Today in Comics History, November 17, A Long Time Ago: You Bet Your Life Day

On this date in 1978, the class (?) TV spectcaular The Star Wars Holiday Special aired for the very first, and the very last, time. Opinions are divided as to the quality of the show (big furry Wookiee thumbs down on everything except the cartoon, but I like the Bea Arthur segment myself), but you can't help but admit it has had a major impact upon the Star Wars mythology. Now that it's all canon, it's fun to see where the legends got their start!

Okay, yeah, you got me. Thanks to contemporary Disney-era comic books, the celebration of Life Day and some of its characters are canon, if not necessarly anything that went on in that special. Aw, that means Harvey Korman piuring a drink into his volcano head is relegeated to Legends. But did anything good ever come out of the Holiday Special? Why yes! Like this awesome comic book cover by Francesco Francavilla!


cover of Star Wars Adventures (2020 series) #3 (IDW, February 2021), art by Francesco Francavilla

365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 321, Life Day: We celebrate a day of peace, a day of harmony, a day of joy we all can share together joyously

Happy Life Day! Please spend it with your loved ones as well as your creepy hairy grandfather, and remember, it only happens every three years, so if you're lucky, you won't have to watch that Special again until 2017. Caution: do not allow Imperial Stormtroopers into the treehouse! They'll just ruin your Life Day dinner.



from "The Kashyyyk Depths" in the Star Wars syndicated Sunday comic strip (July 22 and 29, 1979); script, pencils, and inks by Russ Manning


"A Day to Celebrate" by Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia from The Star Wars Holiday Special (Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox Television, November 17, 1978), written by Ken Welch and Mitzie Welch, incoporating themes composed by John Williams


from RiffTrax: The Star Wars Holiday Special (RiffTrax, 2007), featuring Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett

Today in Comics History, November 17, Star Wars Life Day: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

"Goodnight, But Not Goodbye" by Bea Arthur as Ackmena from The Star Wars Holiday Special (Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox Television, November 17, 1978), written by by Ken Welch and Mitzie Welch