Welcome back to The Nerd Blitz Typecast!
As we continue to celebrate the launch of The Nerd Blitz Conversations: The First 10 Years, my second guest in this revival is a relatively new face around these parts, my partner in The Sauntering Expired on Patreon Josh From Woodbury.
Timed impeccably, he and I are talkin’ about Star Wars in this outing, so grab your blaster and have a seat, we’re making the jump to Typecast light speed, gang.
Doom: Let’s just start with the reason we’re doing this. As we start this, it’s almost two months out. So, how are you feeling about The Mandalorian and Grogu at this moment in time?
Josh: To be honest, I am about a 6 out of 10. I am excited because it is Star Wars related, but it has been 3 years since the last episodes of the show came out and I have sort of had the show on the backburner of my mind.
Doom: Yeah, I’ve wondered if, potentially, they waited too goddamn long as well. It’s a long time to expect the audience to stick around and care. I’d say I’m at about an 8 or 9 out of 10, but I totally understand where you’re coming from.
Where do you land on Mando in general?
Josh: I have really enjoyed the show and the 3 seasons. I think the characters have been pretty solid. One of my biggest gripes, and I understand why they did it in the show, is taking off the helmet so much. Something that scares me about the movie is he sure does seem to have that helmet off alot in the previews I saw before Project Hail Mary the other night. Again, I get that they need to show the star’s face on the big screen, but I feel like I saw his face so much.
Doom: Ya know, I just had a realization about that a week or so ago. You member in S3, when he goes to Mandalore and you see the Mythosaur (*this is Doom’s O face*)? He grabbed a flask of the water, which his sect says when you remove your bucket, you must bathe in the waters of Mandalore again to regain your Mando status. So that’s their solve for that little issue, I bet.
Josh: Yeah I remember that. I am sure they will address everything. I am excited for Sigourney Weaver. She played a key part in my childhood as both an ass kicker in Aliens and in Ghostbusters and I can’t wait to see her in the Star Wars universe.
Doom: Oh yeah, that was the last stone in her Infinity Gauntlet, except Trek. So that’s gonna fuckin’ rock for sure.
Take me back though, where does your A Star Wars Story begin?
Josh: Growing up, my neighbors directly across the street consisted of two brothers 5-8 years older than me, and their sister who was my age. I loved hanging out with Becky and I suspect as a result of a divorce, they had EVERY Star Wars toy made. I mean every single one. I remember going over there and playing with these amazing toys but having no idea what they were. Not long after I started becoming obsessed with these toys, my cousin introduced me to The Empire Strikes Back. My dad and her dad were die hard Alabama football fans so every Saturday, we were over at their house. On one of these fateful Saturdays, I watched one of the best movies ever made and I was hooked. It suddenly clicked what the toys I had been playing with were, and I became even more obsessed with the original 3 movies. I watched them more times than I will ever admit.
Doom: Oh, I thought the movie was Juicy Big Booties 12.
That’s fucked up, those toys were probably the biggest fuckin’ hook in history. Most of the fuckers I’ve run across, 4 years either way of your age, they always cite those toys as the drug what hooked ‘em in and whatnot.
How long did it take for your collection to start?
Josh: Not long after watching ESB, I started asking for those toys. My neighbors had all of the Hoth playsets and once I got really interested, I am thinking those were no longer as common as the stuff from Return of the Jedi. All of my Star Wars toys mostly consisted of stuff from that movie like the Ewok Village. I went through the phase of being too old for toys and my mom was kind enough to give away all of my Star Wars, He-Man, MASK, Ghostbusters, and other toys I had in a giant box in the basement. 🙁
Doom: Shit in a sock, that’s a classic story, innit?
What about comics or novels? Did you take that dive?
Josh: I didn’t really dabble in Star Wars in the late 80’s. BUT, in 1991 I spotted “Heir to the Empire” at Books-A-Million and picked up the hardback. It was like the sequel we never had (at the time) and I was HOOKED. I read and owned almost every Star Wars book till the late 90’s. As far as comics, I have the giant size Star Wars comic from way back in the day and it looks like I kept it outside. It took a real beating.
