't read a Star Wars book I enjoyed since the X-Wing series (and I whipped right through that in my mid-teens and haven't gone back, though I've fond memories of it). Was definitely looking forward to how thigns were going to turn out for the characters I'd grown somewhat attached to.

I think somewhere along the line, somebody probably should have stopped Mr Lucas for a second and told him in a respectful but firm fashion that he was messing up real bad. Somewhere in between Jar Jar Binks and retconning the most engaging bit of Star Wars since ROTJ.

But on the upside, at least the timing of the retcon is such that we've all been introduced to a talented author we wouldn't otherwise have been exposed to. I'm definitely checking out her other works.

This news makes me very sad. I'd never read a Star Wars book before Karen Traviss. I was a closet Star Wars fan, and reading the first RC book made me love it. I was never a HUGE fan of the God Characters like the Jedi, who make the normal people almost obsolete. Then I read of these wonderful Mandalorians, not long after playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I loved Canderous Ordo, and was eager to learn more. I quickly bought all of the Republic Commando books that were out at that point (3). I loved ALL of RC and the lone IC books. I'm eagerly awaiting the second. Since Karen Traviss, I have not found an author I really like for Star Wars. I'm reading the Legacy of the Force right now, and I'm forcing myself through the third book. I liked the first one, but I wish the second one would have been longer. I love her work, and it saddens me to know that she will no longer write for Star Wars. I will have to check out her other books though.

So sad!

o well gess ill have 2 go back 2 reading 40k

I was really pissed to see this...But I guess if it works better for her not to write anymore, then I will respect that. I am a huge Mando fan like all of you and I love what she has done for Mandalorian culture, etc. She is also a very nice writer, as I have liked quite a few star wars books(as I am a serious Star Wars Freak), but I do think hers were the best. It will still be sad to see her stop..

It's probably a lot different for a writer, but as a reader I don't get upset about canon and non-canon. Like the bumpersticker says, "I reject your reality and substitute my own." I tend to overlook minor things like non-canon I like more than the "official story", but hey--it could just be me. At least there's one more IC book...when I first heard about this I was under the impression that the story was ending at the end of IC #1 and that was....upsetting, to say the least.

Now I can understand why Karen has given up. Clone wars season 2 Episode 12 ( the mandalorians), was sooo very disapointing to watch.
They have gone and changed everything the Mandos were supposed to be!
Piece loving (spit) mandolorians just does not compute!
And now, the only warriors left are the Death Watch!
C'mon, who is writing this stuff?? Now all the Star Wars books from this point on all have masive flaws and mistakes in them!
I wish she would just finish her books for us........ it's lonly without her!

M girlfriend refuses to read IC:501st for just that reason. She says she just can't bear to have anyone screw with her Omega " boys".

it is rediculous how much lucas is screwing everything up. I just plain and simpley put it this way, The Clone Wars cartoon is not cannon. It may be but I refuse to believe that it is because it goes against all the novelizations and Mandolorians, no matter how much they say they are, are not a peace loving race.

Yeah, peace-loving? How'd they get Jango Fett then? If he was such an odd-ball as compared to the rest of the Mandos I'd think the (oh gosh, can't spell it) Kamino-something-whatever-ians wouldn't have selected him to train the clones. *snicker* Or is that no longer cannon?

I must be on my own here, but I'm of the opinion - the more you expand the universe, the more you narrow it. For me, if it didn't happen in one of the films it didn't happen. Anything else is flavour and to be taken with a pinch of salt, cannon or not. There's too much in the Star Wrs universe, written by too many people to be consistant. I know it's all meant to be vetted and approved, clearly with the eagerness to create new material, this isn't happening.

Sadly it's a franchise, designed to make money.

For me Boba Fett is still being slowly digested in the Sarlacc

... and don't get me started on the special editions

I think we have to remember that it's George Lucas's universe... we just play dress up in it. I don't get wrapped up in cannon/ noncannon/ expanded universe stuff. If I like it I learn more about it if I don't I ignore it.

You must also remember that Clone Wars; while adults like it - like me, is meant to be enjoyed by a younger audience. Young kids probably don't read Republic Commando novels (although my kids see me reading it and will eventually read it too)

I loved the OT and and was reintroduced to Star Wars with the prequels. They are what they are. The prequels and Clone Wars are now how MY children will enjoy Star Wars. The way I see it, its keeping the story alive for a new generation of fans.

If I like it I learn more about it if I don't I ignore it.

Actually, that's a good way to look at life, too.

Originally Posted by Ghostsoldier

I don't blame her. That's part of the problem today, where people (costumers) don't (or can't) use their imaginations when interpreting what they read in the books...to me, that's part of the fun of making this stuff...actually, it s sort of "creative license", if you will....
Rob

Well said ner vod!! She cant give every little detail, we gotta come up with that ourselves, and if in a later book, she points somethin out, we can change it. Also, using ur imagination is great in this kind of stuff, like today i had an idea for some mando armor, like what if i painted the armor plates tie dye? might sound gay, but im guna test it out on a "rough draft" i guess u could call it. a

*snort* Tie Dye!!!! Oh my heavens.
Sounds kinda like the pics from the 60s and 70s that parents hide from their kids to avoid giving them ideas. I didn't know that the Mandos had an equivalent thing. If you do it, you'd better post pics.

