Star Wars: The Lean Years

...but not really, when you think about it....

Well, here's the spark of inspiration for this one...

From here.


Hmm, yeah, that picked up in the year where we would have gotten a fourth Star Wars, so, that took up the slack pretty well for us kids.

In hindsight, we made out a lot better with Transformers than if Unca' George had kept raping his golden goose in front of us.

Hmm, yeah, then '89 was Burton Batman, then, '92, the Zahn novels kicked in, so, that bridged it pretty well...we didn't exactly starve for a big cultural thing to fill the SW void, I guess.



So, yeah, thought it might be fun to dig up what really did fill that Jedi to Phantom gap.
And, thanks to Google it was licketty split, but, for the sake of a post, let's look at it....


1977, 1980, 1983

The Star Wars trilogy.
I was 2, 5, and 8.

And, this set up the "once every 3 years", pattern, so....


1986

Transformers, duh.
See here.

Hell, it even had the opening title crawl, a giant planet sized superweapon, a young character who discovers his secret powers, on and on.
It was Star Wars-y all over.

Then....


1989

"I'm Batman!".

See here, and here.

Yeah, this wasn't Star Wars-y per se, but...it was the big epic cinematic THING we all saw, so, it had that in common.
It felt like it was as marketed and merchandised as much as Star Wars.
Anyone who's 26 now would've been the age I was for Star Wars, wonder what they think.
Was Batman your Star Wars?
Speak up, kids.


1992

Batman Returns.
Ditto.


1995

Batman Forever.
Yeah...but, the luster was wearing off, but, there was also....

...Toy Story, and Braveheart.

Pick your poison.


1998

...nothing, really, but...

1997

...had been...

..the Special Editions.

Then...

1999, 2002, 2005

The prequels.

Then....


2008

Iron Man.


2011

Captain America, and Thor.

And...

...the final Harry Potter.


Then, since episode 7 is going to break the pattern again.....


2012

Avengers.


2015, 2017, 2019

The sequels.
(See here, and here)

And...after that....one assumes no more gaps, ever, until my generation croaks.

But, yeah, that's it, there never was really "a dry spell".
We always had somethin.
It only feels that way if Star Wars had to be "Star Wars".
Frankly, I'm kinda rooting for Avengers to overthrow Star Wars.
I'd LIKE 'Wars to be good again, but...y'know, dashed expectations, n' all.

Why do this post?
Hmm, don't quite know...I think...Star Wars cow-branded my brain into thinking of things in trilogies, and three year gaps.
Kinda see the last couple decades in those terms cuz of that cow brand.
Funny how shit like that shapes your brain.
Hmph...