Although we never got a “Tales of the Podracers” anthology of short stories in the vein of “Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina,” “Tales of the Bounty Hunters” and “Tales from Jabba’s Palace,” we got the next-best thing: “Podracing Tales,” a collection of webcomics published on StarWars.com in 2000.
Unlike most “Star Wars” webcomics, “Podracing Tales” was salvaged in print, in 2013’s “Wild Space” Volume 2 omnibus. The only other webcomics to see print were the “Old Republic” series (in the “Old Republic” TPBs Volumes 2 and 3) and the first season of the “Clone Wars” webcomics (in the limited-edition “Tales from the Clone Wars” TPB).
Ryder Windham’s story, which comprises 27 printed pages, is a serial that wanders among key figures in “Episode I’s” Boonta Eve Classic. It ranges from before that race – starting with Jabba and Gardulla arguing about who to bet on, and trying to trick each other — through the race, and up to just before the Malastare podrace in “Republic’s” “Emissaries to Malastare” arc (where Sebulba is flying Anakin’s podracer, which he purchases here).
It dips into the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of the world of podracing, not concerning itself with the actual racing. While reading “Podracing Tales,” for a moment I understood the appeal of the soap-opera world of professional motorsports.
Similar to the aforementioned “Tales” short stories, “Podracing Tales” puts new spins on plot points from “The Phantom Menace” that we took for granted, via all the various betting and race-fixing going on. For example, Ben Quadinaros takes a bet that he will be brave enough to enter the race. And Ark “Bumpy” Roose is paid to sabotage Anakin’s podracer, but he mistakenly sabotages Quadinaros’, thus explaining the blown power coupling at the start of the race.
Watto’s various bets with Graxol while the race is going on are amusing: In addition to betting heavily on Sebulba, he makes side bets that Sebulba will set a personal record and that Anakin won’t finish the race. Wupuiupi (money) flies around throughout these panels, with Weazel (Warwick Davis’ character) trying to get in on the action, too.
With colorful art by Ken Steacy, Glen Mullaly and Andrew Pratt, “Podracing Tales” fills in the gaps like those “Tales” short stories, peppers in some silliness that flirts with the “Tag & Bink” style, and adds moments of flat-out slapstick, such as Bumpy accidentally drinking cleaning fluid.
“Podracing Tales” is among the most effortlessly fun work from the hit-and-miss resume of Windham, and I’m glad “Wild Space” Volume 2 rescued it from the sands of defunct web pages.