It really sucks that she recently said that 501st is gonna be her last Star wars book. Kinda dissapointed, she was by FAR my favorite SW author.

Originally Posted by DarmanSkirata

Also, using ur imagination is great in this kind of stuff, like today i had an idea for some mando armor, like what if i painted the armor plates tie dye? might sound gay, but im guna test it out on a "rough draft" i guess u could call it. a

Ahh, great idea, Darman....that'll give the Custom Mando haters out there something to irritate the heck out of 'em!
Rob

Well, seeing as you guys seem to like it, guess i'll start on the tie dye! only thing i didnt think about is how im going to paint it that way ...well, just so you know, its guna be made of cardboard, i saw a tutorial on youtube, and it looks pretty legit. i will post pics as soon as i can

Originally Posted by mandosoldier

It really sucks that she recently said that 501st is gonna be her last Star wars book. Kinda dissapointed, she was by FAR my favorite SW author.

I didn't like her Legacy of the Force books much at all, but I really liked the Republic Commando ones. I just finished reading 501st and liked that a lot too. I wonder if someone else will pick up the stories of those characters, or if that universe is just dead now?

Yes this is very sad indeed!! i was really looking forward to reading how she ended the story....They were great books!!

I dont think anyone else should even THINK about continuing with those characters. She's the one who created them, and the stlye will be so different in the writing. also, has Kar'buir given a reason for stopping writing? im just curious...

Someone else is writing the second Imperial Commando book, we just don't know who yet.

If they continue at all, it would be best if one of the other writers she collaborated with in the Legacy of the Force series (Allston or Dennings) was the one to continue. They would probably have the best feel for her characterizations.

Someone farther up was commenting that there wasn't enough evidence of what Arc troopers look like for 501st. What about battlefront 1 ?!

We should tag our armors with a KT to show our appreciation, and support for WARLIKE Mandalorians. It might be Lucas' universe, but we made characters in it. We can't rely on anyone else to fight for us afterall.

Maybe something as simple as hiding a "KT" somewhere in the weathering somewhere. Maybe hidden among the scratches. That way, it doesn't detract from the canon look at all but we know it's there.

I gave an interview during our troop on Comic Salon 14. last weekend. When asked what makes the fascination of Star Wars, I said thatwe greatly enjoy the movies for universe building and technical effects. With the Clone Wars series, it's a lot more simple, more for children. And that's why we are really looking forwards to more the graphic novels and books, since we especially enjoyed those by Karen Traviss. That we are saddened by her leave and would love somebody to pick up writing, preferably her.

I don't expect it to be published full length, but gotta grab every possibility to spread the word of our wishes.

Karen did such a wonderful job with the RC series, and its a shame that all this nonsense and whatnot is getting in the way on having her finish the last book, imperial commando 2, and its a shame that someone else is going to have to write, it, i have been saving the last chapter of my first imperial commando book until the release of the second book, but now that that isnt coming out, i guess i might as well read it now.

George lucas....... making pacifist mandalorians............ *throws up into bag* *tosses it into a box* *makes a packing slip that says "YOU DESECRATED THE MANDALORIAN NAME GEORGE LUCAS"* *closes the box* *Sends it out too george lucas* we should get george lucas for treason of star wars, making mandalorians pacifists............ THE NERVE........... and Death watch being the only warriors........... Kriffin, that disgusts me too.... KAREN TRAVISS HEEEEEEEEELP USSSSSSSSSSSS!

Originally Posted by Zuka

George lucas....... making pacifist mandalorians............ *throws up into bag* *tosses it into a box* *makes a packing slip that says "YOU DESECRATED THE MANDALORIAN NAME GEORGE LUCAS"* *closes the box* *Sends it out too george lucas* we should get george lucas for treason of star wars, making mandalorians pacifists............ THE NERVE........... and Death watch being the only warriors........... Kriffin, that disgusts me too.... KAREN TRAVISS HEEEEEEEEELP USSSSSSSSSSSS!

When the first 'Mandalore' episode aired I stopped watching the show, so I feel where your comming from. But dude, seriously, chill. Its just a cartoon for kids.

Have to agree, CW is very kid oriented. While I might not agree with everything they do, it's nice to see characters actually DIE in a cartoon again,...gives the lil' buggers perspective. As to the original point of the post, ALWAYS put your story first. Most writers/storytellers only have one or two great storylines inside of them, (though it may be many books in the telling) then spend the rest of their careers just marking time with rehashed tales as they try to recapture what they once did. Never let anyone change your work. Not even yourself (looking at you, Mr Lucas) because you'll find as you age, you're not the same person you were when you were 20, 30, 40 etc. The personality that made a masterpiece may have changed and morphed into something completely different. That new person may be capable of making a completely different sort of masterwork, but shouldn't go back and alter what their younger self has accomplishedl Just my .02 worth

Oh, and since it didn't really come through in my admittedly long-winded earlier post, I do LOATHE the Mando retcon, but since it's Lucas' decision, there's not a lot to be done about it.