## # ####### ###### ## # #
# # # # # # # ## #
# # # # #### # # # # #
######## # # # ######## # ##
# # ###### # ## # # # # # ##
## ## ######### ####### ####### #########
## ## ######### ######## ######### #########
## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##
## ## ## ##### ## ## ## ######
## #### ## ##### ## ## ## #### ######
## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##
#### #### ######### ######## ######### #########
## ## ######### ####### ####### #########
########## ####### ###########
########## ######### #############
### ### ### ### ###
### ### ### ### ###
####### ############# ### ###
####### ############# ### ###
### ### ### ### ####
### ### ### #############
### ### ### #############
####
############################
########################## alt.fan.wedge FAQ v1.3
##########################
############################
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) all about Wedge Antilles, unsung
hero
of the Rebellion. It isn't a FAQ in the truest sense...its not in
question/answer format, but it still gives the answers to Freqently
Asked
Questions. Do you have a question about Wedge that you'd like answered?
Wedge info not included here? Monetary Donations? Email the current
editor, Matt Hilliard, at:
hilliard@ix.netcom.com
--------------------
Table of Contents:
So much was changed in this version in the way of format and other
corrections that I have discarded the + and * system for this version.
Instead, refer to this version's entry in the FAQ History, as most of
the
changes have been recorded there.
Part 1 - Introduction
A: FAQ History
B: Acknowledgments
C: Common Star Wars Abbreviations
Part 2 - Wedge Sightings: His appearances in the films and the books
A: THE MOVIES
i) Star Wars: ANH
ii) Star Wars: TESB
iii) Star Wars: ROTJ
iv) Differences between Movies & Novels
v) Wedge in future movies
B: THE BOOKS
i) The Truce at Bakura
ii) The Zahn Trilogy
iii) Dark Empire (1-6)
iv) Dark Empire II (1-6)
v) The Jedi Academy Trilogy
vi) The Corellian Trilogy
C: WEDGE ON THE TELEVISION
D: WEDGE ON THE RADIO
i) Star Wars: A New Hope Radio Drama
ii) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Radio Drama
E: WEDGE ON THE COMPUTER
F: STAR WARS: THE RPG
G: WEDGE MERCHANDISE
i) Pictures
ii) Sounds
iii) Trading Cards
iv) World Wide Web
Part 3 - The "Captain Antilles" Controversy
Part 4 - Denis Lawson: The Man, The Myth, The Legend
A: MOVIES
B: BRITISH TELEVISION
C: BRITISH THEATRE
D: LAWSON OVER THE AIRWAVES
E: LAWSON INTERVIEW
F: LAWSON ENCOUNTERS
i) Mike Weintraub
ii) GM
G: CONTACTING DENIS LAWSON
Part 5 - The Wedge Timeline
Part 6 - Rogue Squadron
A: The History of Rogue Squadron
B: Known members
i) Renegade Flight
ii) Hoth
iii) Cilpar
iv) Bilbringi
C: Credits/Summaries of the comics (**SPOILERS**)
i) Rogue Squadron #1
ii) Rogue Squadron #2
iii) Rogue Squadron #3
iv) Rogue Squadron #4
Part 7 - Miscellaneous
A: WEDGE BOOKS
B: WEDGE FANFIC
C: THE MYSTERY OF WEDGE'S ACCENT
--------------------
Part 1 - Introduction
This is version 1.3 of the alt.fan.wedge FAQ, by Matt Hilliard
[hilliard@ix.netcom.com]. The FAQ has been given an overhaul. Format
is
now constant, and organization has been improved. Unproven or
ridiculous
information deleted, while established information has been added. The
largest addition is that of Part 6, which is about Rogue Squadron.
Although
this is not strictly about Wedge, the editor feels that Wedge and RS go
hand
in hand (after all, he has commanded it for what, 6 years at least?).
A: FAQ HISTORY
[0.0] Dec 93 (?)
The start of it all. Shortly after the newsgroup was created, a
list
of potential FAQs was posted to the group, with a request for answers to
them. From the follow-up posts and email replies came...
[0.3] Jan 94
First real version of the FAQ. Very sketchy, but nevertheless a
semi-
formal FAQ, in question-answer format. A flood of new follow-ups and
emails
were the result of this. The version number has no particular
significance
other than being a number less than 1.0.
[0.7] around Feb-Apr 94
Mostly vaporware. Never completed, as the self-appointed editor
[Keith
Lim] found himself overwhelmed with the volume of contributions at the
same
time that all kinds of other things in his life popped up and demanded
his
attention. Exists only as a slightly-improved 0.3, with all the
unsorted and
unedited contributions tacked on at the end. Posted once to the group
on
an as-is basis.
[0.9] Apr 94
The uncompleted 0.7, plus everything else that trickled in after
the
first flood, edited, sorted, summarized. Completely new table of
contents
and indexing system. History of FAQ added. Because of much duplicate
information received, contributors acknowledged only once at the
beginning,
and not for every piece of info in the FAQ (with some exceptions).
Questions replaced by keywords/general topic descriptions. Still not
very
complete.
[1.0] May 94
FAQ taken over by Kenneth Soper. More complete information on
Wedge's
lines added. More information on Wedge's role in the various post
ANH-ROTJ
Star Wars novels added. Other general reorganizations, mostly of
existing
information.
