Since the original Star Wars (later retitled Episode IV: A New Hope) was released on May 25, 1977, the adventures of the Skywalker family have been an ever-present part of popular culture. Over thirty years later, the Jedi and Sith are still clashing lightsabers across millions of TVs, with toys and merchandise filling store aisles as new generations discover the strange creatures and exciting locales of a galaxy far, far away.

The Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a computer-animated weekly television program airing on Cartoon Network. The series debuted in October 2008, scoring Cartoon Network its highest-rated series premiere ever. Introducing an entire new generation to the Star Wars universe, the show has proved immensely popular, averaging 4 million viewers a week. A third season will begin airing in October, with creator George Lucas promising a total of at least 100 episodes for the series.

The Old Republic

A new Star Wars video game, entitled Star Wars: The Old Republic, is slated for release in Spring 2011. The massively-multiplayer online game, developed by Bioware and LucasArts, takes place thousands of years prior to the exploits of Luke Skywalker, when the galaxy was in the midst of a great war between the Jedi and the Sith. The player can choose to play as a member of either faction or a variety of other character classes.

In July, Dark Horse Comics will release the Star Wars: The Old Republic comic series, which will tie into the events of the forthcoming video game. The series is written by Rob Chestney, who is also a writer for the game.