W E I V BIG
By Chris Murphy
The Roots of Star Wars, American Graffiti, the influence ofComic and On May 14, 1944, George Lucas was born in Modesto, USA. On May 25, 1977, Star Wars took over the big screen and immediately changed film forever.
Books!
The Star Wars Adventures of Luke Starkiller Yes friends, this was the original working title from Draft 3 of “The Star Wars” in 1975. Star Wars was a work and an idea of George Lucas’ for quite sometime. An idea that began with Lucas’ imagination, making home made roller coasters in his back yard on Ramona Avenue, publishing a neighborhood newsletter, buying records at Harley’s on J Street, buying comic books at Readmore Books on 11th Street, just down the block from his fathers stationary store, reading and watching Flash Gordon and building sets at Downey High School and racing fast foreign cars in parking lots and tracks throughout the central valley. The inspiration of the Disney swashbuckling sword play, the car racing and the childhood dream to tell a great story has made George Lucas one of the film making greats of all time, creativity born in Modesto USA. We are truly the Home of Star Wars. I was one of those kids standing in line at the Briggsmore in 1977, waiting for a movie that had heard about for a long time. My friend Terry Allen’s family had Bonanza Books and Comics, then located at the corner of College and Bowen. After school we would sort used books, unwrap the new comic books, and have a ringside seat to the comic imagination that inspired Lucas, who at that time was making Star Wars in Tunisia. Terry knew George’s parents and we would go to their home in Del Rio and see photos from the production of Star Wars. Terry, Dave Ackerman and I waited at the front of the line as science fiction fans, excited kids, and artists that loved the creativity. As the theatre darkened, we cheered as “A long time ago, in a galaxy far away” appeared and the opening theme blasted and the intro story rolled across the screen. We cheered Luke, Leia and Han and hissed Darth Vader. The rest is history and George Lucas became a global household name. To learn more about George Lucas’ early years, check out the kiosks on 11th St between I and J Streets. www.modestocruiseroute.com
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MAY 2021
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