May The Fourth Fan Art Shown Off On Disney+
May the 4th is a special day for many. No, it is not just the day to prepare yourself for Cinco de Mayo happening the next day on May 5th. Among Star Wars fans, this day is known as Star Wars Day. The specific date is so christened as “May the 4th” because it sounds similar to the iconic line “May the Force be with you.” Star Wars Day usually passes by without much notice, but with the renewed attention on the franchise brought about by the sequel trilogy, and more recently, the immensely popular The Mandalorian, the all-day celebration is marked with many retailers offering special deals on Star Wars merchandise. With Disney’s acquisition of the Star Wars franchise, one would expect the media giant to plan a certain recognition of Star Wars Day.
Last year, Disney celebrated Star Wars Day with the release of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, an eight-episode documentary series where Executive Producer Jon Favreau and the cast and crew of The Mandalorian share behind-the-scenes moments from the show. The series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars also aired on May 4, 2020 so that Star Wars fans everywhere could come together to celebrate the series as they viewed the end of another monumental show. (Incidentally, the series finale of Friends aired on May 6, 2004, but this author had to study for finals and could not watch it.) The Rise of Skywalker would also make its debut on Disney+ the same day. Staying with the backstage theme of the documentary, Disney+ decorated its pages with concept art from “over four decades of the beloved saga.”
Last year, Disney+ paid homage to the old with the release of the last episode of The Clone Wars, and the last installment of the sequel trilogy. This year, we will welcome the new series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. With Star Wars Day 2021 coming up, Disney has planned a similar special treat for the “galaxy’s greatest fan holiday.” Fan artists from around the world have been commissioned to create artwork for Disney+. The first piece of the series was the amazing mural created by poster illustrator and cover artist Zi Xu. Head over to the main Star Wars landing page on Disney+ to see her artwork which depicts Star Wars heroes like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Rey opposite villains like Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, and Darth Sidious. This talented artist's portfolio includes comic cover art among others.
From Tuesday May the 4th until Saturday May 9, Disney promised more commissioned fan arts will take over the landing pages of Star Wars movies and series. While we no doubt want to see the rest of the artworks right now, Disney only tease us with a small taste of what is to come.
Meanwhile, we only have a couple days to prepare for Star Wars Day 2021. Many fans, including the Culture Slate staff, are planning a watch party of The Bad Batch, which airs on May the 4th at 12AM PST/3AM EDT/8AM BST.
In case you have forgotten, the Bad Batch, or Clone Force 99, are an elite clone commando squad with specific “desirable” genetic mutations that enhanced their abilities. The squad includes “Wrecker” (super strength), “Crosshair” (enhanced vision), “Tech” (technological operations), “Hunter” (ability to sense electromagnetic signals), and “Echo” (outfitted with cybernetics). We last saw them in season 7 of The Clone Wars, and The Bad Batch will tell their story during the early days of the Empire.
Here is a video clip looking back to when we last saw the Bad Batch.
The official Star Wars website offers a bingo sheet that you and your friends can play along during the viewing. If you are a proficient chef, you can make delectable treats like Bad Batch cookies (although this author would say that every batch of cookies she makes is a bad batch lol), or Blue Milk Mando Macarons (this author has until season 3 of The Mandalorian airs to learn to make these macarons).
“Star Wars has inspired generations of fans. Whether you break out your action figures , spend some time on your screen-accurate cosplay, or simply spend some time reflecting on what Star Wars means to you, Star Wars Day is about celebrating the people who love the saga: You.”
As pointed out by StarWars.com, Star Wars Day is a day to make your own Star Wars story. You may choose to look for new Star Wars toys in stores, watch the new series that is airing, or create your own fan art. Whatever you decide to do, may the Force be with you!
Source(s): CNET, StarWars.com