The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter: November 29, 2024
It's Black Friday. Hope you survived.
Hello there
Good morning, hope you survived Thanksgiving. There’s nothing better for a tryptophan hangover1 than the Black Friday edition of the Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter. It’s a shorter newsletter this week due to the holiday, I’ll be back next with with a lot more words. You’ve been warned. This week we’ve got Darth Vader on ESPN and a flashback to my Star Wars Thanksgiving story from last year.
On a personal note, since it was Thanksgiving in America yesterday, I truly am thankful for all of you who read the Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter each week. When I started this a year and a half ago, I honestly had no idea if anyone was going to sign up besides my friends and family who I told “you might as well subscribe because I’m not going to leave you alone until you do.” So that I was able to find a community here of Star Wars fans and make friends with like-minded people has just been a blast.
This Is Where The Fun Begins
Got this from my Sithter-in-law and her youngest. The idea, a Thanksgiving project where turkeys disguise themselves so they can avoid ending up as the main entree on your table. This turkey had a good idea.
A Reminder to Be Thankful
Fellow Substack writer/podcaster and friend of Death Star HR, Brian Lennon sent me this video. Just as a heads up, it’s pretty rough. The TL/DR of it is Troy DeJoode, an Iowa State Cyclones fan went viral wearing for wearing a Darth Vader costume at a football game. The reason he wears it is to honor his son Carson, who was a huge Star Wars fan. Carson was 5 at the time when he killed in a car wreck in 2010 along with his sister Claire. Their mother and younger brother were injured. Like I said, it’s rough.
Star Wars is something that can bring generations together, same with college sports. Troy and Carson were huge fans of both Star Wars and the Cyclones. I hope wearing the Vader costume to the games and sharing his love of Star Wars with other fans brings Troy and his family at least a little bit of peace. The future is hard to see and tomorrow isn’t promised. Hug your loved ones.
Skeleton Crew Lands Early
I really feel like Disney is making this a thing, where they bump up the premiere date but a day. But I am not positive, I’d have to go back through the marketing materials for other shows. Disney dropped another teaser on Tuesday, with the big surprise that the release date is now December 2nd.
Honestly, I’m a little surprised they didn’t release it today. Lots of people are home. The people that have to work in our Black Friday Capitalist Hellscape could probably use a nice distraction when after they’ve survived their shift. But hey, one day sooner is better than zero days sooner.
Fortnite but Make it Star Wars
I have mentioned before that I am not really up on videogames. I consider the “Knights of the Old Republic” games peak Star Wars videogaming and there’s no need for any new games to have been released after those two. That attitude is one of the many reasons I don’t work for Lucasfilm/Disney. On Tuesday, we also got a trailer for Star Wars: Hunters being released on the PC via Steam. It is currently out for mobile and the Nintendo Switch.
I guess it’s “Fortnite” or one of those arena battle shooters but in the Star Wars universe? Maybe I finally buy a Steamdeck. Any Hunters players in the crowd who can shed light on what exactly this game is?
The Death Star HR Wayback Machine
I had an idea for a little Thanksgiving fan fiction, imagining a Thanksgiving dinner in the World Between Worlds with the Jedi Council. But alas, Emperor Palpatine’s #1 Fan and I are traveling for Thanksgiving this year and there just isn’t the time. So I’m sharing my Thanksgiving story from last year, imagining a Skywalker family Thanksgiving.
This Day in Star Wars History
Only two items that I’m going to mention for November 29th.
Meco Monardo was born in 1939. I mentioned Meco a couple weeks ago when I picked up some Star Wars records and got his disco version of the Ewok song. Interestingly, “Ewok Celebration” was his last work for years, he retired from making music in 1985. He’s best known for “Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk” which had disco versions of songs from A New Hope, and ended up going platinum in the US. Honestly, it’s a pretty interesting album. The Wikipedia entry is worth the read.
The novel Shadow Games, by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bonnhoff, was published in 2011. I haven’t read this one in a while, I remember it being a good idea but not the best execution. Javul Charn is a pop star, the Taylor Swift of the Star Wars universe. Dash Render, the Diet Coke version of Han Solo, is supposed to protect her. I like books that take us outside of the main characters and/or the Jedi. A galactic pop star is a cool idea, but I don’t remember this one being especially memorable. I guess if it was memorable, I would remember it. Maybe I’ll re-read it and report back.
From the Depths of Wookieepedia
I wouldn’t call it my favorite category of entry for FTDOW, that’s reserved for food and music, but I always enjoy when a Star Wars writer has to take something we use here on Earth and give a name for the galaxy far, far away. And usually it has to still explain at face value what the item is. Like today’s entry, Nutrient spray.
Nutrient sprays were manufactured by the chemical industry. They helped to promote and speed up the growth of crops.
Or as we’d call it here on Earth, fertilizer. You can just call it fertilizer. Call it Space Fertilizer if that helps.
News From the HoloNet
Star Wars: Visions Returns with Volume 3 in 2025
A show people want to see and done in a timely manner. I’m here for it.
Taika Waititi’s Answer About His Star Wars Movie Has Us More Confused Than Ever
I’ll believe we get Waititi’s movie when my butt is in the seat at the theater. And even then I might not believe it.
Why Fans Think The Book of Boba Fett Season 2 is Canceled
I get Temuera Morrison wants season 2. I’m just not sure anyone else does.
That’s it for this week. If you like what I’m doing, please subscribe. I’ll catch you next week, and may the Force be with you.
Yes yes, I know there isn’t actually enough tryptophan in turkey to make you sleepy. You’re sleepy because you ate too many carbs and had 5 glasses of wine.
Tell them to get off your lawn for me too.
Great Darth turkey👍🏻 I do want a season two of Boba, but I want a back to basics show where they show him doing what he’s good at, hunting. Hope you and the family had a great and safe holiday.