Doom: By the time I got into the books, the PT and KotOR/TOR stuff was going on, so I’m not up to those OT books yet. But I hear a lot of, let’s be kind and call it, mixed reactions. It seems for every Heir, there’s a Yuuzhan Vong. Where do you land on all that?
Is that the only comic bookery you own of the Star War variety?
Josh: Lets continue to be kind and just say there was a LOT of sub par Star Wars content put out in the 90’s. But I was so into it that I really didn’t complain, even when complaints were needed and warranted.
I have a few comics I picked up back in the day but I can’t remember exactly what they were. I feel like they were centric to Han Solo and also some around the Shadows of the Empire time. Nothing to write home about.
Doom: What made you fall off with the novels?
Yeah, SW comics can be a mixed bag too.
Josh: I think I took a step back from Star Wars books because like we alluded to, there was more and more garbage out there. I also started attending college in the late 90’s and went into the Marine Corps so reading was not really anything I did for a while.
Doom: Oh yeah, both of those do kinda throw up a roadblock to wacky space times.
So, how long were you out of the loop? Did you miss the ramp up of the Special Editions/Phantom Menace?
Josh: I had all of the different editions of the movies as they were released. I was also very much into the build up to The Phantom Menace. I have multiples of most of the orange and green back Star Wars figures that were released over the years. I have boxes and boxes of them in my attic lol. I was one of the faithful who slept outside the theater to get tickets for The Phantom Menace on opening night.
Doom: Oh my fuck, uber nerd!
I’m ascared to ask, mostly for cause I love it, but what was the reaction when ya came out of Ep 1?
Josh: There was SO much hype about The Phantom Menace. Whether it was Taco Bell, or the mind melting poster of Anakin standing on Tatooine with his shadow casting as Darth Vader. I don’t know if ANYTHING could have met the expectations that the marketing campaign for that movie created. That being said, I remember really enjoying it. I left feeling like they really squandered the opportunity they had with Darth Maul. I think he should have been in all 3 movies but alas. I thought Jar Jar was a bit annoying but I believe I saw the movie 4-5 times in the theater.
Doom: That’s a far more level-headed reply than I expected, if I’m honest.
I remember the marketing for it, and I wasn’t paying attention to SW shit yet. It was pretty goddamn pervasive in the culture.
Did that reignite something in you?
Josh: It certainly didn’t push me further from Star Wars. If anything, it made me appreciate the original 3 movies that much more. I have steadily kept those in my background movie rotation for the last 30 years.
Doom: Just to backtrack for a second, were you at the midnight madness or whatever the fuck they called them for all of those merch drops for Ep 1?
Josh: I was certainly camping outside Toys R Us in 95-96 when all of the Power of the Force figures were released. I was also there for the Phantom Menace stuff that was released. It was madness. Everyone lined up and you would legit run around in Toys R Us scooping junk into your cart. I remember spending a few hundred bucks quite a few nights.
Doom: Bloody pus covered hell, I am gobsmacked. I didn’t know you ran that deep, son.
So, where did you land on Attack Of The Clones?
Josh: Oh yeah. I had it bad. I also collected the 12” figures. Places like JC Penny and Target would get exclusive “rare” figures and boy did I spend time chasing those down. Again, all packed up in a box in my attic now!
I enjoyed Attack of the Clones but really struggled with the love story angle between Padme and Anakin. I remember rolling my eyes at them in the flower fields of Naboo.
Doom: Impressive, most Impressive.
What, you didn’t like Natalie Portman in her breathy dominatrix scene next to the fireplace?
Yeah, that love story arc really drags that flick down in a major way. But that fuckin’ arena battle at the end is badass!
Josh: Natalie wasn’t that bad. But Hayden got some really terrible dialogue from George. The arena scene was intense and seeing all of those light sabers…yes. Also, the brutality of Jango Fett was pretty awesome.