[1.1] June 94
FAQ passed on to Mark Veaudry. Minor changes made to the TOC,
Wedge
"character" stuff consolidated in part 2, Lawson "actor" stuff in part
4.
Wedge's lines from the movies were inserted in place of previous FAQ's
lines
from the novels. Some novel lines moved to part 2:A:iv.
[1.2] May 95
FAQ moves again, this time to Matt Hilliard. Many things changed
to
account for the one year in which the FAQ has not been updated. Parts 5
and
6 are added. Part 2:A and B overhauled.
[1.22] August 95
The FAQ is given another much needed update. Comics, Fanfic, and
Timeline Sections added to.
[1.3] November 95
Comic sections are updated, various formating and spelling errors
corrected. "Lust" added to Part 4:C. Some of 4:G is moved to 7:C,
while
4:H is moved back to occupy 4:G's spot. List of common Star Wars
abbreviations added. Non comic sections of Part 6 moved to Part 7,
while
Part 6 is now devoted to Rogue Squadron. Subdivisions added to 2:D and
G.
4:F changed from "LAWSON ENCOUNTER" to "LAWSON ENCOUNTERS" as another
has
been added.
B: CONTRIBUTORS
Cynthia Becht [forwarded; no email address given]
Jeremy T. Coffey JC3952A@auvm.american.edu
Preston Crawford prestonc@lclark.edu
Robert Cuyegkeng rcuyegke@jupiter.scs.Ryerson.CA
Dogbert nedblake@parsifal.umkc.edu
Rebecca Drayer drayer@minerva.cis.yale.edu
Robert Fentiman rfentima@ub.d.umn.edu
Gallandro dkemper@hacks.arizona.edu
John Greenawalt ashen@access.digex.net
The Harvester of Sorrow gloverr@ucsu.Colorado.EDU
Heather Henderson hhenderson@vax.clarku.edu
jfickus3rd tolly@access3.digex.net
Karlis Kalnins kkalnins@malibu.sfu.ca
Keith Lim keithlim@pobox.com
Scott Livingston cubman@delphi.com
Don Lowe [email address unknown]
Craig Teruo Matsumoto wedge@shell.portal.com
Iaine McCafferty imm2@leicester.ac.uk
Doktor Mojo wookiee@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Miguel Padilla mpadilla@girtab.usc.edu
GM SemiDiv@aol.com
dgsmith dgsmith@cats.ucsc.edu
Kenneth Soper [currently no email address]
C. Mark Veaudry mveaudry@turing.acs.ryerson.ca
Andy Walker awalker@aisun4.ai.uga.edu
Jason Weiler weilej@vccsouth22.its.rpi.edu
Mike Weintraub MWEINTR@auvm.american.edu
If I missed anybody, please tell me! You'll be in release 1.3.
C: COMMON ABBREVIATIONS
With the recent expansion of available Star Wars materials, fans have
been
using more and more abbreviations. To keep newbies from being confused
by
this, here is a fairly comphrehensive list of abbreviations. Most of
these
aren't used in the FAQ, but might be found on alt.fan.wedge or other
Star
Wars groups.
AAC/AC -- Star Wars: Ambush at Corellia (Corellian Trilogy)
AAS/AS -- Star Wars: Assault at Selonia (Corellian Trilogy)
afw -- alt.fan.wedge
ANH -- Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope
TCoPL/CPL -- Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia
COTF/CF -- Star Wars: Champions of the Force (Jedi Academy Trilogy)
COTJ/CJ -- Star Wars: Children of the Jedi
CS -- Star Wars: The Crystal Star
DA -- Star Wars: Dark Apprentice (Jedi Academy Trilogy)
DE:# -- Star Wars: Dark Empire:
DE2:# -- Star Wars: Dark Empire 2:
DF -- Dark Forces
DFR -- Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (Zahn Trilogy)
DLOTS:# -- Star Wars: Dark Lords of the Sith:
DS -- Star Wars: Darksaber, or more commonly the Death Star
ESB -- Star Wars: Episode V -- Empire Strikes Back
FAQ -- Frequently Asked Questions
GL -- George Lucas
HTTE/HE -- Star Wars: Heir to the Empire (Zahn Trilogy)
JA -- Jedi Academy Trilogy
JS -- Star Wars: Jedi Search (Jedi Academy Trilogy)
LA -- LucasArts
LC -- Star Wars: The Last Command (Zahn Trilogy)
NPR -- National Public Radio
rass -- rec.arts.sf.starwars (doesn't exist anymore)
rassc -- rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting
rassg -- rec.arts.sf.starwars.games
rassi -- rec.arts.sf.starwars.info (moderated)
rassm -- rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc (replaces rass)
ROTJ/ROJ -- Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi
RPG -- Star Wars: The Role Playing Game (when in SW context)
RS:# -- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron:
SAC/SC -- Star Wars: Showdown at Centerpoint (Corellian Trilogy)
TaB -- Star Wars: Truce at Bakura
TftMEC/TMEC -- Star Wars: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina
TOTJ/TJ:# -- Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi:
YJK -- Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights
--------------------
PART 2 - Wedge Sightings
A: THE MOVIES
{There is controversy surrounding some of The Great One's lines in
ANH
and ESB. Therefore, any line which might be The Great One's, but might
not
be, is included in [brackets.] References to the novels are taken from
the
new Del Rey reissue of the trilogy. The dialogue from the movies are
taken
from the special collector's widescreen edition boxed set.}
In the movies, Wedge is portrayed by Denis Lawson. More on him
later.
