Star Wars Weekends

The Logo for Star Wars Weekends is something I look forward to each year.  It is the backdrop for the event, sometimes being specific to a movie release or an anniversary.   Other times it is simply a creative tie in between the two worlds of Disney and Star Wars.  The evolution of these logos over the years has been interesting to watch.  One of the things I always loved about the early ones was their simplicity.  The first logo depicted a light saber cutting through the darkness and producing a Mickey shaped cut.  The second one had R2-D2 producing a hologram of Mickey Mouse.  The third Jedi Mickey and Yoda back to back with light sabers ignited with the fourth giving us Mickey with Minnie as Luke and Leia in 2004 in a scene straight out of Episode IV.  2005 gave us the Revenge of the Sith release with a Darth Vader helmet over fire and lava, a gloved Mickey hand drawing mouse ears on the top of the helmet.

The big change came in 2006 when simplicity was abandoned.  Now the 2006 logo has grown on me some, but it was a case of putting too much onto one poster without being able to tie all of the characters in together.  My number one pet peeve of that post is that Yoda appears to be leaping about for no reason.  It had a real cut and paste feel to it, and I’m sure that wasn’t what was intended.  Still, the incorporation of the Studios and landmarks into the poster saved it from its shortcomings.  The 2007 poster celebrating the 30^th anniversary of Star Wars –A New Hope seemed to be too similar to the 2004 poster, simply trying to recreate a scene out of one of the 1977 movie posters.  Again it looked a little photoshop like with how Mickey and Minnie came out.

Enter 2008 and the Storm Trooper logo.  This year we are given five Storm Troopers and Storm Trooper Donald (straight out of last years Big Fig idea).  My reaction initially was simply –is that it?  Other people seem to be in disbelief that this is actually the logo.  Disney fans don’t see enough Disney incorporated into the logo and some other fans have suggested that it is just bland.  I look forward to seeing if the actual event poster doesn’t have one or two more elements in it, but that said I’m can only evaluate it on what we have here now.

My second thought in looking at it is that this is the first logo that does not incorporate Mickey Mouse in it at all.  A small set of Mouse Ears on Donald’s body armor would help just a little.  I can say I’m very disappointed to see Mickey left out completely if only because he has made every other logo to date.  Now despite my picking on things here, the truth is that I sort of like this logo.  Yes it needs Mickey, but it has dropped the whole photoshop look that happened the last two years and has gone back to some of the more simplistic ideas that I liked so much.  I also think it is a great way to celebrate the Storm Troopers and inadvertently the members of the 501^st that help make Star Wars Weekends so special each year. 

This is a case where less is more.   Last year I bought a T-shirt at SWW that was not the logo, but was an alternate style that simply had X-Wing Pilot Mickey on it.  I felt strongly last year that the logo should have been that rather than the one they chose.  Again last years reminded me too much of 2004’s logo.  This year is simple, and different from any of the others that have been done.  Is it great?  No.  But it is well done for what it needs to accomplish. 

Now if Disney really wants to spice things up where the logo and excitement are concerned, they could take some advice from my wife.  Yes, she through and idea out last night and I have to admit, it would make things interesting.  Her thought was that Disney could give a theme out for next years event, for example the celebration would center around the up coming anniversary of Episode I, the Phantom Menace.  Disney could have a Fan art contest to develop the logo for the coming year.  There could be some guidelines as to what it must include, but from there Disney would at least have the ball rolling early on next years event.  At the next event, there could be a display at Weekends showing many of the top entries so that those works could also be appreciated.  The top artists would be awarded a prize and the recognition and Disney would retain the rights to the logo artwork as per the entry requirements.  A win/win for everyone, and possibly a new injection of creativity that could lead to some very interesting use of Disney Characters, and hopefully the continued inclusion of Mickey Mouse..  Anyway I liked the idea, and think it would be interesting if for anything else to add an exhibit to walk through in addition to the other events.

So we have a logo, we have celebrities, now where is that merchandise… and where are those FIGS!

--Note:  Weekend #1 guest Jeremy Bulloch’s sister passed away yesterday.  Our condolences go out to him and his family.