Jesse Tschopp : Jesse Tschopp (He would want me point out it’s pronounced Chop 🙂 ) is a contributor for makingstarwars.net, writer and indie filmmaker. You can follow him at itsmystarwarslife.tumblr.com
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Return of the Jedi is a part of my first memory when I was two and a half years old. I have flashes of other things from around that time — almost all related to playing with Star Wars toys with my older cousins — but the first solid thing I can remember is being in the theater with Jabba the Hutt on the big screen, and my mom having to take me out to the bathroom.
Star Wars has always been with me. My parents were teens working in the local theater when the first one hit in ‘77, so I’ve always heard stories about what a phenomenon that film was. Growing up in the ‘80s, my friends and I had a ton of the Kenner toys — stuff bought when it was original in stores, things gifted by family who picked it up on clearance, hand-me-downs from older cousins, and bargains picked up from yard sales and flea markets. Sure, we were into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman, and X-Men too, but we always gravitated back towards Star Wars, be it through the toys or by reenacting scenes ourselves in the backyard.
As a teen in the ‘90s, I reconnected with the Saga through the Expanded Universe, first reading the Jedi Prince series before moving on to the Zahn books and others. The Micro Machine sets reignited my interest in Star Wars toys before the 3 ¾” line relaunched. My friends and I began collecting Decipher’s Star Wars Customizable Card Game, and we’d spend Sunday afternoons playing it.
Shadows of the Empire was a big deal to us, and I picked up all of the toys and comics for that multi-media event, and spent a couple of days playing the Nintendo 64 game when my cousin rented both the system and the game (because at 15 and 13, neither of us had money or rich enough parents to out-and-out buy an N64 yet). I still love that soundtrack and have fond memories of taking down Walkers on Hoth and piloting Swoop Bikes through Mos Eisley; though the thought of having to battle IG-88 causes me anxiety.
When the Special Editions came out, I was there opening day with my cousins and friends for each film. Sure, Greedo shooting first bugged me (and still does), but I was beyond excited to be seeing Star Wars films on the big screen at an age when I could appreciate them.
In the lead-up to the Prequels, my friends and I would speculate non-stop, watch the trailers repeatedly, collect as much of the merchandise as we could afford, and most of us would wait hours in line in costume for each film. Even after we thought there would be no more Star Wars films, we’d get together to rewatch the six episodes or The Clone Wars, and Star Wars would work it’s way into our normal conversations. With The Force Awakens and other films ahead of us, we’re talking about our favorite saga even more so.
I don’t really have a Star Wars genesis per se; it’s something that’s always been there. It’s been a source of entertainment, a conduit for creativity, and a cornerstone of my friendships all of my life. And I can’t foresee a time when it won’t be all of those things.
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As always if you would like to share what made you fall in love with Star Wars just send your story to starwarsgenesis@yahoo.com. We all have an individual story to share and I would love to share yours! I would like to again thank everyone who has; contributed, shared the blog with friends, or have simply taken the time to stop by and check the blog out.
May the Force be With You
-Cody Lee-
Star Wars Genesis 