Editor’s Note: One of the biggest strengths of the Star Wars expanded universe – and something that sets it apart from similar franchises – is the fact that in its 30+ years of existence there’s never been a need for a reboot. Continuity has never become so out-of-whack that writers have been forced throw in the towel and start over and that’s largely due to the efforts of our newest contributor, Leland Chee – the Jocasta Nu of the real Jedi Archives. Leland is an easy contender for the “coolest job ever” award, in fact, his job is so cool that Wired Magazine did a full profile on him back in 2008. Read on for Leland’s story and check back for regular updates from the Keeper of the Holocron!
Keeper of the Holocron. Loremaster. Continuity Cop. The “Ask Lobot” Guy. All of these have been used to describe my role at Lucasfilm managing the Holocron Star Wars continuity database. But for me, there’s only one fitting description – Dream Job. I knew all my life I wanted to be a “Star Wars expert” but was it realistic for me to think that such a job could really exist? It’s mind-boggling to think of all the myriad little decisions and circumstances that had to transpire for me to get to where I am. I think about jobs I’d gotten in past and, perhaps more importantly, the ones I didn’t get that would have taken me down a different career path. What if that friend from college never told me about a QA opening at LucasArts? What if someone else was chosen as lead tester on Behind the Magic? What if I didn’t have database experience? What if George Lucas made the Prequels a decade earlier? What if George never made the Prequels?
But somehow – call it perseverance, fate, luck, or some concoction of all of these – I got here. And I am grateful for this, each and every day. I hope I can convey some small amount of this gratitude with this blog. I can provide unique insight into Lucasfilm, the Holocron, and the Star Wars universe as both an insider and as a fan. And if you’re into Indiana Jones, I’ve got that covered too. So stay tuned to this blog, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll answer a continuity question or two.
Send your “Ask Lobot” questions to starwarsinsider@titanemail.com. Also, you can follow @holocronkeeper on Twitter.
