Without a doubt, Disney+'s The Mandalorian was one of the biggest TV surprises of 2019, from its gorgeous cinematography to the old-school action to the pop culture phenom that is Baby Yoda. Many Star Wars fans are confident that Season 2 is going to be just as much of a supercharged romp, but waiting for those new episodes is a definite slog. Thankfully, some big Star Wars news dropped that reveals how Mandalorian fans will be able to tide themselves over in between seasons going forward.
Star Wars is giving The Mandalorian its own sector of the franchise's publishing empire, with a new promotional push that will bring Mando and the show's other characters to bookshelves in a variety of ways. Viewers of all ages will be able to take deeper looks behind the scenes for The Mandalorian's production, while also likely seeing this universe expanding in certain ways. The new publishing program will launch into hyperspace this fall, with new releases being set to come out throughout the winter and spring.
Let's look at what some of those releases will be. Perhaps the most intriguing release noted in the initial announcement is The Mandalorian: Original Novel from genre-friendly author Adam Christopher (Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town). This will be the first original adult novel set in the world of The Mandalorian. Given that it is currently set for a release on December 1, 2020, however, it's not entirely clear if the book will be a retread of events from Season 1, or if it will also incorporate elements from Season 2, which will be debuting on Disney+ in October. Alternately, the novel might indeed aim to tell a completely new tale set within this world.
Elsewhere on the fictional side of things, The Mandalorian already has several releases planned for younger fans. For one, there's The Mandalorian: Junior Novelization from Joe Schreiber, which obviously sounds like a somewhat simplified version of the events that played out in Season 1. As well, Star Wars will be releasing a currently untitled Mandalorian: 8x8 Storybook and The Mandalorian: Allies & Enemies – Level Two Reader, as written by Brooke Vitale. The show will also get its own Little Golden Book and a Screen Comix version of Season 1.
For any fans who might be less interested in reading plot and more pumped to obsess over the visual splendor that Jon Favreau and his creative team brought to life, the must-buy from this announcement is definitely The Art of The Mandalorian (Season One). Put together by Lucasfilm's creative art manager Phil Szostak, the book will compile concept art and sketches for characters and vehicles, photography, and interviews with Favreau, writer/producer Dave Filoni and more from the cast and crew. (Here's hoping there's a little something from Mark Hamill, too.) You can check out the gorgeous cover below, with art from Lucasfilm's VP and executive creative director Doug Chiang.
As well, fans who dig the art book will probably want to complement it with The Mandalorian: The Ultimate Visual Guide, which will be a great reference for anyone who needs a quick reminder of everyone we've met in this universe so far, as well as what they're weapons and modes of transportation are. Truth be told, they could probably come out with a Visual Guide solely focused on Baby Yoda, and it would be a smash. Especially if all of the pages were really just fold-out posters.
The Mandalorian's publishing program will still have more projects yet to come in the future that haven't been fully finalized just yet. For one, Marvel and IDW Publishing will be working on Mandalorian-related comic books, which was to be expected. And then fans can expect to see coloring and activity books, magazines, and more novelty material from a host of different publishers.
Are you excited about all the extra Mandalorian goodies coming to the back half of 2020 and beyond? While waiting to hear more about Season 2, be sure to check out our 2020 Summer TV premiere schedule for all the exciting shows hitting the small screen soon.