Doom: I wanna pivot for a minute, delay the bandaid rip, what about video games? I know you’re a big gamer, did you ever get into any of the SW video games?
Josh: Oh yeah! Not fully understanding what I was playing, I spent a good bit of time playing Star Wars on the Atari 2600. I specifically remember Hoth and the walkers. I also spent ALOT of time playing the Star Wars games on the SNES. Those side scrollers were amazing and challenging. One of my favorite PC games of the 90’s was The Phantom Menace. I played through that one more times than I can remember. Interestingly enough, it showed up on Playstation and I was able to play it. It did not hold up to my memories sadly. I also spent countless nights playing Star Wars Galaxies, the online game. When it first came out, there was a lot of mystery on how you could unlock and become a Jedi. Eventually, it was reported that you had to master certain random professions and if you met all of the criteria, you would get the chance to be a Jedi. I spent so much time training up as a musician, tailor, and it SUCKED. I also never got the unlock but I remember when the first jedi players started showing up in Coruscant……I was so jealous. I have played almost every Star Wars game that has come out in the last 30 years honestly.
Doom: I’m truly stunned at how deep you run with this shit, man.
What did you think of all the Battlefront games?
Josh: I have spent so much time playing both of those. I introduced my 5 year old son to Battlefront 2 last year and almost every weekend, he asks for me to fire up the PS4 so he can play it. I will set him up in the arcade mode I think it is, and set it to 999 players and he goes crazy for hours if I let him. Those games are some of the best executed games like that in my opinion.
Doom: What about the OG, 2 PS2 era Battlefront games?
Awww, I wish I could internet. I’d love to team up and fuck around in that game with you. I did once with Fitz a few years ago and it was stupid fun.
Josh: Yeah they are a blast! I also think the space battles are very underrated.
PS2 was actually a bit of a void in my gaming history. I actually spent most of my time playing Grand Turismo. The only one I remember playing much is The Force Unleashed but I think I may have played that on the Xbox 360.
Doom: Yeah, those were PS3/360 games. Both of those were fuckin’ cool as hell, if not a bit over the top. They’re kinda superhero games in a Star Wars disguise.
That PS2 Battlefront II is hugely important to my Star Wars love.
Did you play Pod Racer or any of the other movie tie-in games?
Josh: I did play Battlefront II on the PS2. I remember really liking the sound effects and music on it.
I steered clear of Pod Racer and Starfighter and those games. I feel like I rented Pod Racer once from Blockbuster but it didn’t do it for me. I never had anyone to split screen with me much so I think that was a part of it.
Doom: Okay, fuck it, let’s quit beatin’ around the bush…Episode 3…*gulp*…what didja think of that one?
Josh: I enjoyed seeing how Anakin became Vader. I loved the youngling scene and liked how they finished with him putting on the suit. I did not like how he broke free of the restraints and yelled “Noooo”. Although not my favorite Star Wars movie, it is well above many of them.
Doom: You really fucked with me one of the last times we recorded, you kinda led me to believe you didn’t dig Sith.
I think all of the movies have moments that are a little, shall we say, off like that though. I love those flicks dearly, all 6 of the GL ones especially, but they’re not perfect at all.
So, at this point in time, movies are done. As far as we know, there will never be another Star Wars picture. But George unzips and flops his fat, veiny, throbbing Clone Wars cock on the table. What was your reaction to that announcement?
Josh: What did I think of the Clone Wars series?
Doom: Specifically when he announced it, but yeah.
Josh: Admittedly, I didn’t really react to the announcement of the series. It even released on my birthday, but I never got into the show. I struggle with it for some reason and have never made it very far into it.
Doom: Really!? Is that how you’ve reacted to all of the animated shows?
Josh: Unfortunately, I have struggled with the animated ones. Same thing with Bad Batch. It wouldn’t surprise me if one day, I gave them another go and they caught my attention. I like so many other animation series (Simpsons, Family Guy, etc) so I am not adverse to animation.
