Holocron
The Holocron is a database and catalogue of the Star Wars Expanded Universe created by the publishing department of Lucas Licensing in January 2000.[1][2] It is curated by Leland Chee, whose formal job title is Continuity database administrator, but who is known as Keeper of the Holocron by Star Wars fans;[3] Chee describes it as a "dream job".[4] The Holocron contains details and designs about the characters, creatures, languages, locations (planetary systems, planets, moons, cities and towns), vehicles, and weapons found in the fictional universe of Star Wars. Before creation of the Holocron, story synopses and glossary details about Star Wars were maintained in black binders referred to as bibles.[2]
It is used to establish continuity[5] and prevent reboot[6] of the Star Wars universe, ensuring the integrity of "a singular continuity across all forms of media"[7] using retroactive continuity to resolve discrepancies when necessary.[2] New products are vetted against the Holocron and must be consistent with its contents or expand upon the Star Wars canon it contains.[3] This includes all films, animated series, novels, comic books, manga, computer and video games, and merchandise such as toys and trading cards.[3] Chee has said "In the end, my ongoing vision is that as long as there's the Holocron, Star Wars will not reboot".[2]
The FileMaker database[3] is named for an object within the Star Wars universe, a crystal holographic chronicle cube powered by the Force[1] used as a repository of mystical Jedi knowledge.[5] In 2005, Arkansas-based network administrator Chad Barbry created numerous Star Wars-related entries on Wikipedia, many of which were subsequently deleted[5] because they were inconsistent with the policies of the Internet encyclopedia. He then established Wookieepedia, a wiki encyclopedia devoted to Star Wars that by 2007 was a repository of 47,000 articles,[8] edited by Star Wars fans for those who have no access to the Holocron and "aren't satisfied with the Star Wars Databank".[5]
Structure
Entries in the Holocron are assigned a code based on their level of canonicity.[5] The highest level is "G-canon" or "GWL",[3] representing the words of Star Wars creator George Walton Lucas and comprising the six films.[5][9] The "T-canon" level represents all Star Wars television canon, the "C-canon" level is the continuity canon that includes the Expanded Universe and is canonical unless superseded by G- or T-canon.[9] The two lowest levels are "S-canon", secondary canon related to older novels and texts, and "N-canon", which consists of details either not considered part of the Star Wars canon or removed from it (such as Star Wars Holiday Special).[3][9]
In 2012, the Holocron was transferred to Lucasfilm's marketing division. By then, it had accumulated information beyond the scope of the Star Wars universe, including also "style guides, timelines, spelling dictionaries, fonts, banks of trivia and quotes, and galaxy maps".[2]
References
- ^ a b Leonard, Devin (7 March 2013). "How Disney Bought Lucasfilm—and Its Plans for 'Star Wars'". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ^ a b c d e Chee, Leland (20 July 2012). "What is the Holocron?". Lucasfilm. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ^ a b c d e f Baker, Chris (18 August 2008). "Meet Leland Chee, the Star Wars Franchise Continuity Cop". Wired. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ^ Chee, Leland (19 July 2012). "Introducing… Leland Chee". Lucasfilm. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ^ a b c d e f Rose, Frank (2011). The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation Is Remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the Way We Tell Stories. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 73–74. ISBN 9780393080797.
- ^ Harris, Paul (9 March 2013). "Star Wars – a new hope? Fans wait nervously for Disney's new sequel". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
The Star Wars movies need to be reinvigorated, but not reinvented. Lucas himself has already sketched out the creative map for the films. He certainly has enough material: he maintains a database called the Holocron that contains a staggering 17,000 Star Wars characters who "live" on several thousand different planets.
- ^ Chee, Leland (20 August 2012). "SWCVI: The Holocron Keeper at Celebration". Lucasfilm. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ^ McLean, Thomas J. (4 May 2007). "Wookieepedia tracks 'Star Wars'". Variety. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ^ a b c Papazian, Gretchen; Sommers, Joseph Michael, eds. (2013). Game On, Hollywood!: Essays on the Intersection of Video Games and Cinema. McFarland. ISBN 9780786471140.
External links
- Star Wars Databank, a publicly accessible subset of the Holocron
