"Star Wars Buzz" Feature At Starwars.com Posted By Mike on January 27, 2009
Pete Vilmur at the official site has posted part 1 of a 3 part feature on the buzz and press coverage leading up to the release of Star Wars in 1977. See below for Pete's intro and click here for "Star Wars Buzz Part I: 1974-1975."
"Call it a pet project, a fanatical affliction, or an unwavering desire to document the pre-history of the Star Wars saga, but for years I've done my best to gather each and every magazine article, newspaper clipping or trade mention lending a scrap of coverage to Star Wars before its release on May 25, 1977.
I haven't figured out why this aspect of Star Wars history has so captivated me, but it probably has something to do with an insatiable desire to experience the world right before the film that changed everything -- kind of a calm-before-the-storm sorta thing. The fact that relatively little coverage was given to Star Wars in the few years before its release is also strangely fascinating, in a "How could they not know?" kinda way.
What follows is the first of a three part series, beginning with a few pieces of press coverage given to Star Wars while the story was still in development in 1974-75. There are likely several more instances of Star Wars mentions not covered here, but I'll leave it to you, the readers, to drop me those leads in the comments section below."
UPDATE:"Star Wars Buzz Part II: 1976" of Pete's series is now up at SW.com. Check it out here!
UPDATE #2:"Star Wars Buzz Part III: 1977", the third and final part to Pete's series, is now up at SW.com. Check it out here!