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The Clone Wars multimedia project was a three-year project created by Lucasfilm Ltd., in conjunction with Del Rey, Dark Horse Comics, Cartoon Network and LucasArts.

Set largely between the films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (in terms of both in-universe and real life chronology), the Clone Wars multimedia project attempted to tell the story of the Clone Wars in real-time^[1]—through books, comics, television, and video games. This echoes the previous project Shadows of the Empire. It was followed, beginning in 2008, with a film and TV series going by "The Clone Wars."

AppearancesEdit

TimelineEdit

The Multimedia Project followed an expanding time line during the three years between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith's release dates. The time line itself could be found in the books marked "A Clone Wars Novel" and the Boba Fett series. Each medium was listed among with how many months after the Battle of Geonosis it took place.

MediaEdit

TelevisionEdit

Main article: Star Wars: Clone Wars

The television aspect of the Clone Wars project was covered by Star Wars: Clone Wars, directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. This "micro-series" consisted at first of two seasons: (Season One, from November 7th to 20th of 2003, and Season Two, from March 26th to April 8th of 2004), each consisting of ten episodes, each roughly three minutes in length. In addition to movie characters, the show used several characters from the Star Wars: Republic comics from Dark Horse Comics, and was notable both for introducing the character of General Grievous in Chapter 20 and for promoting Anakin Skywalker from Padawan to Jedi Knight in Chapter 21.

Initially, the episodes were meant as a form of commercials for the other products of the Clone Wars multimedia project. But after the series became a huge success and the first two seasons won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Animated Program," they were continued in Season Three, consisting of five 12-to-15 minute episodes. These episodes detailed the timeframe leading up to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Although criticized by fans (primarily for not being consistent with the Episode III tie-in novel, Labyrinth of Evil) they were also a hit, and led to George Lucas announcing plans to continue the show as a half-hour, 3D cartoon, which began in 2008 going by The Clone Wars.

The collected episodes of the show were made available in DVD form in Star Wars: Clone Wars: Volume One and Volume Two. The style of animation for the show was the inspiration for the Clone Wars Adventures comics. Many of the show's voice-actors would go on to reprise their character(s) roles for various Clone Wars-related computer games, or had come from such roles to the show.

Books and short storiesEdit

Seven official novels were written in the Clone Wars series which chronicle the Clone Wars. They can be identified by the designation "a Clone Wars novel".

• Shatterpoint
• Legacy of the Jedi
• The Cestus Deception
• MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
• MedStar II: Jedi Healer
• Jedi Trial
• Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

The Boba Fett young Adult book series also bears the Clone Wars brand. Another novel, Escape from Dagu, was finished but was replaced with the Yoda: Dark Rendezvous. All Clone Wars books were published by Del Rey. Another series part of the Clone Wars multimedia project are the Republic Commando novels following the game of the same name. Although they were not introduced until two and half year into the project, only Republic Commando: Hard Contact and the game are part of the Clone Wars Multimedia Project time line due to the others being released after Revenge of the Sith.

Although Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Republic Commando: Triple Zero, Republic Commando: True Colors, Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel, Labyrinth of Evil, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader are set in this era and cover the Clone Wars, they are not considered part of the Clone Wars book series.

A number of short stories and e-books were also written as part of the Clone Wars series. These were: The Hive, Storm Fleet Warnings, Equipment, and Duel (the last three of which were formed into the Hasbro Short Story Collection).

ComicsEdit

The comics segment of the Clone Wars storyline was told primarily through the Star Wars: Republic serial, starting with Issue 49 (four issues after the comic had been renamed from Star Wars to Star Wars: Republic) and continuing until the final Issue 83. It was in the Republic comics that Anakin Skywalker got the scar on his face that he has in Episode III.

The five-part Obsession and Jedi comics, and the Brothers in Arms, Purge, and Routine Valor one-shots, were tie-ins to the Republic Clone Wars storyline. Together, the comics were collected into a series of nine trade-paperback volumes, appropriately titled Clone Wars.

In addition, a collection of six Clone Wars Adventures comics (four more have been added since), based on the art of the TV show, were also released. Several of the stories from latter Star Wars Tales also tied into the Clone Wars storyline, with varying levels of continuity. From May to September 2002, the Jango Fett: Open Seasons comic (the counterpart to the Bounty Hunter game) was released; while not part of the Clone wars series, it depicted the events that led to the creation of the clone army.

All Clone Wars comics were published by Dark Horse Comics.

Video GamesEdit

The majority of Clone Wars games were released in 2002. Star Wars: The Clone Wars on November 28th of that year. Also released in 2002 was Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, a game that centered on the buildup to the clone army's formation and a tie-in to the Jango Fett: Open Seasons comic. A later released game was Republic Commando in March 1st, 2005).

Other games depicting the Clone Wars are Star Wars: Battlefront, which contained several levels depicting both original and movie, comic, or game-based Clone Wars battles, was released on September 20th, 2004. The sequel, Star Wars: Battlefront II, again with Clone Wars missions, was released on November 1st, 2005. Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter was released March 10 in 2002, with Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns released shortly after Episode II and the Episode III video game (May 5th, 2005).

Many of the computer game characters had the same voice actors as those who played them in the Star Wars: Clone Wars show.

ToysEdit

Many toys have been produced by Hasbro and other Star Wars licensees to tie-in to both the multimedia project and the more recent TV series.

The Clone WarsEdit

In 2008, a 3D animated cartoon TV series entitled The Clone Wars, introduced by a film, premiered on Cartoon Network. It continues to explore the same era as the Clone Wars multimedia project, although it is essentially a separate entity. The series is accompanied by new novels, video games, comics, and more.

The series features many existing characters but introduces several new ones, most notably Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex. The 2003 mini-series is considered by George Lucas to be the "pilot series", or prototype version, of the 2008 series.^[source?]

Notes and referencesEdit

See alsoEdit

• Shadows of the Empire took a similar multimedia approach in 1996
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed took a similar multimedia approach in 2008
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars continues to explore the same era

External linksEdit

Official links:

• The official Clone Wars site
• Official Clone Wars timeline at Star Wars.com
• StarWars.com archive of Clone Wars-related articles
• So what happened in between Eps II and III? - A Leland Chee blog entry at StarWars.com

Fan sites:

• 42 Loose Ends From the Clone Wars - A StarWars.com blog