The Rick McCallum Club

Anyone who followed the media tornado surrounding last year's release of the Star Wars prequel (and who didn't follow it--it was impossible to avoid) will surely recall Rick McCallum, the producer of the film and of the forthcoming second and third installments in the prequel trilogy. Watching the man in interviews or reading him quoted in articles, it's hard to miss his smarmy eagerness to please, his obsession with maintaining the Lucasfilm party line and an occasional veiled disdain for fans of the Star Wars films.

Considering the general apathy toward Episode One that has arisen in the wake of its arrival, it should come as no surprise that blame is flying faster than a sand skiff in the Tattooine desert. Many fans blame McCallum most of all, for his worshipful devotion to George Lucas and his clear inability to bring a creative contribution to the Star Wars mythos. LordSith delivers a wickedly funny dose of daily McCallum bashing on his site, The Rick McCallum Club. With mock Prequel Updates, news items and an "Ask Rick" column coming soon, it's oodles of fun for anyone who felt Episode One was a few Jawas short of a classic.

Of course, just because Lucas loves to drone on about artist rights, that doesn't mean he supports free speech. In fact, his corporate arm has shown itself to be a bit of a Naziesque Evil Empire itself. LordSith's McCallum site was first deleted from the servers of the Starwars.com free fan page servers, then eliminated from the free website service Homestead. Finally, LordSith found himself back at the official site's free fan pages, where the page remains.

We spoke to LordSith about his site and the controversey surrounding it, and he came out with both anti-McCallum guns firing full blast. It's a good thing, too, because somebody has to.

Tell us a bit about the turbulent history of the site. It began on the free fan pages and is there again now, right?

Indeed. The site launched at fan.starwars.com and was deleted from their server within 48 hours. Then I took it to Homestead simply because I made the pages in their editing program, but after a few days... BLAM, they also took it down. Disappointing that the McCallum fans out there missed the latest news, but what could I do? So...I just put it back up at fan.starwars.com with the coarse language removed figuring that it would leave them with little reason to take it down.

Why was the site deleted from Homestead? Do you suspect Lucasfilm involvement?

Well, Homestead cited copyright infringement which was odd. I don't think Lucasfilm or Homestead own the rights to Rick's face, so I figured it was probably the language...or maybe Rick made a phone call. :)

How has the site returned to the fan pages at the official site? Why do you think they allowed it back? Or are you still just hoping they won't find it?

I just put it back up there. I guess they'll see it sooner or later, but I'm hoping that Rick himself checks it everyday to find out what it is he's doing wrong.

How did your passion for Rick McCallum begin?

When I read the first Prequel Update in the Star Wars Insider, my imagination was captured by such wonderful quotes as, "I know exactly what I am going to do the day the film opens--I'm going to leave the country. I have bought up a whole bunch of property in eastern Europe just in case it doesn't work!" That's when I knew that something was obviously wrong.

Why do you think Rick identifies so much with Boba Fett?

Boba Fett lies, cheats, beats people up...hey, the similarities are quite scary!

What is your favorite of Rick's many brilliant projects?

You know, I think when Episodes 1, 2 and 3 are finished, the entire trilogy will be a fabulous testament to his talent as a producer.

What did you think of The Phantom Menace?

I liked it better the third time. You see, Rick told me it wouldn't disappoint the hardcore fans, so I went in initially with that silly, idealistic optimism.

What are your expectations for Episode Two?

Oh, it's going to be so fucking awesome. And if it stinks, then I'll just happily blame Rick.

Which has a firmer spine: a jellyfish, or Rick McCallum?

Hey, you can't get me with trick questions! Neither has a spine. Ha!

Why do you think George Lucas has grown so comfortable working with such a "yes-man"? Why is he so afraid of genuine creative collaboration?

Ahhh...well, George did his best work with collaborators, so who knows why he thinks he can do it all on his own this time around. Maybe Episode One proved something to him...that his ideas need a harder edge--that's what Gary Kurtz added. Rick is just a big softie, don't you want to hug him? *cough*

If you could speak to Rick, what's the first thing you'd say to him?

"mccallum.homestead.com!"

You mention that Rick's been spotted around town with "two mysterious ladies and a midget." What do you think is Rick's appeal for the ladies?

Oh, isn't it obvious? He has that relaxed, creative exterior. I think he also pays them.

What can fans of Rick expect from the site in the future? How will you be expanding/improving it?

I'm trying to update daily, which is difficult, but I have plenty of ideas. Soon we'll be expanding into a number of new sections, even an "Ask Rick" page where Rick has agreed to answer fans' questions about the new trilogy.

Where can I get my Rick McCallum latex mask? I need one! It's gonna be the scariest Halloween costume ever!

Oh, I'm wearing one now! I think the official site sold them all in their last sale, unfortunately. But keep an eye on the Jawa Trader! It's funny--the mask is kinda too big to wear properly, but I think that's because they modeled it on Rick's actual head, which is kinda on the large side.