It was July of last year when Jonathan Rinzler released the “Star Wars” that never was.
Showing a galaxy very different and yet similar to the one that ended up in theaters, “The Star Wars” graphic novel is a project that Rinzler, executive editor for Lucasfilm and longtime Star Wars fan, has wanted to do since he read Lucas’ original screenplay for the first film back in 2001. Lucas originally resisted the idea until he saw a rough draft in comic book format, since Rinzler knew Lucas always preferred to see his works portrayed visually.
Rinzler has written and edited dozens of books for Lucasflim since he started working there in 2001. His most prominent work, besides the new graphic novel, is his “The Making of Star Wars” series. Each book covers a different movie, including everything about the film from the first screenplays to shooting on the set, as opposed to simply covering the special effects that most “Making of” books are content with. The “Making of” book he did in 2007 for Episode IV is his favorite work.
Rinzler also wrote a two-parter for season six of “The Clone Wars” TV show, with the intended goal of rehabilitating Jar-Jar Binks. “I’m not sure I succeeded,” he said.
He first saw “Star Wars” at a sneak preview in 1977 before the official release and it was the last thing he wanted to see. “The reputation for sci-fi movies at the time was [that] they were really boring,” Rinzler said. The last science fiction movie he had seen was “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which went completely over Rinzler’s 7-year-old head, and he was expecting the same thing here. His parents had to drag him to the film. Reluctantly, tween-age Rinzler sat down to watch “Star Wars.”
The movie proceeded to do to him what it did to everyone who saw it – completely blow his mind. From then on, he was a “Star Wars” devotee.
He tried multiple times to join Lucasfilm, starting in the late ‘80s when he turned in several paintings to Industrial Light & Magic. “The last time I was so discouraged I didn’t even want to try,” Rinzler said. “My wife said, ‘Oh, just send it in, see what happens.’” It turned out to be good advice; after an extensive interview process, Rinzler was hired as an editor for Lucasfilm in October of 2001.
Six or seven months later he met George Lucas. Rinzler was working on “The Making of Star Wars Book III” and “The Art of Star Wars Book III” at the time. It was a bit intimidating, since Lucas had made not only “Star Wars,” but also had created Industrial Light & Magic and directed the movie “American Graffiti,” which had an even greater impact on Rinsler than “Star Wars.”
Rinzler has long been a comic book fan. When he was a child he would sit down and write his own, although “The Star Wars” was the first one he ever did officially. He is also a huge fan of “Peanuts.” He’s been to the Schulz Museum many times, and calls Charles M. Schulz a “super genius.”
Outside of Lucasfilm, Rinzler has also been involved in the making of the short animated film “Riddle of the Black Cat.” He wrote a book about the animated film “Monster House” and was associate producer on a videogame called “Wall Street Trader” in France. He hopes to write a book about Stanley Kubrick, but has yet to find an interested publisher. Rinzler’s current project is a historical fiction novel he says he will consider his favorite work after he’s done writing it.
Many fans wish they could become part of what they love. Rinzler has not only done that, but he has also personally worked behind the scenes and has a knowledge and understanding of Star Wars that most fans will never touch.
