Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace The Official Souvenir Magazine

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace The Official Souvenir Magazine, Edited by Bob Wood (with numerous contributors)
1999 The Topps Company, Inc., 96 Pages

In the 90s, everything got its very own newsstand magazine. Considering 1999's Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace was the most anticipated film of the decade, it was no exception. Considering news stands, let alone physical publications, are becoming more and more of a rarity in our current digital age, souvenir magazines like this one feel like reminders of a more civilized age. That's not the only reminder, though. The $6.95 price tag stands out 25-years-later, when a similar publication would now run for no less than $19.95.  Another reminder is the sheer quality of the construction, featuring a thicker cover than a normal magazine, more reminiscent of a Scholastic children's book, as well as strong, sturdy pages. 

The content of the magazine is also highly enjoyable. First there's a section covering the plot of the film. It's essentially a novella-length adaptation of the plot, but the true star in this section is the photography, featuring excellent screenshots from the film, ship profiles, and promotional photos. This section does a great job of highlighting just how expansive and excellent the visuals in The Phantom Menace really are.

The second section features actor profiles, which was a much cooler and more vital feature before (the not entirely trustworthy) Wikipedia was invented. For me back in 1999, this was an incredibly important and life-changing resource. I learned of and watched both the Ewan McGregor-starring 1996 film Trainspotting and the Natalie Portman-starring 1994 film The Professional, solely due to their mentions in this magazine, opening an entirely new realm of cinema to my rural, South Louisiana world.

The final third is dedicated to the making of the film, featuring some great behind the scenes photography, as well as a thorough exploration of The Phantom Menace's creation. I love how the magazine explains which special effects elements of the film are scale or full sized models, matte paintings or CGI, showing pictures of the models being filmed, and even photos of the metal lightsabers in action before the light has been animated into the shot. There are even some artwork photos taken from the official movie art book to augment this section, as well a look at some of the promotional tie-ins for the film. 

Overall, this really is a lovely, high quality little book dedicated to the film, much more than just a magazine. It's a must have for collectors and for huge fans of the film alike, and it's a major piece of beloved nostalgia in my collection.