Doom: For my money, TCW, Rebels, Bad Batch, that is some of the best SW. You really get to dig in on the universe in a big bad way and explore a lot of shit. I really wish we could get an OT era animated series to dig into some of that shit in the same way, maybe follow Leia in the senate or something.
Okay, let’s fast forward to, probably, the biggest moment in Star Wars history since A New Hope opened in theaters. What do you remember about the day the Disney buy was announced?
Josh: I remember thinking “George, you rich bastard.” Good for George, but I had a sinking suspicion that Disney might inject a ton of capital into pumping out movies at a crazy rate. On one hand, Disney knows their way around some genres but I was genuinely concerned about what might be to come. I also got excited, because I knew that would mean a much bigger SW presence at Disney World.
Doom: I went to the comic shop the day it was announced, people were fuckin’ stunned.
Yeah, and I honestly think they went too hard too fast with those first 5 movies. All of them, but especially the sequels, needed more time to bake. And I say that with the full knowledge that one of those 5 is a top 5 SW movie for me.
But where did you land on those 5 movies in 4 years?
Josh: I enjoyed #7 even though they completely fumbled the ball. Not having Luke, Leia, and Han together?! GTFO of here. #8 and #9 are in my collection, but I have seen them maybe twice. I absolutely adore Rogue One and Solo. I think they both have alot of heart and I really like the vibe and feel of both of them.
Doom: Solo is the top 5er I was referring too. I’m not 100% sure what it is about that flick, but it really fuckin’ works for me, man.
The ST as a whole is just a clusterfuck, man. You can tell there was a complete lack of communication and planning between, pretty much, everybody involved. Such a goddamn disappointment, for me.
But, and this brings us back to the start of this whole thing, I think the live-action series have been far better, on average, than the movies.
We’re you down for Mando from the jump?
Josh: The Mandalorian hit for me from episode 1. It has been a great show. Boba Fett was absolute garbage to me. Never rewatched that one.
Doom: We are in full agreement there. Mando came out the gates hard and fuckin’ delivered, man. Boba Fett is probably the most letdown I’ve ever been by SW, I was so fuckin’ pumped for that and like 10 mins into episode 1, I was completely disillusioned. I’ve rewatched chunks, still stings.
What about Obi-Wan? I can’t remember if you and I have ever talked about that show?
Josh: I don’t think we have in too much detail. Overall, I really liked Obi-Wan. I am very partial to Ewan and I like the character. I loved the fight between him and Vader. The unexpected highlight of that show to me was Leia. They nailed her character and I hope we see that actor again as her. She more than earned the right to call herself Princess in that universe.
Doom: That’s a relief. Lol
Yeah, TCW made me love Obi-Wan, and that show was everything I wanted and so much more that I didn’t even know to ask for.
Dude, that little girl was INCREDIBLE! As soon as I saw her bein’ all snappy and shit, it made me sad, once again that Carrie was gone. I can feel it deep in my marrow, I know Carrie would have fuckin’ adored that kid.
Josh: She captured the spirit of Princess Leia and Carrie in a way I was not prepared for. It would not hurt my feelings if they rolled out a season every few years about her as she grows older in real life with the series finale showing her on the corvette passing on information to R2. I would be invested for the next 20 years!
Doom: My hope is when she’s like 14 or 15, they’ll do something like that and show us Leia just before Episode 4 as the rebellion is ramping up for the Death Star assault.
I’d also love it if they did another season or two of Kenobi after a few years as Ewan further grows into the role and starts to grey into Alec. I’d like to see something like that deleted scene from Phantom Menace that was in the novel, have Luke get lost out on Tatooine and Obi-Wan has to stealth find him. Kind of have to get on that quick to give them time for Kenobi to fade from memory a bit.
What about Andor? I have major problems with that show, but I understand that most people love it. What is your stance on it?