Item i - Star Wars: A New Hope
Red Leader: All wings report in.
{assorted reporting in}
Wedge: Red two, standing by.
and then...
Wedge: Look at the SIZE of that thing!
Red Leader: Cut the chatter, Red Two!
And, in the dogfight which follows...
Biggs: Pull in, Luke. Pull in.
Wedge: Watch your back, Luke. Watch your back!
Biggs: Fighter above you. Comming in.
Farm Boy: I can't shake him!
Wedge: I'm on him Luke, hold on.
Farm Boy: Blast it, Biggs! Where are you?
{Front view of X-Wing firing. Tie fighter go boom}
Farm Boy: WHEW! Thanks Wedge!
(The novel's dialogue is quite different from the movie's. See item iv,
below.)
Other lines from the dogfight and trench run.
Red Leader: Red boys, this is Red Leader. Rendezvous at mark six
point
one.
Wedge: This is red two, flying point.
Biggs: This is red three, standing by.
Farm Boy: Biggs, Wedge, let's close it up. We're going in full
throttle, that should keep the fighters off our back.
Wedge: Right with you, boss.
Biggs: Luke, at that speed are we going to be able to pull
out in
time?
Farm Boy: It'll be just like Beggars Canyon back home.
Biggs: We'll stay back far enough to cover you.
Wedge: My scope shows the tower, but can't see the exhaust
port.
Are you sure the computer can hit it?
Farm Boy: Watch yourselves. Increase speed full throttle.
Wedge: What about that tower?
Farm Boy: You worry about those fighters. I'll worry about that
tower!
later...
Wedge: Fighters coming in, point three.
and finally...
Wedge: I'm hit! I can't stay with you.
Farm Boy: Get clear Wedge, you can't do any more good back
there.
Wedge: Sorry.
Item ii - STAR WARS: The Empire Strikes Back
Wedge appears in one scene, the Hoth Speeder Battle. It has been
mentioned that there are people who think the Speeder pilot who found
Han
and Luke after their night on Hoth's surface was Wedge. In fact it was
Rogue 2, a pilot named Zev. Wedge's true dialogue is as follows:
Farm Boy: Rogue Three?
Wedge: Copy, Rogue Leader.
Farm Boy: Wedge, i've lost my gunner. You're going to have to
take
the shot. I'll cover for you. Set your harpoon, follow
me
on the next pass.
Wedge: Coming around, Rogue Leader.
Wedge: Activate harpoon!
{thunk}
Wedge: Good shot, Jansen!
{circling around legs}
Wedge: One more pass...
Jansen: Cable out...let her go!
Wedge: Detach cable!
Jansen: Cable detached!
{Crash. Wedge circles and hits the exposed neck joint. Boom.}
Wedge: Whoa! That got him!
And finally, when the battle is over and the Speeder pilots are
changing
to their X-Wings...
Wedge: Good luck, Luke! See you at the rendezvous.
Item iii - Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Our first view of Wedge is during the Mission briefing. He doesn't
have any lines.
Approaching the Second Death Star...
Admiral Ackbar: All wings report in.
Wedge: Red leader standing by.
{other random reportings in}
Wedge: Lock S-Foils in attack positions.
Lando: Break off the attack! The shield is still up!
Wedge: I get no reading, are you sure?
Lando: Pull up! All craft pull up!
Lando: Accellerate to attack speed. Draw their fire away from
the
cruisers.
Wedge: Copy, gold leader.
Lando: Watch yourself, Wedge. Three from above.
Wedge: Red three, red two, pull in.
Red 2 or 3: Got it. Three of them coming in from 20 degrees!
Wedge: Cut to the left, I'll take the leader.
{space battle footage}
Wedge: They're heading for the medical frigate.
{more space battle footage}
Much later on...
Wedge: Good shot, red two!
And then, after the shield goes down...
Wedge: I'm going in.
{Wedge is the first one in. Exterior shot of X-wings and the Falcon
in
the Death Star}
Wedge: Form up and stay alert. We could run out of space real
fast.
Upon finding the central reactor...
Wedge: There it is.
Lando: Alright, Wedge, go for the Power Regulator on the
north tower.
Wedge: Copy, gold leader, I'm already on my way out.
We then see Wedge clear the Death Star. Our final look is when he
shows up at the Ewok celebration.
Item iv - Differences between the movies and the novels
In the novel version of Star Wars (A New Hope), Red Squadron is
Blue
Squadron, and Gold Squadron is Red Squadron. Therefore, Wedge is Blue
Two
instead of Red Two.
Wedge as a character is not developed much more than in the movies.
He
is identified as a Corellian (same as Han Solo). In general, he does
have
a few more lines when he appears, but he doesn't appear any more often.
There are, however, some major differences between the dialogue in
the
novels, and the dialogue in the movies. Here, below, is the novel's
version
of the space battle in ANH. (for comparison to the movie's version,
check
item i, above.)
Biggs: Watch your back, Luke.
Farm Boy: I can't see him! Where is he?
Wedge: I'm on him Luke. hold on.
Far Boy: Dammit, Biggs! Where are you?
{Front view of X-Wing firing. Tie Fighter go boom}
Farm Boy: WHEW! Thanks Wedge!
