Discovering Marvel's Star Wars #1 – A Retro Glimpse at April 1977 & AN ALL WHATNOT STAR WARS SHOW

I wasn’t AROUND in 1977, but looking back at the release of Marvel's Star Wars #1, it's wild to imagine a time when Star Wars wasn’t a household name. The first issue of the six-part comic adaptation hit shelves in April 1977 — a full month before the movie even debuted in theaters. Think about that: people were flipping through the comic, meeting characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader before anyone had seen a single frame on the big screen.

Some fans debate whether the comic was released with the movie or after, but from what I've read, it came out before. Apparently, readers at the time were just as skeptical as they were curious. One story I came across described a group of comic-reading kids laughing at the comic’s depiction of Darth Vader — not because he was terrifying, but because he appeared to be drinking coffee… through a helmet.

That kind of oddity makes more sense once you realize that Howard Chaykin was working from an early version of the script and a few promotional stills. No finished film. No context. Just raw material and a deadline. So yeah, Vader sipping a Styrofoam cup is a little awkward, but not really Chaykin’s fault.

What’s fascinating is how much Star Wars changed after that. Within weeks of the movie’s release, it was a full-blown phenomenon. Lines wrapped around theaters, and the comic went from being a curious sci-fi title to part of a cultural tidal wave.

Some readers stuck with the Marvel series even after the initial movie adaptation ended. Me? I’ve tried to work my way through them all out of historical interest — and I’ve gotta say, the early post-movie issues get weird. The series goes in some wild directions, including the now-infamous giant green bunny who shows up in Star Wars #8. (Yes, really. His name is Jaxxon, and he's become a sort of cult favorite among fans of the bizarre.)

Starting with issue #11, legendary DC artist Carmine Infantino took over the pencils, with Archie Goodwin writing. The comic eventually returned to the main movie storyline with issue #39, adapting The Empire Strikes Back with stunning art by Al Williamson, which ran through issue #44.

Later issues featured creative teams like David Michelinie and Walt Simonson (starting with #51) and Ron Frenz (taking over with #71). The series wrapped up with issue #107, giving Marvel’s Star Wars an impressive multi-year run.

Looking back, it’s easy to laugh at the awkward panels and off-model characters — but there’s something kind of magical about this comic. It captures the moment right before Star Wars became Star Wars, and it’s a fascinating time capsule from a galaxy not so far away.

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