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May the Fourth be with you... always

Posted Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 4:48 PM Central

by John Couture

Happy Star Wars Day!

May 4th. May the Force be with you. May the Fourth, get it? Yeah, if you're reading this, there's a pretty good chance that you're already a part of the cult of Lucas and this is pretty basic. For the minority of you out there, Star Wars day has been the unofficial holiday dedicated to the iconic film franchise for as long as anyone can remember.

Of course, May the Fourth really took off in the popular consciousness thanks to the Internet and the ease of human interaction that social media provides. Of course, it doesn't hurt that last year's Force Awakens served as the fuse to a powder keg that is taking even Disney to new levels of cultural nirvana.

With the general plan to release a new Star Wars film each year until the end of time, there looks to be no end to the phenomenon that is Star Wars. We always try to celebrate May the Fourth each year but with the absolute overload of Star Wars information being uncovered daily, an annual celebration is no longer enough.

True, we do report on many of the bigger items in our weekly Monday Mixer, but some weeks, it could be called the Star Wars Mixer. So, starting today, I'm planning to dedicate a story to Star Wars each and every Fourth of each month. A monthly Tour de Force, on the Fourth, if you will.

Hopefully, as we grow this new feature, it will become a monthly stop and something to look forward to. For now, I will try to highlight the many ways in which people are celebrating Star Wars Day.

  • Awesome website Geeks of Doom takes a look back to 1976 when the stars of Star Wars descended upon San Diego's Comic Con. This was before Comic Con became THE film and comic book event of the year. This is also probably one of the last few moments captured of the pre-Star Wars world.

    Check it out here.

  • If you're looking for deals to help celebrate Star Wars Day, then fear not. The official Star Wars web site has a pretty comprehensive list of deals here.

  • On June 28, there's a great documentary coming out called Elstree 1976. It offers a look at the extras and day players who helped to create the original Star Wars film. It also looks at the cottage industry that these people have been able to carve out for themselves since their chance run in with arguably the greatest franchise in film history. Here's the trailer.

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda is probably best known for creating and starring in the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton, but he was tasked by director J.J. Abrams to create a musical piece to be used in the scene that takes place in Maz Kanata's castle. The song, called "Jabba Flow" is a reggae-style rap sung completely in Huttese. Today, Lin-Manuel and J.J. surprised Broadway passersby with an impromptu performance of the song.

    The song is also available for streaming and purchase. You can find out more about "Jabba Flow" here

  • As you would imagine, the official Star Wars web site has a pretty thorough hub of all things May the Fourth. You should definitely check it out!

  • Speaking of the official site, if you're looking for a good read today, check this out.

  • Finally today, Star Wars Force for Change enlisted Daisy Ridley to say thanks and remind everyone that they have one last chance to give and be entered to win a trip to Ireland. Naturally, there are few old friends that make cameos.

    • What do you think? Do you want a monthly recap of everything Star Wars?