Josh: I really enjoyed Andor. The first season more than the second. The reveal at the end of the first season was pretty amazing to me. I struggled a bit on the second season as it felt a little drawn out for my tastes.
Doom: I prefer the first season too, but what was the reveal at the end?
Josh: Maybe it was obvious, but I remember loving the reveal at the end that the parts they were building were for the first Death Star!
Doom: Oh yeah! I forgot all about that! Yeah, that shit was good. I think my main problem with that show is that it feels more like Bladerunner than Star Wars, at least esthetically speaking. It just has an off feeling. And then people are so shitty about every other SW project and act like Andor invented the genre, it really pisses me off.
Did you ever get around to Skeleton Crew? I feel like that’s gotta be right up your 80s nerd lovin’ alley.
Josh: I watched the first two episodes and really liked Skeleton Crew. I tried to get my 8 year old to watch it and it really didn’t catch her interest. I have not gone back to it because my plan is to rewatch it with her and her brother in the next few months. I think they will be much more receptive and we can make it a family event!
Doom: I should have figured something like that, cause there’s no way in hell you specifically wouldn’t like that one. It’s fuckin’ genius, man.
I think we both fell on the dark side, when it came to Acolyte, right?
Josh: Not for me. Let’s just leave it at that.
Doom: Hahaha! Agreed.
Now, I’ve intentionally left this one for last, not just because I love it but, because I am really curious now that I know you haven’t seen many/any of the animated shows, what did you think of Ahsoka? That show really is like the live-action 5th season of Rebels.
Josh: I really enjoyed Ahsoka. I am a huge Rosario fan so I was jazzed when that news dropped. I watched a few episodes of TCW just to see who her character was and although younger than in the live series, I felt like I got the basics. I thought the episodes were really good and I enjoyed everything they did in it!
Doom: I don’t know if you plan to rewatch it, but if you do, watch the last 2 eps of Rebels Season 4, that will inform all of what happens on that show and all of those characters.
So, we talked about back in the day. Have you checked in with any of the new comics and novels since the EU wipe?
Josh: Not really. I picked up the first couple books of The Alphabet Squadron but I have not read them yet.
Doom: I feel ya, there’s a lot more shit demanding your time and attention now than there was back in the 90s.
So, let’s start wrapping up by swinging back to Mando town. Season 3 seems to have caught a lot of hell for…whatever fuckin’ reason, did you dig it? I think there are some fundamental lore moments in that season.
Josh: I thought it was better and than it wasn’t. I enjoyed it thoroughly and really liked the stuff with Bo Katan. I definitely dug it!
Doom: My only issue with that season is the Jack Black/Lizzo episode. Other than that, I think it might be my favorite season.
I do find it odd how it ended on a Looney Tunes style iris out. That seems incongruous with everything else that show had done up to that point. We know Favs wrote a 4th season, but it feels like they were almost setting it up to go theatrical to me.
I know you mentioned how long it’s been, but how do you think that transition to the big screen is gonna impact the Mando story? Production, visuals, what ever, it has to have some effect, right?
Josh: I completely forgot about Jack Black….I think I purged his appearance (and his beard) out of my mind….no.
I worry about the move to the theater. One of the things I really appreciate with 6-8+ episode seasons is you really get to dive into details and set up things (albeit they can drag sometimes if not done right). I worry how the pacing is going to be in the movie and if they are going to be able to tie the bow on it at the end if that makes sense.
I also hope they move to more practical effects and sets although I think “the volume” has its place in both the episodic form and in the theater.
Doom: Yeah, I feel like this might be a lose-lose for Mando fans. If the movie does well, the series, the thing that got them to where they are and repaired a lot of the damage the ST did, with all of the detail you described, is probably dead. But if the movie fails, they’ll use that as an excuse to cut costs and move away from Live-Action SW series because “nobody cares anymore”. I hope when the movie hits D+ it does well to counteract that stupid corporate style thinking.
