Skywalking Through Neverland: A Star Wars / Disney Podcast

We continue the 40th anniversary celebration of The Empire Strikes Backwith Kim Simmons who was a Kenner photographer during the vintage era. All those Kenner Star Wars toy packaging you remember? He had a HUGE hand in them! Kim is producing a book which will showcase the Empire Strikes Back toy line photography in all its glory - please check out his Kickstarter here - The Man Who Shot Luke Skywalker.Now sit back and enjoy some fantastic stories. Also on this episode, we delve into the newest Disney+ release - Artemis Fowl. Hit or miss? How true was it to the book series? Let’s discuss. On June 15th, Reedpop announced that Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2020 is cancelled this year and will return in 2022. But out of the ashes a phoenix rises. In August of this year, we are planning a fan-run event: Zooming through Star Wars Celebration!! If you’re interested, please sign up here. Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Geek Pop Culture Podcast The

Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics #22 "To The Last Gladiator" centers on The Big Game - in which Han Solo and Chewbacca must fight a battle to the death with dozens of opponents, all floating in an anti-gravity arena full of hidden dangers. This battle takes place for the pleasure of the spectators gathered on The Wheel - a floating casino in space. Title:"TO THE LAST GLADIATOR" Release Date:JANUARY 23, 1979 Writer:Archie Goodwin Artwork:Carmine Infantino and Bob Wiacek Cover Art:Carmine Infantino / Bob Wiacek Synopsis:Now in this issue, Han Soloand Chewbaccateam up against several competitors to stay alive in The Big Game. But they realize that, according to the rules, only one of them will be permitted to leave the game alive.  Simon Greyshade, who has been playing double agent with the Empire presents PrincessLeiawith a proposition: escape with him and his stolen treasure and her Rebelfriends will go free. As she contemplates her decision, she watches the main event with Han and Chewbacca, and witnesses a h

Let’s rewind back one year ago to the opening of Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland! We will reminisce about our first steps in the land and read all of your memories. Then it’s time to test your knowledge with a Jedi Mind Probe Quiz and Fun Facts!  In a new segment, Skywalking Force Member Focus, 14-year-old Skywalking Force member, Jonathan Marroquin, joins to talk about his fandom. Walt Disney World begins a phased reopening on July 11th. Our sponsor, Small World Vacations, has a special message: At this time, pricing and availability for Walt Disney World vacations are suspended due to the phased reopening of the theme parks on July 11. For details and current updates, please visit our website Smallworldvacations.com.  When you feel ready to start planning your next Walt Disney World Vacation, we can help. If you complete a request for a no-obligation price quote, an agent will contact you to discuss your options and put you on their wait list for when reservations open up for booking. Check out these SKYwalking

Let's take a trip down memory lane and remember Star Wars Weekends! Michael McLain (Admin, Star Wars Weekends...The Memories) joins us as we look back at the yearly Star Wars party held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios almost every year from 1997-2015. There were shows, Star Wars celebrities, merchandise, and another reason to see your closest and dearest friends in fandom. We tackle an important question, will we see Star Wars Weekends ever again? Several of our Skywalkers have stories, memories and pictures to share, so we read these in our Skywalker Shout-Outs. Be careful, you may need tissues! Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Geek Pop Culture Podcast The Culture POPCast - Interview-based Pop Culture Podcast Small World Vacations Small World Vacationsis an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Contact them for a no obligation price quote at www.smallworldvacations.com. Tell them Skywalking Through Neverland sent you. SUPPORT THE S

In honor of its 40th Anniversary, this episode is all about publicity on The Empire Strikes Back, with special guest Craig Miller (Lucasfilm Publicity 1970s-1980s). We talk about how the publicity campaign was a pioneer for its time, ushering in a new way of marketing movies that continues to this day. Some of these include a 1-800 number to speak with your favorite Star Wars character, articles in Bantha Tracks, and The Muppet Show appearance. Craig was largely responsible for all content of Bantha Tracks, the first Star Wars fan club magazine, and talks about the lead-up to TESB through its pages. We dedicate this episode to the memory of Charlie Lippincott, who just passed away on May 19th. Mr. Lippincott worked as the Senior VP of Adverstising, Publicity, Promotion and Merchandising at Lucasfilm, and was a mastermind of promotion.  Sarah is donating AND selling face masks! For all the details, click here. Small World Vacations Small World Vacationsis an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Co