In the above example, Biggs has lost both his lines from the movie,
but
takes one of Wedge's, and two out of three of the weenie's lines are
different than the dialogue from the movie. This is just a small
example,
but it is a good indication of the amount of difference that exists
between
the print and film media versions.
Item v - Wedge in future movies
Based on current information, it seems that Wedge (the character)
is not
very likely to appear in future movies in the Star Wars universe (though
there may be roles that the actor Denis Lawson might be suitable for.)
The
new movies will be Episodes 1-3, and will be prequels set back during or
immediately after the Clone Wars. For more information, get the
rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc FAQ.
B: THE BOOKS
For more detailed information about Wedge's exploits, see Part 5.
Item i - Truce at Bakura (Kathy Tyers)
Time: It begins a day after Return of the Jedi
Wedge is in his usual supporting role. At the beginning of the
book
he heroically risks his life to keep information valuable to the
Alliance
intact. Unfortunately, he needs rescuing by the Farm Boy, so he only
owes
Wedge his life about 36 times over now.
During the rest of the novel, Wedge commands all of the Rebel
Fighters
in their forays against both the Ssi-ruuk and the Empire.
Item ii - The Zahn Trilogy (Timothy Zahn)
Time: Five years after Return of the Jedi
Wedge plays a large role during the three books. He commands Rogue
Squadron. Wedge and his fellow pilots in Rogue Squadron are almost the
only
reason for the New Republic victory at the shipyards at Bilbringi.
Wedge
has too many lines for them to be quoted here.
Item iii - Dark Empire, Issues 1-6 (Tom Veitch)
Time: Six years after Return of the Jedi
Wedge assists Lando in commanding the Star Destroyer Emancipator.
He has accepted the promotion to General and doesn't fly starfighters
anymore.
Griggs: General Calrissian, we've intercepted a new hyperspace
communications channel...beamed between Calamari's
orbit
and the Galactic Core. They're transmitting images of
the
destruction on Calamari...
Wedge: Look at the size of those war machines, Lando!
Lando: They're doing us a real favor by beaming those images,
Wedge...Griggs! Recalculate our exit from hyperspace
at
two degrees from their point of transmission.
Wedge: Are you crazy? If we leave hyperspace at those
coordinates we'll smash into whatever's sending this
signal!
Lando: That's the idea, Wedge!
{some battle scenes go by; Lando lines}
Griggs: Imperial Devestator on ascent trajectory, sir.
Lando: I've got a bad feeling about this...
Wedge: Me too, boss. Gunners--target all weapon systems on
approaching devastator--fire all forward
torpedoes!
Unnamed Rebel: I'm trying, sir! Our forward firing systems won't
respond!
Wedge: It's no use, Lando--the Emancipator is going to be
nothing but
scrap!
Lando: That's two Star Destroyers we've lost! Man the escape
pods! Things haven't been this bad since Vader was
alive!
{some more stuff cut; Lando and Wedge are brought about the
Frigate Antares Six}
Wedge: This is excellent! Those new E-wings have found the
Devestators' weak spot!
Lando: Not the way I saw it, Wedge...that Devastator self-
destructed! Whoever's in charge of those monsters is
an
idiot! You'd almost think he wants to lose!
Item iv - Dark Empire II, Issues 1-6 (Tom Veitch)
Time: Six years after Return of the Jedi (?)
Wedge wants to intercept a shipment of X-1 Viper Automadons headed
for
Byss, put troops in them, then sneak into Byss. Farm Boy is
against
the idea, but everyone else likes it. The plan fails, but the
troops
get out okay. If anyone can give me the exact quotes I'd
appreciate
it.
Item v - The Jedi Academy Trilogy (Kevin Anderson)
Time: Seven years after Return of the Jedi
A lot of Wedge. Most interesting is that he isn't Force sensitive
(probably why he isn't a weenie like Farm Boy), and that he now has a
love
interest in the form of the alien scientist, Qwi Xux.
Item vi - The Corellian Trilogy (Roger MacBride Allen)
Time: Forteeen Years after Return of the Jedi
Wedge is flying an Enhanced X-wing and runabouts (Allen's word, not
mine) in the evacuation of Thanta Zilbra.
B: WEDGE ON THE TELEVISION
On MuchMusic, Canada's answer to MTV, there is a video show
entitled
"Wedge." There is no known connection between the show's title and
Wedge,
the greatest fighter pilot in the alliance. (Although I wouldn't be
surprised if there was a link between the two.) Does anyone have more
information?
C: WEDGE ON THE RADIO
Wedge was portrayed on the NPR radio darmas by Mesach Taylor
(Designing
Women). Brian Daley wrote the dramas.
Item i - Star Wars: A New Hope Radio Drama
In the ANH drama, nothing new. The most notable occurance is that Wedge
was
beginning to lose control in the trench, justifying him leaving.
Item ii - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Radio Drama
In the ESB drama, Wedge has a much bigger part. He is used to
narrate
Farm Boy's crash and following since it was radio. Wedge tells the
control
center about Farm Boy destroying the AT-AT with a bomb (a trick taught
to
him, no doubt, by Wedge) and other adventures. Then he and Farm Boy
escort
the last transport in their X-wings. Wedge disables a Star Destroyer on
the
way out, with no help from Farm Boy (further illustrating Wedge's
piloting
skill). Basically, Farm Boy told Wedge that they should damage the
Destroyer to keep it from getting the transport, and then sat there
while
Wedge did all the work.
