“For me, my expression of love for the films was channeled through drawing,” says Jeffrey Brown, a cartoonist and graphic novelist based out of Chicago, whose latest series of books pokes gentle fun at the “Star Wars” universe by imagining Darth Vader as a dad with everyday worries and chores.
“Darth Vader and Son” finds the Dark Lord of the Sith taking his 4-year-old son, Luke, out for ice cream, playing hide-and-seek, and trying to get him to pick up his toys. In one cartoon, Luke whines about not getting his way, and Vader responds with a line familiar to fans of the series: “I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.”
There are plenty of in-jokes for adult fans, including jabs at Ewoks and Jar-Jar Binks. But these all come from a loving place, according to Brown. “It’s not making fun of those aspects, [but more] just making a joke about those things,” Brown explains. “It’s not mean-spirited in any way. Growing up, I loved the Ewoks,” he points out. “Kids today love Jar-Jar.”
And what about ruining the surprise that Darth Vader is Luke’s father? “As much as that’s a spoiler that comes with this book... until you see the movies, the impact of that revelation isn’t the same.”
“Darth Vader and Son” was released in 2012, and was followed up by a sequel (for dads and daughters), “Vader’s Little Princess.” Both books make fun gifts for “Star Wars” dads.
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