How many life lessons, morals and values have you learned from Star Wars and, more specifically, from The Clone Wars fortune cookies that precede almost every episode? Din from the band F105joins us once again to discuss the most inspiring fortune cookies, and those which have a special impact on each of us. Gems such as: “A plan is only as good as those who see it through.” “The first step to correcting a mistake is patience.” “No gift is more precious than trust.” If you want to pick out your favorites, check out the full list here. Sarah is donating AND selling face masks! For all the details, click here. Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Geek Pop Culture Podcast The Culture POPCast - Interview-based Pop Culture Podcast Small World Vacations Small World Vacationsis an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Contact them for a no obligation price quote at www.smallworldvacations.com. Tell them Skywalking Through Neverland sent you

May the 4th, 2020 marked the final episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. What an amazing, galaxy-shattering finale! Discussing the last two episodes “Shattered” and “Victory and Death” is a monumental task, so we brought reinforcements. You know him as the lead singer for the band F105, we know him as our good friend Din! Enough writing, let’s dive in NOW. Sarah is donating AND selling face masks! For all the details, click here. Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Geek Pop Culture Podcast The Culture POPCast - Interview-based Pop Culture Podcast Small World Vacations Small World Vacationsis an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Contact them for a no obligation price quote at www.smallworldvacations.com. Tell them Skywalking Through Neverland sent you. SUPPORT THE SHOW Find out how you can become a part of the Skywalking Force and unlock this content right here. CONTACT US Instagram: http://instagram.com/skywalkingpod Twitter: ht

Sheltering in place has allowed many of us to come up with creative ways to spend our time. We talked with Skywalkers to see what creative projects they've been up to since mid-March. Jim Astin does funny toyography (like the Show Picture above). Joey Pittman and Joshua Jordan have been ramping up their podcasting. Joshua and Eric Onkenhouthave been blogging. Kai Charles came up with great ways to maintain sanity and reduce stress. Chris Kowalski is tweaking a Kenner Action Figure cosplay and Rachel Hayes is cross-stitching Disneyland since we all can't go! Ahsoka leads Republic clones to confront Maul's forces on Mandalore. Maul senses the impending chaos and makes a calculated play to ensure his own survival. We spend over 30 minutes breaking down this INSANE episode as we chat live with Skywalkers who joined us on YouTube Live during our recording. Impressions, Easter eggs and symbolism - it's all here. Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Gee

On April 17, 2020, Disney+ aired the best half hour in television history (so far) with Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode, ‘Old Friends Not Forgotten’ Part 1’! The Siege of Mandalore has begun, alongside the beginning of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of The Sith. It was an exciting, emotional episode and we share our thoughts (Richard and Sarah), along with those of you on YouTube who watched our livestream and those of you who commented in our Facebook Group.  Star Wars: The Clone WarsConcept Designer Russell Chong Also on this episode,  special guest Russell Chong joins us. He gives a unique perspective on The Clone Wars as he is one of the original Clone Wars Design and Concept Artists! He worked on Genndy Tartakovsy’s Clone Wars, then went into Dave Filoni’s THE Clone Wars! So many great jaw-dropping stories. Sarah is donating AND selling face masks! Email sarahwoloskidesigns@gmail.com if you're interested. Each mask comes with a pipe cleaner for the nose and pocket for a filter. Check out these SKYwalki

Musician and pianist Tom Ameen just released his latest Disney-inspired album, Old Time Magic, featuring piano versions of Disney favorites like “The Age of Not Believing” from Bedknobs and Broomsticks and “Brazzle Dazzle Day” from Pete’s Dragon. Tom joins us to discuss his composition and recording process, and his inspiration for the album. Star Wars: The Clone Wars "Together Again" In Things We Want To Share, we go over Episode 708 of The Clone Wars, "Dangerous Debt"- our thoughts, comments, questions and Easter eggs. Air Date: 4/10/20 Fortune Cookie: YOU CAN CHANGE WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOURSELF Synopsis: Captured by the Pykes once more, Ahsoka and the Martez sisters are running out of options. Sarah is donating AND selling face masks! Email sarahwoloskidesigns@gmail.com if you're interested. Each mask comes with a pipe cleaner for the nose and pocket for a filter. Small World Vacations Small World Vacationsis an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Small World Vacations is a