NOTE: To date, no drama has been made of Return of the Jedi.
D: WEDGE ON THE COMPUTER
In X-wing, a game available for both IBMs (and compatibles) and
Macs,
Wedge makes an appearance, sort of. In one mission, the goal is to
destroy
an Imperial base being used as the testing ground for the Empire's
new/upgraded TIE fighters. During the briefing session, it is revealed
that
the location of the base was discovered by none other than Wedge.
F: STAR WARS: THE RPG
Wedge does appear as a player character in Star Wars: The Role
Playing
Game. As preposterous as it sounds, Luke and Han are given higher skills
in
piloting and gunnery than Wedge is.
G: WEDGE MERCHANDISE
Item i - Pictures
Photos of Lawson as Wedge are in the Starlog issue where he was
interviewed. (Starlog #93, April 1985, see "Lawson Interview" (part
4:sec.
E) below.)
A beautiful jpg of Wedge's X-wing flying in between a Frigate and Star
Destroyer is located at:
http://weber.u.washington.edu/milhous/gif/battle03.jpg
Item ii - Sounds
A .wav file of The Great One saying "I'm going in!" is available
at:
http://force.stwing.upenn.edu:8001/~jruspini/multi/sounds/goingin.wav
Item iii - Trading Cards
Wedge does have his own ROTJ trading card, #127 of the O-pee-chee
set
(Canadian release.) The card is called "Congratulating Wedge", and has a
picture of the Great One shaking Han Solo's hand at the victory party on
the
forest moon, after the defeat of the Empire. The back of the card reads:
"HAN SOLO takes time to congratulate WEDGE, a courageous REBEL
pilot,
during the victory celebration on the Moon of ENDOR. This is truly a
glorious day for the forces of freedom."
Item iv - The World Wide Web
There is a WWW site devoted to the Great One:
http://vax1.mankato.msus.edu/~wookiee/wdg.html
An HTMLized version of the FAQ (version 1.3) will be put up at:
http://www.pobox.com/~keithlim/wedge/
--------------------
PART 3 - The Captain Antilles Controversy
In A New Hope, C3PO mentions being in the ownership of Captain
Antilles. The radio series clearly identifies the captain of the ship
Leia
was on (at the beginning of ANH) as being Captain Antilles. This would
very
likely make him the owner of the droids, tying in with C3PO's comment.
(The
character has a larger role in the radio series than in the movie.)
However, it is never made clear, at any time, what exactly is the
relationship, if any, between Captain Antilles and Wedge. The corvette
(Captain Antilles's ship) Leia was on is identified in the novel as
being of
Corellian origin, as is Wedge. The similarity of both last name and
origin
suggest some relationship, but this is never clearly established. Of
course, it was supposed to be a counselor ship of an Alderaanian (Leia).
The question remains open. Opinions differ. One common opinion is that
Captain Antilles is Wedge's father; another possibility is that Captain
Antilles was an older brother or cousin of Wedge. On the other hand,
"Antilles" could be a very common name in the Corellian system, and two
people having the same name could be a coincidence of no great
significance.
Another idea is that the best way for Wedge to enter the Rebellion
would be if his father went with him. Since it is fairly certain that
Captain Antilles is a Rebel, this is plausible.
West End Games, makers of the Star Wars Role Playing Game (which is
not
really canon) says that Wedge's parents were killed when he was young
(if
anyone has an exact quote, I'd like to put it in).
Another common explanation is that George Lucas liked the name
Antilles
and simply forgot he had already used it when naming either Captain
Antilles
or Wedge Antilles, which explains why Alan Dean Foster, who ghostwrote
the
novelization of ANH, changed Captain Antilles to Captain Colton.
In any case, until more information is released, any explanation
would
be just speculation, and non-canon.
--------------------
PART 4 - Denis Lawson: The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Wedge is played by the Scottish actor Denis (not Dennis) Lawson.
Most
of the information in this section is from Heather Henderson and GM.
Summaries
are given when available, as are dates.
A: MOVIES
Local Hero (1983? 84?) (starring role, w/ Peter Riegert and Burt
Lancaster)
The Zip (1987) (starring role)
Providence (small role)
Claude in "The Man in the Iron Mask" - Lawson has a minor role as a
young
tailor's assistant in the King of France's court (or something like
this). He
helps Richard Chamberlin, Sir Ralph Richardson and Louis Jourdan
overthrow
the the man who imprisoned Chamberlin (rightful heir to the throne) in
the
notorious iron mask. Look for him in the latter part of the film
nervously
b.s.-ing Patrick McGoohan.
The Chain (small role)
Local Hero is recommended by more than one person. Excerpt of a
review
by Craig Teruo Matsumoto:
"...it can probably be thought of as a Northern Exposure in
Scotland."
The Zip is a short film, about 20 minutes. A short review by
Cynthia
Becht:
"It's about a man who wakes up one day to find he has a zipper on
his
body from belly to chest. Very weird, funny and quite moving -- and no
one
ever speaks a word amongst a handful of actors."
B: BRITISH TELEVISION
Lancelot Gobbo in "Merchant of Venice" - The role of Lancelot, servant
and
comic commentator to Shylock, the money lender, played by Lord Laurence
Olivier. Available on video in the States, but he's not in it very much.
