Star Wars news and more in less than 12 parsecs
This week we venture to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to review the culmination of over a decade of storytelling, “Avengers: Endgame”!
Let us know what you thought about the episode by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts! If you haven’t already please like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter – @kesselrunweekly! May the Force be with you always and thank you for listening!
Ken Napzok is bringing us a new book! Not your typical Star Wars novel that takes you on a galactic adventure, but a book where we can sit down and appreciate everything the Star Wars universe has given to us.
Amazon describes it this way:
Why We Love Star Wars: The Great Moments That Built A Galaxy Far, Far Away is a shared story of fandom. Classic moments include: • The first shots of the ragtag Rebels running from the monstrous Galactic Empire • Young Anakin winning the podrace • And the first time we saw the crackle of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.
Celebrate the greatest saga ever told: All of us who are deeply influenced by the epic saga of Star Wars have our favorite moments. Each time the screen goes black and you see those words— “A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away”—the music blasts through you and you’re a kid again. Ken Napzok, expert appreciator of Star Wars, counts down each one of those special moments that makes this series not just the best movies of all time, but the Greatest Saga Ever Told.
The Perfect Star Wars Dad Gift: Spread the love to old and new fans. Countless numbers of us have been inspired by these classic epic tales, and we all have a favorite moment that hooked us. Rediscover each one of those moments and share them with the last and next generation of fans. This Star Wars book is the perfect Dad gift, Niece gift, Best Friend gift, and general token of appreciation for the fans in your life.
I’m looking forward to Ken Napzok content because I know that while he, like other fans, can have his issues with Star Wars, he always sheds a bright and positive light on the simplest to grandest things in the galaxy; Whether it be Dexter Jettster, Death Star plans, or character dissection, Ken holds that information near and dear to him and for him to share that with all of us is truly a pleasure. I’m hoping the book expands on moments like a 50’s diner or a lightsaber battle, or an explosion, because to me simple, intricate, or otherwise, all moments can make Star Wars great. I’m also excited to see what Ken sounds like on the page since I constantly listen to podcasts he’s in. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, head over to Podcast One for Collider Jedi Council, listen to ForceCenter wherever you get your podcasts, and honestly just search his name cause he’s got great content everywhere!
Get Why We Love Star Wars: The Great Moments that Built a Galaxy Far, Far Away on May 15, 2019 or Preorder Now!
It. Is. Time.
Not for the Jedi to end, not to enact Order 66, but to plan my second Star Wars Celebration; it’s already a doozy! To provide some backstory, Star Wars Celebration (SWC) Orlando in 2017 was my first ever convention and SWC and it was a spontaneous night-before decision. My mom and I drove from Gainesville, FL to Orlando, FL around 5 A.M. to finally make it in line at 6 A.M. and were very lucky to snag Mark Hamill’s panel wristbands. It was a surprisingly smooth experience, however, I heard from lots of fans that SWC Orlando had not gone as smoothly as other Celebrations in the past. Without any prior knowledge I chose to shrug off this information.
As a newly-minted SWC veteran, I am hoping my planning for this time around helps this experience go just as smoothly. What does one even do to prepare for crowds of hundreds of thousands of cosplayers and exhibitors and celebrities in a giant multi-floor convention center? The tickets were bought, the flights and hotel were booked, and the travel route and method from hotel to convention center has been mapped out…that was the easy stuff, what’s next?
Waiting. That’s what came next. As an event planner, I understand the quality of releasing a full schedule instead of bits and pieces, so the time it took to upload the panel schedule, while excessive, was understandable. I stressed and stressed until the full panel schedule was released and the moment it dropped, I printed all 24 sheets. YIKES. When I figured out that that was not a compact, organized option, I created my own panel schedule based off of my interests. I attached the image below because I know a lot of people create theirs in Excel, I created mine in Word, so whatever keeps you from falling down a Sarlacc Pit of disorganization… use it. (P.S. excuse if any formatting didn’t transfer to this post).
Friday, April 12
| TIME | LOCATION | ACTIVITY | ALTERNATIVE |
| 11a – 12p | Wintrust Arena/Celebration Stage | Episode IX Panel | Galaxy/Twin Suns Stage |
| 11a – 11:45a | Star Wars University Stage | Cinema Quality Cosplay Photography | Show Floor |
| 12pm | Galactic Senate Stage | Saber Guild Performance | |
| 12:30p | Group 1 | Sam Witwer Photo Op | |
| 2:15p-3:15p | Fan Stage | Movie Trivia (Schmoedown) | |
| 3pm | Grand Concourse Stairs (Outside) | Mother of Falcons Cosplay Photo | 3p-3:45 Beyond the Outer Rim Podcast: TPM Trivia |
| 3:30pm | Group 4 | Peter Mayhew Autograph | Reschedule |
| 4pm | Group 4 | Daniel Logan Autograph | |
| 6pm | Fan Stage | Costuming w/ 501st | Show Floor |
You’ll notice I still included things in the schedule that overlap; I did that for two reasons: 1) There needs to be time to get sidetracked, it’s one of the best things about being at any convention, 2) I’d rather have all my options written down, especially since there’s no guarantee that I’ll be getting into any of the lottery panels. In our post-Celebration pods/blogs we can shed some light on how the lotteries worked out so keep an eye out for that!
Planning what to pack was one of the first thoughts I had after my tickets were bought; But I couldn’t do anything about that yet besides take stock of what I had and if there was any outfits I wanted to buy before Celebration. This is my first time cosplaying which also means my first time packing a cosplay. [I’ll be writing a piece on first-time cosplay after SWC so keep an eye out for that here on Kessel Run Weekly and my blog]. My cosplay is a simple Qi’ra so while there isn’t a lot to pack, nor is it bulky, I want to make sure I do everything right. Only being at SWC for two days allows for one day of cosplay + a change of clothes (because I plan like that) and one day of representing my favorite Star Wars things.
I will not tell you what all of that is because I want it to be a surprise, but to see my Star Wars Celebration experience in real time — follow me on Instagram @cjerrica.
Thanks for stopping by & May the Force Be With You!
Go higher, further, faster with Danny and Cheyenne as they get excited for the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Captain Marvel”! The crew discuss the story of Carol Danvers in depth and speculate the possible direction of the future of the MCU.
Let us know what you thought about the episode by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts! If you haven’t already please like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter – @kesselrunweekly! May the Force be with you always and thank you for listening!
Danny and Kristen are joined by the hosts of the “Clone Wars Commentary” podcast, Cheyenne and Nick, to discuss “The Citadel” Clone Wars story arc! The group excitedly discusses everything from Anakin’s unique sense of humor to the balance of the Force. They also discuss the release of Count Dooku to Battlefront II!
Check out “Clone Wars Commentary” this Friday February 1st right here on our podcast feed!
Let us know what you thought about the episode by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts! If you haven’t already please like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter – @kesselrunweekly! May the Force be with you always and thank you for listening!