Skywalking Force member Jess Walz joins us for an emotional discussion of Disney Pixar’s Onward. From older brothers to lost parents to Dungeons and Dragons, this film has a special meaning and a lot of heart.  Sarah is donating AND selling face masks! Email sarahwoloskidesigns@gmail.comif you're interested. Each mask comes with a pipe cleaner for the nose and pocket for a filter. In Things We Want To Share, we go over Episode 707 of The Clone Wars, "Dangerous Debt"- our thoughts, comments, questions and Easter eggs. Air Date: 4/3/20 Fortune Cookie: WHO YOU WERE DOES NOT HAVE TO DEFINE WHO YOU ARE Synopsis: Ahsoka, Trace and Rafa try to escape from the Pykes. It doesn't go too well. Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Geek Pop Culture Podcast The Culture POPCast - Interview-based Pop Culture Podcast Small World Vacations Small World Vacationsis an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Small World Vacations is a Diamond Level Author

What’s your Empire Strikes Back Story? We gather a group of Skywalkers to answer this and share our first-time experiences in celebration of the Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary. Martin Keeler, Courtney and Kelly Turckel and Eric Walker (Mace in the Ewok Adventure films) saw this film for the first time in 1980, 1995 and 2020, so it’s quite the round-up!  April 3rd is a huge Disney+day full of new content celebrating Earth Month - April! Three Disneynature films join the ranks of National Geographic shows and previous Disneynature films. And don’t forget Disney Pixar’s Onward! Star Wars: The Clone Wars "Deal No Deal" In Things We Want To Share, we go over Episode 706 of The Clone Wars, "Deal No Deal"- our thoughts, comments, questions and Easter eggs. Air Date: 3/27/20 Fortune Cookie: MISTAKES ARE VALUABLE LESSONS OFTEN LEARNED TOO LATE Synopsis: Rafa gets a job where she has to deliver spice to the Pykes. Her sister, Trace, is recruited when Raffa’s original crew bails out. Being besties, Ahsoka tags al

Show of hands - how many of you are listening to this podcast in your pajamas? No judgement here! The Rise of Skywalkeris out on digital, and with it a 2+ hour documentary The Skywalker Legacythat features plenty of rare footage from the original trilogies. The behind-the-scenes footage blew our minds, so we have to share! Star Wars: The Clone Wars "Gone with a Trace" In Things We Want To Share, we go over Episode 705 of The Clone Wars, "Gone with a Trace"- our thoughts, comments, questions and Easter eggs. Air Date: 3/20/20 Fortune Cookie: IF THERE IS NO PATH BEFORE YOU, CREATE YOUR OWN Synopsis:Ahsoka Tano, no longer part of the Jedi Order, finds herself in the lower levels of Coruscant. Also on this episode: Rosario Dawson is reportedly playing Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian Season 2, and Ashley Eckstein responded on her instagram. Let’s go over this news.  Skywalker of the Month! Skywalking YouTube: HomeMade Disney Disneyland is closed and we were missing our favorite attraction - Star Tours! So we took

We are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back with a mini-series of special interviews and episodes! This Part 1 features special guest and "That Yoda Guy" Nick Maley - Special Effects Makeup Artist and one of the key contributors to the fabrication of Yoda for The Empire Strikes Back!Nick tells us so many great stories about the hardship that went into creating Yoda, and gives us his thoughts on all Yodas throughout the years, including Baby Yoda! Nick was also a make-up artist on a pioneering music video from one of my favorite bands of all time - Duran Duran!! In Things We Want To Share, we go over Episode 704 of The Clone Wars, "Unfinished Business"- our thoughts, comments, questions and Easter eggs. Air Date: 3/13/20 Fortune Cookie: TRUST PLACED IN ANOTHER IS TRUST EARNED Synopsis: Echo hatches a plan to end the Separatist threat on Anaxes once and for all. But where do his loyalties really lie? Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers &

Margaret Kerry, Tinker Bell herself, returns! Margaret was the animator’s reference model for Tinker Bell in Disney’s Peter Pan (1953), and since we started STN she has made several appearances on the podcast and even co-hosted a few episodes of Step In Time. Now she’s back to share the most romantic story - her whirlwind romance and wedding day on Valentine’s Day, 2020 - at 90 years old!  In Things We Want To Share, we go over Episode 703 of The Clone Wars, "On the Wings of Keeradaks"- our thoughts, comments, questions and Easter eggs. Air Date: 3/6/20 Fortune Cookie: SURVIVAL IS ONE STEP ON THE PATH TO LIVING Synopsis: Rex has found his friend, Echo, in the clutches of the Techno Union. But the rescue is just beginning. Also on this episode: †Skywalker Shout-Outs Skywalking Through Disney+. Check out this week's "New on Disney+" article Max Von Sydow passed away this week at the age of 90. We celebrate his life and work as a legendary actor, including his appearance as Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Fo

