It is regrettable that I am only now sitting down to write this brief journal note…. As I’ve had it on my mind for a while.
I wanted to take a moment and recognize – if you haven’t noticed by our image features already – a beloved character and woman brought to life with style and strength by the late Carrie Fisher. Ms. Fisher passed away on December 27, 2016, at 8:55 a.m. (PST); she was 60 years old. In remembrance of Ms. Fisher we have been honoring our lovely Star Wars Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. Princess Leia is a dual Disney and Marvel princess that many of us have grown up watching in the Star Wars movie saga and franchise over the last 40 years since her inception by George Lucas and Lucasfilm, Ltd. (Yes, dear readers and friends, Star Wars turns FORTY years old this year!)
Princess Leia’s trademark hair buns have graced the silver screen, as well as our televisions’ tube bulbs and subsequent plasma screens, since the movie Star Wars IV: A New Hope first released in 1977, inciting a boom of interest in the science fiction genre. Of course, Star Wars has continued to develop in its own right beyond the live-action movie saga with further adventures via books, video games, and also CG and animation movie spin-offs. Star Wars has been referenced in television sitcoms, as a subject of parodies, and maintains a dedicated fan fiction community.
Of course, the trademark gold bikini only came about in 1983, and it’s something we don’t feature here in MarvelComicsLadies due to the combined slave status and implications attached to it thanks to many pubescent fans of the 1980s and beyond. However, my favorite note in regards to that item of clothing is that Carrie Fisher was said to have hated it - she hated how she had to have perfect posture to avoid “lines” on her body in scenes, how it cut into her skin, and how she relished the moment when she was able to strangle Jabba the Hut during her escape. “I had a lot of fun killing Jabba the Hutt. They asked me on the day if I wanted to have a stunt double kill Jabba. No! That's the best time I ever had as an actor.” (2015, The Guardian)
I find Carrie Fisher’s writing humorous and entirely enjoyable – you’ve likely watched something she’s edited and laughed completely unaware that it was her handiwork that made you do so: Sister Act, The Wedding Singer, many other non-credited script “doctorings” from 1991-2005, and even her book-turned-screenplay-to-movie: Postcards From The Edge.
Ms. Fisher quipped about her argument with writer-director George Lucas when he denied her the ability to wear a bra under her white costume in A New Hope. He stated it was because he believed there was no underwear in space. As a result of this argument she laughed about what would be said of her when she finally passed away:
"I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra."
~ Carrie Fisher (2008, In her book Wishful Drinking)
So please, join MarvelComicsLadies here, on DeviantArt, as we celebrate an iconic character, brought to life by a woman who shall be immortalized as giving her strength and conviction within the light side of The Force. We find that her poise and her warrior spirit carries on through the movies that made her name a household one! We hope that her cleverness and her wit, and maybe a bit of the snark with which Leia delivers it on screen, follows you into the new year and lights a fire in your heart to do good for others as well.
RIP Carrie Fisher. The Force is with you, and you are one with the Force.
Ms. Fisher is followed in death by her mother Debbie Reynolds who, sadly, passed away a mere day after her daughter. Debbie Reynolds is well-known for her performance alongside Gene Kelley in the movie musical Singing in the Rain.
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