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Since the first time I saw Darth Vader surrounded by storm troopers and that iconic image of his and Luke's siluettes with their red and blue light sabers dueling on Besbin in a TV spot for the re-release of The Empire Strikes Back in July 1981, I have been a big Star Wars fan.
The very first time I used the Internet - in 1994 on my dad's work laptop with a 14400 bps modem - I searched for and downloaded the demo for the then soon to be released Star Wars FPS Dark Forces. Other than some games related news I wasn't really following Star Wars back then. I'd pick up the odd issue of Star Wars Insider but most content felt like re-treading and fine combing of the (then only) trilogy for minutia that was seldom very exiting.
But then things started happening. Shadows of the Empire hit like a carpet bombing across a wide range of media including games, a soundtrack, comics, toys and a book. The dust had hardly settled before the Special Editions hit and then news came that episodes 1-3 where on their way. After the release of the special edition of Return of the Jedi in 1997 though, the 1999 release of Episode 1 seemed a far way off and other than purchasing and wearing out the OT on VHS, Star Wars again dropped to the back of my mind.
Until that faithful day when a co-worker showed me the just released first trailer for The Phantom Menace. I was blown away and wanted to find out all I could about the upcoming movie. He directed me to TheForce.net and for that I am forever grateful.
The following seven years, visiting the site became a daily routine for me and it became a proxy fan-friend during the lead-up to each of the three new movies. With the release of Revenge of the Sith my visits to TFN became fewer and far between, partly due to the lack of news that interested me and partly due to other interests (mostly gaming) taking more of my time.
But with my discovery of podcasts one of my earliest subscriptions was for the then newly re-launched TFN podcast The Force-Cast. I was immediately blown away by it. The superb use of Star Wars sound-bites and sound-effects and the highly professional hosts Jason Swank and Pete Nadel placed this show instantly among my favorites where it has remained through the years ever since. That great sound production is handled by radio veteran Jimmy Mac who has replaced Pete Nadel as co-host during the last year of the show and does a great job in front of the mic as well as behind.
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With my discovery of podcasts one of my earliest subscriptions was for the then newly re-launched TFN podcast The Force-Cast. I was immediately blown away by it. The superb use of Star Wars sound-bites and sound-effects and the highly professional hosts Jason Swank and Pete Nadel placed this show instantly among my favorites where it has remained through the years ever since. That great sound production is handled by radio veteran Jimmy Mac who has replaced Pete Nadel as co-host during the last year of the show and does a great job in front of the mic as well as behind.
As I was never really interested in collecting, conventions or very much of the Extended Universe of the novels (I have read about ten books though, of which Shadows of the Empire remains my favorite) I at first was skeptical to an hour+ show on Star Wars every week being interesting and/or entertaining, how wrong I was. The sheer love these guys have for the series hits you so hard that you can't but be pulled in. The show is hardly insular either, through the years The Force-Cast has had countless interviews with Star Wars actors, authors, artists, directors, producers and writers. They have done in-dept reporting from Star Wars Celebration 4, - Europe and - Japan with their amazing and dedicated "No Fan Left Behind"-motto. They interact with other Star Wars fans and have grown an impressive following of their own through the forums of TheForce.Net and Rebelscum.com with many regular contributors being welcomed into the show with warm and open arms and the show has even spawned a fan-created YouTube show called FCTV by "The Jawas". Besides the regular show they also create Star Wars-related music compilations: A Galaxy of Music on and off, as well roundtables with in-dept analysis and discussion of The Clone Wars TV show.
The Force-Cast has continued to impress and although you may only be a moderate Star Wars fan the show is worth checking out as the hosts do a great job of keeping the discussions both intelligent and funny. Check them out, and may The Force-Cast be with you... always.
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