Hello, Everywookiee! As you may know, we launched our sister site, WookyWiki.com, the Star Wars comics first appearance and key issue database last year! We have been steadily updating the entries while chasing the ever-elusive goal of a comprehensive database for Star Wars comics! We’re updating one year at a time in chronological publishing order! This week, we’re finished with 1983, the year Return of the Jedi was released in theaters! So, of course, we have the Marvel comics adaptation, and, if you remember anything about the ESB adaptation, it was published all over the place in tons of different formats! So, hold on, it’s going to get complicated. We’re also continuing to update new weekly releases!
As always, you can check out all these entries and more from the entire history of Star Wars comics publishing over at WookyWiki.com!
Return of the Jedi (again, and again)
Our first entry didn’t actually even get released in 1983, but December 1982. I list it, however, because it is the trade paperback adaptation of Return of the Jedi containing all the material that would later be reprinted in magazines and traditional comic book formats.
Released in the UK, written by Archie Goodwin, and drawn by Al Williamson, this paperback has a unique cover my Marie Severin! It also contains all the first appearances from the Return of the Jedi you would expect (albeit in trade paperback format):
Jabba Desilijic Tiure (“Jabba the Hutt”, male Hutt crime lord),
Commander Tiaan Jerjerrod (male human imperial officer),
Emperor Palpatine (Sheev Palpatine, Darth Sidious)(previously appeared in ESB adaptations as a hologram);,
Bib Fortuna (Twi’lek male majordomo to Jabba the Hutt),
EV-9D9 ( feminine MerenData EV-series supervisor droid ),
Rancor,
Sarlacc,
Emperor’s Royal Guard,
Igar (imperial commander stationed on Sanctuary moon of Endor),
Logray (chief Ewok Shaman),
Crix Madine (male human Rebel Alliance leader),
Teebo (male Ewok),
Forest Moon of Endor (“Sanctuary Moon” orbiting Endor gas giant),
Nien Nunb (male Sullustan smuggler and part of Rebel Alliance),
Wicket Wystri Warrick (male Ewok).
Cameos also run amok:
Oola (Twi’lek female slave of Jabba the Hutt (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Salacious B. Crumb (Kawokian Monkey Lizard (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Ree-Yees (male Gran (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Tessek (male Quarren (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Herat (female Jawa (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Snipp Nkik (male Jawa (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Jess (female human musician (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Wooof (male Nikto smuggler (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Boushh (impersonated by Leia),
Pagetti Rook (male Weequay skiff guard (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Buboicullaar (frog-dog (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Beedo (male Rodian bounty hunter (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Sy Snootles (female Pa’lowick singer (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Max Rebo (male Ortolan keyboard player (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Revidjasa (male Rodian crime lord (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Ortugg (male Gamorrean Guard leader (gallery of Jabba’s palace),
Vedain (male Nikto skiff pilot),
Velken Tezeri (male human guard for Jabba),
Janus Greejatus (Human male Dark Side Adept and Advisor to Palpatine),
Kithaba (katooinian skiff guard for Jabba),
Misik (male human scout trooper),
Judder Page (male human Rebel commando),
Hewek (imperial Major stationed at deflector shield bunker on Endor),
Loci Rosen (male Mon Calamari member of Rebel Alliance),
Verrack (male Mon Calamari technician),
Widdle Warrick (male ewok brother of Wicket),
Wunka (male Ewok);
Imperial Scout Troopers (“Bike Troopers”)
Finally, we get the first Appearance of Admiral Gial Ackbar in trade papaerback format (previously appeared in LA Time Syndicate Newspaper Comics Nov. 14, and December 11-12, 1982).
Next, Marvel Super Special 27 was published on May 7, 1983, reprinting the same material from the December 1982 trade paperback, but in magazine form and with a brilliant Bill Sienkiewicz cover! This contains all the same firsts and cameos as the trade paperback, but now they were firsts in U.S. magazine format.
Next up, the traditional comic book format mini series for Return of the Jedi began reprinting the trade paperback and Marvel Super Special 27 material on July 5, 1983, with Return of the Jedi 1 with yet another beautiful Bill Sienkiewicz cover!
This is the first traditional comic book format appearance of many of the characters from the prior two adaptations. Same Goodwin/Williamson story inside!
