The first Insider of the new year takes on a decidedly retro tone as it looks back at the formative years of the Star Wars phenomenon as part of the 30th year anniversary of the saga. Little-known facts about the development of A New Hope, early storyboards, vintage collectibles and more fill out the latest issue of Star Wars Insider. But don't think the prequels have been totally overlooked -- there's coverage of Episode III model-making and the recent Tournament of Roses Star Wars Spectacular included as well! Here's a look inside at what's featured in this issue.

Lucasfilm's Jonathan Rinzler explores the characters, plotlines, and other elements that were discarded from early drafts of A New Hope, only to resurface years later in the prequel trilogy. In a second feature, Rinzler shares more rare storyboards from A New Hope in Part II of a six-part series. Continuing the look back at the vintage era, 20 things you didn't know about the Massassi Temples are revealed, as well as unproduced action figures and Micro Collection playsets from the 1970s and '80s. Finally, a look at the upcoming Making of Star Wars book discusses how the author found scores of unpublished facts and photos to fill this long-awaited tome.

An interview with French photographer Cédric Delsaux discusses his stunning "Star Wars on Earth" photo series, which places characters and creatures from the Star Wars universe in Earth-bound settings. Also on the international front, Gus Lopez explores collectibles produced in Brazil, continuing his coverage of cool collectibles abroad.

Brian Gernand, who headed up ILM's model shop for Episodes II and III, discusses the creation of the sinkhole world of Utapau in the third part of "The Models of Revenge of the Sith". The Indy IV production is finally a go, and the proof is in the print -- with a special Indy cover offered as an alternative to Vader's fearsome mask for this issue. Finally, subscribers get a fans-eye view of this year's Tournament of Roses Star Wars Spectacular in three pages of extensive Bantha Tracks coverage. Whew! A lot of content to start off what will certainly be a stellar Star Wars year!

Look for Star Wars Insider on newsstands in February.