As far as pacing, yeah, I think a lot of shit is gonna suddenly get glossed over or feel rushed, sadly. The Hutt stuff, for example. TCW fans have waited almost 20 years for some of this, you can’t just gloss over it.
Josh: I honestly don’t understand why they decided to swap to a movie. If you take a step away for a second and look from the outside, it is silly. I want those long episodes. But, that tracks with the insane stuff Disney likes to do. I feel like it is a perfect example of so many hands in the pot that common sense decisions go out the window.
Doom: Ain’t that the truth! Favs says he still has the S4 scripts, so I guess it seems possible it could go back, but seems highly unlikely.
What about the future? I think the big Mando-Verse movie is still coming, to tie up all of the Mando, Boba Fett, Ahsoka, & Skeleton Crew storylines. But beyond that, we don’t know what else the future holds. What are you excited for or hoping for out of the franchise going forward?
Josh: I am very excited for Starfighter and Ryan Gosling! My understanding is it takes place 5+ years after #9 and focuses on him while the galaxy is changing. I don’t know what that entails, but this is a chance to pay respect to the original movies while opening a whole new chapter. I hope it is stuff we have never even heard about but still somehow feels familiar. Lots of practical puppets and aliens and amazing X-Wing cockpit shots please!
Doom: I’m very curious about that, not sure what to expect from it yet. Allegedly, it’s gonna be unconnected from everything, so it will definitely be a great clean slate, but I always worry about the feel. More Solo, less Andor, that’s what I hope for.
If you could pitch a SW show/movie, what would you want?
Josh: You already sorta said it just now. My ideal show would be an episodic series focusing on Han Solo and Chewie. They just got paired up and they are exploring the galaxy. I think that would be amazing. I also wouldn’t mind a series focusing on the Sith early on.
Doom: #MakeSolo2Happen, man, we’ve been on that train for years round these here parts, son.
Based on your answers, and what I know about you, there are 5 novels I highly recommend to you, all EU/Legends.
Dawn Of The Jedi by Tim Lebbon.
It’s the earliest novel in the Legends timeline, fuckin’ great.
The Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn.
They deal with the early Sith, a few thousand years before Phantom Menace and the introduction of the Rule Of Two. Amazing!
Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber.
A horror novel, you’ll see a bit of what inspired an aspect of S1 of Ahsoka.
Josh: Oh I have read the Bane trilogy and REALLY enjoyed those! I will for sure add the other two to my list of books to read!
Doom: Those Bane books were some of my first SW novels, it may have set the bar a bit too high. Haha
You might actually dig the Republic/Imperial Commando novels too, lotta EU Mando lore in dem.
Josh: We both got introduced to the world of Star Wars novels with high quality stuff. At the time when Star Wars was not super cool, Heir to the Empire was the “sequel” or closure most fans never expected. The Bane books are spectacular and once again kinda re-energized me for Star Wars at a time I was a little stagnant with it.
Doom: Okay, Fitz has talked about the dark times too, when there wasn’t much coming out and Star Wars wasn’t “cool” anymore. As a fellow nostalgia addict, what was that period like for you?
Josh: I was a bit of a closeted collector for a long time during that period. Most of my friends in high school didn’t know I liked Star Wars unless they had been over to my house and saw my room. I don’t remember people sitting around nerding out like we do now. I had a good friend who loved Star Trek, so much so that his first job was working at Toys R Us. He was one of those guys that bought two of everything, one to open and one to put up. We actually used his TNG bridge and figures to do a school project where we made a film. We thought it was amazing. We used fishing line to move the characters around the bridge in some shots. I came up with this gag where Picard trips coming through the bridge doors when they open and falls on his face. When the big day came to show our video to the class, we laughed, our teacher laughed, and everyone else sorta sat there confused. There was a bit of an unspoken rule that school was not the place for that kind of passion!
I think that is a core reason why I love nerding out now. I can talk about the same stuff, over and over, and be excited because of the accepted “nerd” culture.
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