How a Boba Fett Transformed Media
This video featuring Tim Kring of Heroes and Peter Hirshberg makes a very interesting point about the The Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978: Their thinking is that even though the special was quite bad that the genius of it is that George Lucas is inventing what they call “transmedia storytelling” — the concept of using multiple mediums to tell a story. Their example is that by introducing Boba Fett that Lucas expanded the Star Wars universe and was then able to introduce the bounty hunter as a toy and then in the next film.
This concept is very popular in Hollywood today where television producers and writers take for granted that they can tell some of their story in other mediums like websites. And of course the same concept applies to films which allow fans to learn more about a movie from associated comic books, novels and videogames. So in a sense we owe the multiple medium world of today to George Lucas and his introduction of Boba Fett.
Star Wars Galaxy card featuring Boba Fett from the Star Wars Holiday Special found via Paxton Holley.