25: “It’s just a Star Wars badge!”
Kids get so fixated – obsessed even, over the smallest objects of desire. It’s the B*W ‘Quarter Century’ strip!
Do you remember wishing you could have that little thing that your pal had? Even somehting silly, like a Six Million Dollar Man sweet wrapper!
Elements of Truth
There actually was a badge like that. My pal Niall F had it. And there was a Van Man too!
Niall’s Vader badge had the same pic that appeared on the back of the Star Wars Storybook, i.e., someone else dressed in Dave Prowse’s Vader costume – and looking a bit girly – if it’s OK for me to say that, after nearly 4 decades!
Above: From the back of the Star Wars Storybook
For some reason, Niall’s badge had holes punched all over it. A sibling perhaps? Probably with a compass point. Niall also had the Storybook – which I craved and yearned to own – and even just to touch! – more than anything in existence.
And as I said, there ws a Van Man. A mobile shop for countryside folk. The first I heard about him, was when John S showed me a set of blue Star Wars cards that were bordered not in red, but – gasp – in blue! (or was it green?) This blew my mind. “When wil he be back at your house? How often does he come? Did he have MORE cards? Can I stay at your house tonight in case I miss him!?!?”
Kids eh? Nuts. Especially 1970s kids.
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** Stay Groovy, all you 1970s kids! **
– John White
I never did get to complete the puzzle on the back of the red, blue, green, or yellow cards.
I’m not sure I did either grace. Got close to completing Chewbacca. I loved the film facts on the backs of the other cards!
Firstly, John, it’s great that you’re publishing every Friday, because I really find myself looking forward to each week’s installment. I love this strip and Jack’s obsession. Is the story going to continue next time?
As soon as I saw that last panel, I was thinking of that shot in Strangers On a Train where Robert Walker is reaching down a drain for an incriminating cigarette lighter and we his fingers reaching desperately for it… I’d love to know whether Jack gets the badge and if so, whether he keeps it or does the decent thing.
Can’t say I’ve had the experience of a “van man”, but I did have a Vader badge. Mine was the one with the odd spelling “Darth Vadar Lives”, like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Star…
You’re right about the way we used to covet the tiniest things, especially Star Wars-related. Like you, I thought the Star Wars Storybook was a thing of beauty. I finally bought quite a tatty copy fairly recently so I could scan bits for my blog, and the unusual selection of pictures is still impressive.
Check this out Darren. http://blog.theswca.com/2015/0…
Thanks Darren. It’s funny, one of my readers, Peter Briggs told a story on Facebook yesterday, about how that badge dramatically directed the course of his life – into screenwriting.
I suspect this strip will be a standalone. But after you asked that question, I began to think about guilty consciences and Poe’s story, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’!
Have you ever seen any kids’ Star Wars scrapbooks from the 1970s? They’re magical things. Full of all sorts of bits and pieces like sweet wrappers and cinema tickets and stuff. I saw some on Facebook this year and was transported and captivated. They’re lovely little treasure troves and they’re especially magical and beautiful because of the love that children put into them.