The Kit Curran Radio Show
The Girl Who Walked Quickly
Eddie Cass in "Dead Head" - A mini-series. Eddie is a small time hood
who is
framed by the British for a decapitation murder done by one of their own
officials. Notorious in Britain for rampant nudity during somewhat
graphic
sex scenes (viewers get a good look at most of Wedge and the women he
beds).
James Towne in "Natural Lies" - A diatribe against the meat packing
industry
(it will put you off hamburger, that's for sure). Lawson plays the
slick,
flippant murderer who gets chucked off a balcony and lands on a buffet.
Dominic Rossi in "The Justice Game" - Rossi is a streetsmart lawyer in
Glasgow who uncovers a conspiracy to manipulate and control the
commercial
interests of the city. Interesting fight sequence between the diminutive
Lawson and a humongous hit man.
"Lover After Lunch" - Lawson plays opposite "his lady," as he refers to
her,
Sheila Gish. He is a shy man who works in a bookshop and has a fling
with a
beautiful sophisticate...something like that. Sheila Gish was the
secretary
and confidante to McCleod in the first "Highlander" movie.
That Uncertain Feeling
Bergerac (one episode--Lawson plays a hired killer)
Born Kicking (Lawson plays a bearded (!) soccer coach who discovers
a
young female soccer whiz)
"Flip Side of Dominic Hide" - A BBC movie, reportedly science fiction.
Supposedly it has not only Denis "Wedge" Lawson, but Jeremy "Boba Fett"
Bulloch and the guy who played "Bib Fortuna." This would be an
interesting
one to see.
C: BRITISH THEATRE
Mosca in "Volpone" at the Almeida Theatre--This is a production from a
couple years ago. He played Mosca, the slimy, parasite who is the
servant/assistant to Volpone, a rich man who pretends to be dying so his
friends, enemies and family will kiss up to him. Volpone was played by
Ian
McDiarmid, who played the Emperor in Jedi. (The "Almeida" is a fringe
theatre in London owned and run by McDiarmid.)
John in "Oleanna" - A 1994 production directed by Harold Pinter. Mamet's
play about a professor who is charged with sexual harrassment by a
female
student.
Lenny Bruce (bit parts)
Pal Joey in "Pal Joey" - The classic American musical. Joey is a
nightclub
singer who woos a rich woman in the hopes of opening his own nightclub.
He
won a Drama Award for "Most Promising Actor." The cast album is
available on
CD, but it's expensive as an import. I've heard that a CD of highlights
is
available (it was spotted in New York) for $8.00 or something.
Jim Lancaster in "Mr. Cinders" - A veddy British musical. It's a male
Cinderella story about a humble young man who mingles with sophisticates
in
1920s England. This cast album is also available in England on CD. It
co-starred Steven Pacey, who was Tarrant in Blake's Seven. Lawson won an
Olivier Award for this one. This is the equivalent of a Tony.
Max in "Lend Me a Tenor" - A rousing comedy farce often performed in
regional
theatre. He originated the role of Max (it premiered in London before
Broadway), a gofer at a Cleveland opera company in the 1920s who runs
into
trouble trying to keep a visiting Italian star tenor from drinking,
wenching
and dying before the gala premiere.
The Lucky Chance (???)
Horner in "Lust" - 1993, London; 1995 Philadelphia and New York City
D: LAWSON OVER THE AIRWAVES
Lawson narrated the audio version of "Heir to the Empire", one of
Zahn's novels. Anthony Daniels (C3PO) narrated the other two.
E: WEDGE INTERVIEW
Starlog #93 (April 1985)
Lawson talks about his experiences filming the Star Wars movies.
Photos
accompanying the article include:
Lawson as Wedge
Head shot with helmet on
Lawson shaking hands with Harrison Ford (Han Solo)
F: WEDGE ENCOUNTERS
Item i - Mike Weintraub
Mike Weintraub (MWEINTR@auvm.american.edu) posted the following in
alt.fan.wedge:
"My ex-roommate from last year is currently in London for the
semester.
And, somewhere on his search for the internship he's supposed to get in
London, he met Mr. Denis "Wedge" Lawson.
He hasn't told me all the details yet, but he said that Mr. Lawson
did
not quite enjoy making the Greatest Movies of All Time, and that he did
it
only for the money."
Item ii - G.M.
GM (SemiDiv@aol.com) mailed the following to the editor:
"...when I met Lawson in NYC last month he mentioned this question
[did
he play Wedge in all three movies]. We were discussing the fact that
someone
had declared him dead on the Internet. He replied something to the
effect
that someone who used the Internet had written to him asking if he was
the
same person in all three films because of the differences in spelling of
"Denis." He'd written back that surely the writer could find more
productive
things to do with the technology of the Internet than this. Lawson's
conclusion went something like: "I think it might have made him angry.
Perhaps he was the one who put out the rumor that I had died."
G: CONTACTING DENIS LAWSON
The Starlog article (Starlog #93, April 1985, see "Lawson
Interview"
above) reported that Lawson got a lot of mail and tried to reply
personally
to every person. No address for contacting Lawson was given.
--------------------
PART 5 - The Wedge Timeline
************************************************************************
Before serving in the Rebellion....
--Unknown--
************************************************************************
During service in the Rebellion....
