Marvel ‘s March 8. 1977 launch of Star Wars, the comic book, was never just another opportunistic hit-movie tie-in. In fact, no one knew then what a pop culture “Force” the franchise would become. The film itself premiered three weeks later, and many were skeptical that audiences would embrace a pulp-style space opera. But a comic book version of his epic property had been in George Lucas’s master plan all along. As Peter Sanderson recounts in his thorough introduction to TASCHEN’s Star Wars Comics Library. Vol. 1. 1977-1979, the director and his publicity man had been pitching the idea as early as 1975. Famously, Stan Lee wouldn’t even take Lucas’s first phone call, and Marvel resisted the project for a while. Ironically, the Star Wars comic series not only proved to be a massive hit once the film opened, but it outsold all other Marvel titles and helped save the struggling company.