Disney+ has changed our lives in the last four months! On this episode we share our Disney+ Watchlist - what we recommend, what we suggest that you skip, hidden gems and what we are looking forward to for the rest of the year. We also want to know what you like! Comment or share on social media. Star Wars: The Clone Wars "A Distant Echo" In Things We Want To Share, we go over Episode 702 of The Clone Wars, "A Distant Echo"- our thoughts, comments and Easter eggs. Air Date: 2/28/20 Fortune Cookie: THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH BEGINS WITH BELIEF Synopsis: Rex, Anakin, and the Bad Batch look to uncover the truth surrounding a mysterious Separatist signal Also on this episode: †Skywalker Shout-Outs and The Skywalking Force Skywalking Through Disney+. Check out this week's "New on Disney+" article A tribute to James Lipton, host of The Actor's Studio Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Geek Pop Culture Podcast The Culture POPCast - Interview-based Pop Cu

We now know that #ProjectLuminous is a huge Star Wars publishing event set in The High Republic, 200 years before the Skywalker Saga. Richard and Sarah share all they learned at the Walt Disney Studios press event, as well as audio from authors Charles Soule, Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel Jose Older and Cavan Scott. The authors share juicy details about their books and comics. A musical Jedi! Matthew McConaughey in space! #MakeHoojibsCanon…?? (Check out our comprehensive article for more details on Star Wars: The High Republic.) Also on this episode: The Clone Wars season 7 premiered on 2/21/20 with “The Bad Batch”. We share our thoughts, comments and Easter Eggs in the episode. Skywalker Shout-Outs Skywalking Through Disney+ Bob Iger steps down as CEO of the Walt Disney Company! Check out these SKYwalking NETwork shows: Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Sabers & Spells - a Geek Pop Culture Podcast The Culture POPCast - Interview-based Pop Culture Podcast Small World Vacations Small World Vacat

We are joined by our SkyNet crew to talk all things Star Wars: The Clone Wars leading into its Season 3 release on 2/21/20 on Disney+!! Teresa Delgado (Sabers & Spells / Fangirls Going Rogue) shares her love for all things Maul while Christy Morris (Sabers & Spells / The 602 Club) brings us up to speed on Aurra Singh and the bounty hunters. We all share our favorite episode from each season of the Clone Wars, and how they may relate to the upcoming season 7. If you're rusty, we even play bits of audio from the show that will jog your memory. Small World Vacations Small World Vacationsis an official sponsor of Skywalking Through Neverland. Small World Vacations is a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation planner travel agency helping guests plan special Disney Vacations for over 20 years! Their agents are your best resource for Disney Vacation discounts, news and, most importantly, Galaxy's Edge updates. Best of all, their Magical vacation-planning Service is free of charge. Contact them for a no obl

Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics #21 "Shadow of a Dark Lord" features...you guessed it...Darth Vader! This is his first appearance in Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics since Issue #6. "Shadow of a Dark Lord" is the 4th chapter in a 6-issue story arc featuring Luke, Leia, Han, the droids and Chewbacca on The Wheel - a floating casino in space. After being separated for several issues, our heroes are starting to reunite in preparation for the biggest threat yet - Darth Vader himself!!   Show Notes:   Title: "SHADOW OF A DARK LORD" Release Date: DECEMBER 19, 1978 Writer: Archie Goodwin Artwork: Carmine Infantino and Gene Day Cover Art: Carmine Infantino / Terry Austin   Synopsis: Now in this issue, that has lots of Disney-sequel foreshadowing, Princess Leia escapes from Simon Greyshade - the administrator of the casino in space known as - The Wheel. Leia has found Luke, who has now recovered from his trance-like state after facing his most dreaded fear - Darth Vader!    Meanwhile Greyshade has secretly sent

Emily Swallow - The Armorer from The Mandalorian - joins us on a very special episode! She discusses her role, the costume, that amazing helmet and Mandalorian lore. She is a huge fan of The Mandalorian as well! Big thanks to our STN Bounty Hunter, Shamim Dana - we gave him the puck and the fob for Emily and he completed his mission!    We also have Skywalking Shout-Outs and a NEW Skywalker of the Month announcement. They receive their very own jingle as composed by Rob Dehlinger!   This week marks the release of the Disney+ original film Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. Richard and I attended a press day and share some of our stories here, as well as this article. You can watch Timmy Failure beginning 2/7! Skywalking Through Disney+:    Movies Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made - Disney+ original film - available 2/7 Old Dogs (2009) - available 2/9   Disney+ Exclusives, Noteworthy Shorts or Series Episodes Check out this week's "New on Disney+" article   Skywalking YouTube: Rise of th