LandoSystem wrote:This book seems to be more like Wallace's previous Star Wars books mixed with something similar to that TMNT book.
His previous Star Wars books included all the odd extras, but it made more sense in context. Those books were written in-universe, by a Star Wars character with hand written notes from other characters throughout. Because of this you'd get neat little things like a restaurant napkin Obi-Wan sketched his lightsaber design on, or Qui-Gon's padawan braid.
Later editions started to get a little sketchy. The Bounty Hunters Guide had Boba Fett's pilot license... but it was just a corny little piece of paper with a picture of Boba Fett (with his helmet on - not likely for an ID) and the recent Imperial Handbook only had one removable item (a high-ish quality medal for a TIE pilot).
They were rarely "replica" items (the talisman in the Book of Sith is the only direct replica I can recall). They were never before seen artifacts that had some importance to the universe. I actually preferred creative, mid-quality and unique items than poor replicas of things we've seen on screen. I doubt anything they produce (except maybe a reproduction of the invoice) would meet our standards as prop makers / collectors. I'd rather have Peck's subpoena than a poor quality, scaled down reproduction of the OMNI cover, for example.
I don't know, the book's content mentioned in the description doesn't seem to be in-universe at all. Mostly centered around production of the two films, cartoons, comics, etc. The pull-out extras seem to be in-universe, though. Out of the 10 extras listed, only one is really any sort of replica of something we've seen on screen. Other than the script pages, everything else is new material whipped up by a graphic designer.
The fan fic nature of the in-universe pull outs is a bit off-putting to me. I'm not really a fan of the pull out bits at all, but the TMNT book did it with class. They weren't so much cheap pull-out replicas, as they were examples of the way these things in the book actually looked back in the day--- newspaper print ads, rough paper sketches, etc.
If I had my way, I'd say nix all of it and put those production costs towards more content in the GB book. Something more along the lines of MAKING GHOSTBUSTERS or the Rinzler making-of books. I know the books with the pull out replica bits sell like mad, though, so I can't blame the crew putting it together. Again, I hate to sound like a whiny fanboy on this. I'll definitely be buying the book.
Full size magazine/newspaper mock ups replicas would be difficult without annoying folds. I'm with you, a scaled-down OMNI print wouldn't be all that great. My thoughts were one of the the newspaper clippings in Venkman's GB1 office. They're smaller, the name of the newspaper is clipped out-- so no rights issues, and it's still something cool that has been established on-screen. The paper stock and printing quality of the pull out replicas are usually TOP NOTCH. The TMNT book had some killer repro printing. Stuff that would easily match the community replica standards. Concept art prints would also be cool. Super quality printing of great scans of the original art. There is a ton of detail in the art that isn't seen in MAKING GB or old magazine articles. Maybe even a clear poly bag with the Stay Puft art screened on, like the real on-set prop. The original art is in a fan collection, probably easily obtained for a credit in the book. Plus, the content of production/set dressing replica extras would go better with the described content of the book-- production, history, and development over in-universe fiction.
This is all just a stream of consciousness ramble, though. I'll
definitely be buying the book. At least the cover design didn't awkwardly rotate the logo needlessly, like most other GB products over the past few years! Embrace that VHS box red border! I love it!