[Age: 16]
- Joined the Rebel Alliance
[Age: 17]
- Fought in the Battle of Yavin; callsign: Red 2
[Age: 20]
- Fought in the Battle of Hoth; callsign: Rogue 3
- Accepted promotion to Wing Commander
[Age: 21]
- Fought in the Battle of Endor; commanded Red Wing
- Was responsible for capturing an Imperial Probe Droid
- Fought in the Ssi-ruuk campaign near Bakura; commanded by Luke
Skywalker
************************************************************************
During service in the New Republic...
[Age: 23]
- Fought in the Cilpar Campaign, commanded Rogue Squadron
[Age: 24]
- Declined promotion to General
[Age: 25]
- Declined promotion to General
[Age: 26]
- Aided resigned Han Solo on a contact mission
- Escorted Han Solo and Princess Leia; commanded Rogue Squadron
- Escorted the Escort Frigate Larkess to Sluis Van; commanded Rogue
Squadron
- Fought in the Battle of Sluis Van; commanded Rogue Squadron
- Assisted Luke Skywalker at the Sluis Van shipyards
- Assisted Han Solo on Abregado-rae Spaceport
- Escorted a scouting mission led by Han Solo and Luke Skywalker
- Fought in the Katana Fleet Battle; commanded Rouge Squadron,
commanded
by Bel Iblis
- Fought in a battle with Imperial forces near Qat Chrystac;
commanded
Rogue Squadron, commanded by Bel Iblis
- Planted information to Imperial spies on Mumbri Storve
- Fought in the Battle of Bilbringi; commanded Rogue Squadron,
commanded
by Admiral Ackbar
[Age: 27]
- Accepted promotion to General
- Commanded the Star Destroyer Emancipator with Lando Calrissian.
- Led with Lando Calrissian a failed attack on Byss in X-1 Viper
Automadons
[Age: 28]
- Coordinated one of several groups repairing damage in and around
Coruscant
- Coordinated the relocation of the Noghri
- Coordinated a resupply mission to Yavin 4
- Escorted Qwi Xux to Ithor
- Commanded the Maw Installation strike force
[Age: 35]
- Commanded Rogue Squadron and assisted with the evacuation of Thanta
Zilbra
************************************************************************
--------------------
PART 6 - Rogue Squadron
This section is about Rogue Squadron, the elite pilots of the Rebel
Alliance and later the New Republic. Why? Because they're cool. Why
are
they cool? Because for the majority of their existence, Wedge has been
the
commander.
Rogue Squadron is also the title of a comic series. That's right!
Wedge has his own comic series from Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse has
done
several other Star Wars comic books in the past, Dark Empire and its
sequels
most notebly. The comic is a continuing series of miniseries. In other
words, each comic is part of a miniseries. For instance, RS #1-4 are
"The
Rebel Opposition". Then #5 will start a new series. The comics will
feature a rotating group of authors.
A: THE HISTORY OF ROGUE SQUADRON
This was taken from a wide variety of sources, some of them more
dependable than others.
Rogue Squadron was originally part of Renegade Flight, the
starfighter
group assigned to the Alliance forces at Hoth. Most of Renegade Flight
was
destroyed in an Imperial ambush while escorting a vital supply convoy to
the
icy planet. All that was left were the Rogue Squadron pilots at Hoth.
Luke
Skywalker replaced the deceased Narra as Wing Commander.
However, he did not hold this job very long before the Imperials
located the Hoth base. In the Battle of Hoth, the squadron fought...and
died...heroically to delay the invasion force while the Rebels escaped.
Over half the squadron was killed.
After the campaigns against the Ssi-ruuk at Bakura, the New
Republic
formed a new, elite squadron. The best pilots were chosen to man this
legendary starfight unit. The squadron was named Rogue Squadron in
honor o
f the fallen heros of Hoth. Wedge Antilles, as the highest ranking
survivor
of the original squadron (Skywalker had resigned) and hero of the Battle
of
Endor, was a natural choice as the squadron's Wing Commander.
Ever since then, the squadron has played a critical role in many
major
battles and campaigns, such as the Battle of Bilbringi, where the battle
was
won due to the squadron's initative. Additionally, Rogue Squadron has
had
extrordinarily low losses of life, the best in the New Republic.
B: KNOWN MEMBERS
This is divided up into times at which we have data.
Item i - Renegade Flight:
- Commander Narra
- Ketku
Both KIA...perished in an Imperial ambush
Item ii - Hoth
- Commander Luke Skywalker; gunner: Dack
Luke: Shot down while attacking AT-AT attack force, later escaped the
planet
in his X-wing
Dack: KIA...the gunner section was hit by AT-AT cannon fire
- Zev
KIA...was hit by AT-AT cannon fire
- Wedge Antilles; gunner: Janson
- Hobbie
KIA...crashed his damaged speeder into the head of an AT-AT
Item iii - Cilpar
- Commander Wedge Antilles
- Plourr
- Dllr
- Tycho
- Janson
Item iv - Bilbringi
- Commander Wedge Antilles
- Janson
- Hobbie
C: CREDITS/SUMMARIES (** SPOILERS**)
Item i - STAR WARS: Rogue Squadron #1
The comic is Issue 1 of a 4 book cycle, "The Rebel Opposition".
