Summary: Publisher Summary 1 The three films of the Star WarssagaStar Wars, The Empire Strikes Back,and the Return of the Jedirank among the most popular of the modern era, with ticket and merchandise sales in excess of three billion dollars. Today, collecting Star Warsmemorabilia has become one of the hottest hobbies around. The first illustrated Star Warsbook to feature the multitude of merchandising spin-offs generated by the filmand the only one that traces the transformation of the movie's fabulous characters, creatures, and vehicles from original concepts and prototypes into toys, clothing, and dozens of other objectsthis spectacular volume is a veritable Star Warsfan's bible. A complete overview of a modern marketing extravaganza, featuring more than 150 full-color images of collectible items, the book takes readers behind the scenes and includes many never-before-published sketches and photographs from the Lucasfilm and Kenner toy archives. A lively text featuring recent interviews with George Lucas, among others connected with the film, completes this intriguing and fascinating glimpse into one of popular culture's most engaging phenomena.