News

Sweet Christmas, everyone – this year’s Awesome Con was busy as all get-out and chock-full of cool things to see and do, and con season is rushing by so fast that I’m just now getting to my recap! (We can also blame the con crud for this, alas. It’s been following me around for a solid month.) As always, there were way more activities than one mere mortal could get to. And on top of that, this was the first year where I really saw multiple events surrounding the con that were either not directly affiliated with the con but inspired by it, or connected to it but not part of the main con experience.

So let’s start there. First off, I was part of a pre-con round-table interview Awesome Con set up with the inestimable Stan Lee. Stan answered many great questions. He talked about what...

As if Princess Leia wasn't already the baddest female in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars fans were shocked to learn over the weekend that not only was she a Senator, a military leader, but she also had her Ph.D, and got it at the age of 19.

This overlooked detail was pointed out by Twitter user Becca Harrison, who discovered the news in the book Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation by Carolyn Cocca.

According to Cocca, in 2004 commentary for Star Wars: A New Hope George Lucas said that Leia obtained her doctorate — among other accolades — while Luke was on tatooine being a "naive farm boy."

"She's like a very sophisticated, urbanized ruler, a senator, so she's a politician," said Lucas, according to Cocca's book. "She's accomplished, graduated, got her Ph.D. at 19 and she rules people."

Star Wars fans have long known Leia was tough and intelligent but getting her Ph.

Actually, it's doctor, thank you very much.

Star Wars fans were shocked, but delighted, to learn over the weekend that Princess Leia not only had a Ph.D., but that she earned it at 19.

The revelation was pointed out by Twitter user Becca Harrison, a University of Glasgow professor, who also holds a doctorate degree and discovered the news in the book Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation by Carolyn Cocca.

According to Cocca, George Lucas said in the 2004 commentary for A New Hope that Leia obtained her doctorate — among other accolades — while Luke was a "naive...