Many have given Lucas a lashing for releasing and re-releasing and re-releasing and re-releasing Star Wars, complaining that he’s just gouging his fans for their money by releasing edition after edition after edition. And I say…

…so what?

He’s a businessman and a filmmaker. He makes his films with the money he collects from his licensing properties. He knows for a fact that whatever he releases he’s going to make money. Why? Because someone’s buying his stuff, including some of those who are doing the complaining.

People complain about alternate, special, and limited edition covers to the comics they buy. They all cite the 90’s as a prime example of what those gimmicks can do to the industry. Yet, someone’s buying those covers. And for quite a bit of money, I might add.

Same with crossovers and big events. Complain, complain, complain. But what books increase Marvel’s and DC’s sales? Crossovers and big events, despite the complaints and the rally against them. Peter David’s testimony during his last Fanboy Radio appearance supports this point.

I’d like to point out that no one has complained that Jeff Smith has released several editions of Bone: original issues, Image issue reprints with different covers, original TPBs, reprinted TPBs with different covers, Bone One-Volume, and Scholastic Bone w/ Color. By comparison, these re-releases aren’t so vastly different from one another, but like Lucas, Jeff Smith is continually reaping the rewards by releasing and re-releasing this single work.

Think about the different original trilogy Star Wars releases. Off the top of my head: Original VHS, Original VHS remaster, Special Edition VHS, Special Edition VHS with prequel previews, DVD Special Edition, DVD Special Edition and Original Theatrical version, 6-movie boxset. Now, in all those releases, how many versions of the films are there, really? 3 versions: Original, Special Edition, and DVD Special Edition. Not counting the remaster, only 2 versions are available on VHS: Original and Special Edition. On DVD? 2 versions: DVD Special Edition and Original. So despite all the complaining about not getting the box set “we all want and deserve, as loyal fans,” we really only have 2 versions of the films available on DVD. You just go and buy what release you want. You can wait and see what else comes out, or buy all the new releases as they come, or even pick and choose.

Re-releases happen in comics all the time – they release the monthly issues. Then the hardback. Then the paperback. Then some years down the line, a definitive version, or an ultimate edition, or an anniversary edition, or an edition with a different cover or with some added features like a sketchbook, script, commentary, etc. Some have been re-colored, some have had the separations done over, some have been stripped of all color. Do we buy them all? Some do, and some don’t. And for those that don’t, it’s probably because they’re content with the versions they have.

I offer that Lucas is singled out and scrutinized because he’s a single, highly successful, high-profile man that is reaping the HUGE benefits of a single uber-popular creation – so popular, that fans only want to own the versions they originally fell in love with – and has been doing so for years. He’s not the only guy or business to do this, but he’s probably the most well known.

I say if Lucas wants to release different editions of Star Wars he should do it. Sure, I have my vision of the perfect Star Wars box set: All 6 movies, with both the original and the DVD special editions of eps. 4-6, the Empire of Dreams documentary, all the behind the scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and commentaries. Will I buy the forthcoming 30th anniversary set? Depends on what’s in it. It might be worth it to me, it might not. But if I do, it’s because I choose to give Lucas money for product I think is worth the dip in cash.

Lucas isn’t screwing his fans. His fans are screwing themselves.

Lastly, I’ve heard the argument, “Star Wars are my movies. Without me and fans like me, there wouldn’t be a Star Wars saga!” I say that’s highly debatable. We made the film successful, but without the film, there would be no Star Wars fans. Not exactly chicken-and-egg, because we know what came first. And after watching Empire of Dreams, I’m convinced that Lucas would have found a way to do the Star Wars story no matter what – whether the first film was successful or not, the story post-New Hope would have found its way onto film somehow, if not into some other medium. We’ll never know, since history only happened one way. It just so happens we made it easier for him to complete his films.

Call him crazy, call him undeserving, call him a greedy whore. I call him a smart business man.

And as I fan, I’ll buy what I like and not buy what I don’t like.