Star Wars fans in Chinese mainland might have to wait until next month to see The Force Awakens in theaters, but in the meantime they've got some new(ish) material to look forward to in the form of these delightfully unusual Chinese Star Wars comics.
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The comics, which were unearthed by historian Maggie Greene and published online last year, depict a hilariously rough adaptation of the original trilogy. The comics follow the overall basic plot of the original 1977 George Lucas film, and feature some of the classic scenes and characters that we all know and love.
But much of the visual presentation deviates heavily from the films, featuring a few totally bizarre image panels. We're talking Darth Vader riding a triceratops bizarre.
Greene, who discovered the comics at the Wen Miao Temple in Shanghai, says they were published by the Popular Science Press in Guangzhou in 1980. At the time, most people in Chinese mainland had not seen any films from the original trilogy (which is still true even today). Greene attributes that to China's isolation from Hollywood and the West immediately following the Cultural Revolution. In fact, it wasn't until this year, four decades after their release, that the original films were screened in Chinese theaters for the first time. Most likely, the people who created the bootleg comics hadn't actually seen the film, instead basing their interpretations off the script and promotional materials.
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The comics also contain some odd imaginations of everyday Western life. Among some of the wackier imagery from the comics includes Darth Vader plotting to attack the Kennedy Space Center...
... a more Planet of the Apes-esque Chewbacca:
... a medieval Obi-Wan Kenobi who looks like he's ready to join an intergalactic biker gang:
... Luke Skywalker in Soviet astronaut gear:
... a delicious home-cooked meal at the Skywalker's which utilizes the latest in modern kitchen appliances, including a toaster oven, rice cooker and hot plate :
... Princess Leia looking more objectified than usual:
... and a random J&B logo hanging in Obi Wan's sick Tatooine bachelor pad:
These comics are a type lianhuanhua (or picture storybook), which were published in China throughout the 20th century. Though most lianhuanhua either featured government propaganda or stories from ancient Chinese history, they sometimes adapted plotlines from Western movies – usually without official authorization, according to the South China Morning Post.
PDFs of the comics are available on Greene's website. For a full English translation of the comics by translator Nick Stember, click here.
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