ISSUE #1 Authors and Summary
Story: Michael A. Stackpole
Script: Mike Baron
Pencils: Allen Nunis
Inks: Andy Mushynsky
Colorist: Dave Nestelle
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover Artist: Dave Dorman
Design: Scott Tice
Editor: Ryder Windham
Wedge Antilles and Rogue Squadron are on a planet called Cilpar,
fighting
off TIE Fighters. The Rebels are suppose to talk to either the Rebel
Underground or Targeter, the Alliance contact. During the battle
Wedge's
wingman, Janson, is shot down, and another Rogue Squadron pilot, Tycho,
lands to help them. The two find shelter in a cave, but are captured by
a
woman who looks like Princess Leia.
Meanwhile, the rest of the squadron land at their base and discuss the
possibility of an Imperial spy. However, they are captured by rebels
who
believe the Alliance and the Empire are "in cahoots". Their leader, a
woman
named Elscol Loro, who refuses to trust the pilots, takes the pilots to
Tamarack, a destroyed city. Wedge and Loro talk, and in flashbacks it
is
revealed that Loro has a Wookiee named Groznik serving a life debt and
that
it was Wedge, not Lando, who destroyed the second Death Star (this is in
Wedge's opinion, of course), but the conversation is interrupted as
Imperial
AT-STs arrive on the scene...
Comments: The writing is a bit under par. Targeter was completely
messed
up. The Zahn Trilogy, from which the character was taken,
indicates that Targeter went by that name only while
operating
with resistence groups in the pre-Yavin (ie, seven plus years
before the events when take place in the comic. Another,
much
more blatant error is that Wedge says "...but I dropped a
photon
torpedo on the coxial when I split..." while discussing the
destruction of the second Death Star with Loro. Throughout
the
comic slang is used to try to make it more SW-ish, but it
mostly
gets in the way. However, beyond nitpicking, the comic
wasn't
that bad.
Item ii - STAR WARS: Rogue Squadron #2
The comic is Issue 2 of a 4 book cycle, "The Rebel Opposition".
ISSUE #2 Authors and Summary
Story: Michael A. Stackpole
Script: Mike Baron
Pencils: Allen Nunis
Inks: Andy Mushynsky
Colorist: Dave Nestelle
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover Artist: Dave Dorman
Design: Scott Tice
Editor: Ryder Windham
Wedge comes up with a plan which helps them get to cover. Rogue
Squadron's
X-wings arrive, thanks to prototype slave circuits, which allow the
X-wings
to be remote controlled. The pilots take off and make attack runs on
the
Imperials until they scatter. Back at their base, Loro promises to
re-arm
them if they help her group take down the Moff. The pilots agree.
Using
captured Imperial speeders, they fly to an arms cache hidden in some
ancient
ruins. Inside, they are attacked by a spacetrooper suit, which Groznik
takes out. It turns out the suit shorted out and attacked, even though
it
was empty.
Back at the cave, "Princess Leia" identifies herself as Dame Winter, aka
Targeter. Targeter wants Tycho to disguise himself as an Imperial
Captain
and infiltrate the Moff's forces. He agrees. He is sucessful, but now
is
forced to fly against his own squadron...
Comments: Thankfully, the dialogue isn't flooded with slang, nor are
there
major errors. The only problems worth mentioning are a Wookiee
(Groznik)
keeping up with speeder bikes by leaping through the trees and some
strange
comments about Alderaanians in the Imperial base. All in all, an
improvement.
Item iii - STAR WARS: Rogue Squadron #3
The comic is Issue 3 of a 4 book cycle, "The Rebel Opposition".
Issue #3 Authors and Summary
Story: Michael A. Stackpole
Script: Mike Baron
Pencils: Allen Nunis
Inks: Andy Mushynsky
Colorist: Dave Nestelle
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover Artist: Dave Dorman
Design: Scott Tice
Editor: Ryder Windham
Item iv - STAR WARS: Rogue Squadron #4
The comic is Issue 4 of a 4 book cycle, "The Rebel Opposition".
Issue #4 Authors and Summary
Story: Michael A. Stackpole
Script: Mike Baron
Pencils: Allen Nunis
Inks: Andy Mushynsky
Colorist: Dave Nestelle
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover Artist: Dave Dorman
Design: Scott Tice
Editor: Ryder Windham
--------------------
PART 7 - Miscellaneous
A: WEDGE BOOKS
Bantam will be publishing a book or series of several books about
Wedge. Although details are still sketchy, the author is Mike
Stackpole,
who will also be writing the first miniseries of Wedge comics. This
raises
some questions as whether the book(s) and comics will be connected in
some
way.
B: WEDGE FANFIC
The Adventures of Wedge Antilles: Gray Squadron, by Matt Hilliard,
is
available at:
ftp.wpi.edu/starwars/Stories/AWA_Gray
If you are writing a fanfic about Wedge or Rogue Squadron, please
mail
the editor of the FAQ so it can be included.
C. THE MYSTERY OF WEDGE'S ACCENT
One confusing aspect about Wedge's character in the trilogy is the
way
Wedge's accent changes over the course of the trilogy. Starting off as a
nondescript North American accent Wedge later develops an English accent
(Lawson's natural accent). Two different explanations for this have
been
put forward. Neither has been confirmed so far.
#1: Lawson's original voice was overdubbed.
#2: Lawson was putting on a fake accent.
[more info. would be appreciated]
**********