And the winner of the Fauve d’or for best album is not… Lucas Wars, by Laurent Hopman and Renaud Roche. Applause… Winner of several awards since its release, and a surprising best-seller, the comic book which narrates the painful genesis of the first film Star Wars, was not selected among the sixty nominees at the Angoulême comic strip festival. Not holding grudges, the two authors still went to Charente. “Yes, well, we’re not going to pretend, we were a little disappointed but that’s how it is. Especially since we were spoiled with this comic, we got lots of prizes, lots of great feedback. We can’t believe it…” exclaims Laurent Hopman.
Beyond the anomaly, the absence of Lucas Wars in the selection of Angoulême, the most prestigious festival and awards ceremony in the world of comics, is an astonishing mise en abyme. The album tells the story of how, against all odds, George Lucas created a work, despite the mistrust of the studios and the mocking airs of Hollywood. The incredible public success made us forget how painful this film was to make.
An intimate epic
“Our comic book is not so much about Star Wars but rather about courage, determination, creation,” explains Laurent Hopman. “Of course, we are both fans of Star Wars but what interested us for this album was the man and the artist George Lucas, his journey and his incredible tenacity. » With a wealth of details and period stories, the two authors recount the extraordinary adventure of writing, financing and then filming Star Wars. Narrated like an intimate epic, the story is nourished by numerous anecdotes.
“We favored the oldest sources, those closest to the time, the end of the 1970s. Because over time, George Lucas, consciously or not, modified his account of these events, to rewrite his own history. And as Star Wars became an extraordinary success, the people who had experienced the filming then censored themselves a little,” explains Renaud Roche.
A “therapy” for fans
In addition to the personal story of George Lucas – his somewhat crazy dream, his relationship with his wife and his filmmaker friends… -, Lucas Wars tells a part of the history of cinema, the birth of the New Hollywood of Spielberg and Coppola. “We are often asked if we are going to make a sequel to the album but we have told the story of the era that interests us,” explains Laurent Hopman. The following years were less interesting. We really wanted to bring Lucas back to his human dimension, and show that creation is something laborious, with chances, encounters, even if at the start there is a spark of genius. »
On the side of the designer, who came from animation, Renaud Roche, and for whom Lucas Wars is the first comic book, it is also a form of “therapy”. “When I was a student I dreamed of working on a Star Wars movie, I had everything planned out in my head to work on Episode 3 at the time. Well, that didn’t happen… So this album helps resolve something for me. »
“Yeah, me, Star Wars, meh…”
If the throes of creation are therefore the subject of the book and its authors, it is also a question of the relationship to the work of which they are fans. “Star Wars fans are sometimes picky but we haven’t had any negative feedback on this subject. Maybe because we’re not talking about the films themselves but about the behind the scenes…” laughs Laurent Hopman.
“Our greatest satisfaction is to have reached people who said to themselves “yeah, me, Star Wars, meh…”, confides Renaud Roche. This is proof that we have succeeded in writing something more universal. And among the feedback from readers we had people who told us that they cried at the end of the book. They were caught up in the suspense and wondered if Lucas was really going to be able to release the film! It’s like Titanicpart of us hopes that the boat will not sink in the end…”
Rehabilitate Lucas
Hailed by fans and the general public, all they needed was the approval of George Lucas himself. While waiting for a summit meeting, Laurent Hopman and Renaud Roche know that the director has read their book. “We are flattered and happy to know that he found our comic book fair and honest. » The authors are also delighted to have had the opportunity to rehabilitate Lucas.
“After the prelogy, he became the man to kill, which is a bit unfair. Making the first Star Wars made him disgusted with directing, it took him 30 years before returning to it, says Laurent Hopman. But as a creator, Lucas had rare virtues. He knew how to step back for the benefit of the people who work with him. He had an author’s vision. Star Wars was not designed as a blockbuster, and I don’t see how Star Wars isn’t an arthouse film. »