First United States Cameo (traditional comic book format):
Oola (Twi’lek female slave of Jabba the Hutt (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Salacious B. Crumb (Kawokian Monkey Lizard (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Ree-Yees (male Gran (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Tessek (male Quarren (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Herat (female Jawa (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Snipp Nkik (male Jawa (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Jess (female human musician (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Wooof (male Nikto smuggler (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Boushh (impersonated by Leia),
Pagetti Rook (male Weequay skiff guard (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Buboicullaar (frog-dog (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Beedo (male Rodian bounty hunter (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Sy Snootles (female Pa’lowick singer (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Max Rebo (male Ortolan keyboard player (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Revidjasa (male Rodian crime lord (gallery of Jabba’s palace)),
Ortugg (male Gamorrean Guard leader (gallery of Jabba’s palace),
Vedain (male Nikto skiff pilot),
Velken Tezeri (male human guard for Jabba),
Kithaba (katooinian skiff guard for Jabba),
First United States Appearance (traditional comic book format):
Jabba Desilijic Tiure (“Jabba the Hutt”, male Hutt crime lord),
Commander Tiaan Jerjerrod (male human imperial officer),
Bib Fortuna (Twi’lek male majordomo to Jabba the Hutt),
EV-9D9 ( feminine MerenData EV-series supervisor droid ),
Rancor,
Sarlacc,
Return of the Jedi 2 was released August 2, 1983 and featured the first cover of Commander Tiaan Jerjerrod (male human imperial officer). Jerjerrod has come to the forefront again recently in this year’s Star Wars #26 as that arc explores the Death Star II construction.
Return of the Jedi 2 contains the first United States Appearance (traditional comic book format):
Emperor Palpatine (Sheev Palpatine, Darth Sidious)(previously appeared in ESB adaptations as a hologram);
Emperor’s Royal Guard
Return of the Jedi 2 also contains the first U.S. cameo appearance of Janus Greejatus (Human male Dark Side Adept and Advisor to Palpatine).
Published 8/23/1983, Return of the Jedi 3 contains the first traditional comic book appearance of:
Igar (imperial commander stationed on Sanctuary moon of Endor),;
Admiral Gial Ackbar ;
Logray (chief Ewok Shaman),
Crix Madine (male human Rebel Alliance leader),
Teebo (male Ewok),
Forest Moon of Endor (“Sanctuary Moon” orbiting Endor gas giant),
Wicket Wystri Warrick (male Ewok).
It also contains the first traditional comic book cameos of:
Misik (male human scout trooper),
Judder Page (male human Rebel commando).
In June 1983, Star Wars Monthly, the UK magazine, previously Empire Strikes Back Monthly, which itself was previously Empire Strikes Back Weekly, which in turn was previously Star Wars Weekly, then became Return of the Jedi Weekly. This series had a string of drawn, painted, and photo covers which were first cover appearances:
Admiral Gial Ackbar cover (magazine format)
Ree-Yees (male Gran (gallery of Jabba’s palace));
Gamorrean Guard (magazine format)
New Talent
Star Wars 70 (1/18/1983) is an interesting book. It contains a number of first appearances from a pirate/scoundrel group, an archetype we see a lot of in Star Wars.
First Appearance:
Chihdo (male Rodian thief);
Dani (female Zeltron thief);
Rik Duel (male human Corellian smuggler who led Chihdo and Dani);
Quorl Matrin (male human Imperial Governor of the planet Stenos);
Tenos (planet);
Stenax (species);
Zeltron (near-human species with pink-reddish skin);
Moonshadow (Corellian Starship owned by Rik Duel)
However, the more interesting aspect of this book (to me at least) is that it’s the first official Kerry Gammill Star Wars work. He previously drew an alternative unofficial Mos Eisley Bar scene for Rockets Blast Comicollector 139. We discussed his comic strip from that fanzine here which was part of a scathing review of Star Wars 1 from way back in 1977!
Bounty Hunters Ready for their Closeup
Star Wars 71, release February 15, 1983 is widely accepted as Bossk’s first full appearance. Although he has a smattering of cameos before this is first issue where Bossk has dialogue and plays an active role in story of the issue, making it Bossk’s first FULL comic appearance for many collectors.
Star Wars 72 (3/15/1983) is IG-88’s first cover as he overlooks a carbon freezing chamber:
Finally, Star Wars 81, released December 13, 1983, is the first telling of the story about Boba Fett escaping from the Sarlacc. That didn’t take long! They only threw him in the December prior! Oh well, death is never long in comics.
(Dis)Honorable Mentions
Star Wars 79, published October 18, 1983, has the unfortunate title of “first appearance of a prostitute” in a Star Wars comic.
Oh well. A girl’s gotta eat, even in a galaxy far, far, away.
Return of the Jedi Weekly 28 features a pretty amazing cover with Vader as Santa Claus! Han and Luke wait eagerly to open their presents from Darth!
That’s all for now! There’s so much more on WookyWiki.com, the Star Wars comics first appearance and key issue database! And there’s more added every day! Check it out!
