What does it take to build a galaxy? In this episode, I sit down with Brian Jay Jones, New York Times bestselling author of "George Lucas: A Life", to dig into the story of one of the most influential — and misunderstood — filmmakers in Hollywood history. We trace Lucas's journey from a kid in Modesto, California, obsessed with hot rods and Flash Gordon comics, to the man who changed forever how movies are made, marketed, and experienced!

We talk about the near-disastrous production of the original Star Wars, the genius business move that made Lucas a billionaire, divisive topics like the special editions and the prequels, and the complicated legacy of selling Lucasfilm to Disney. Brian wrote this biography without Lucas's cooperation, and that makes what he uncovered all the more fascinating.

We also get into Brian's brand-new book, "The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building," out June 2, where Brian uses gift for making icons feel completely alive on the page to tell a completely different kid of story about an American symbol that represents far more than amazing architecture.

Find Brian Jay Jones at brianjayjones.com, follow him on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook!

I'll also explore what Disney has cooked up for its Star Wars celebrations this month in my Maza's Mickey Minute.

And, of course, Meghan kicks the whole thing off with her Cuckoo Bananas Joke of the Week!

Don't forget to leave a rating or a review and tell your friends to help this podcast reach more people!

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Music for Meghan’s Cuckoo Bananas Joke of the Week:

Fluffing a Duck Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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Music promoted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music clips included in this episode are used for commentary and educational purposes. All rights to the sampled music belong to Disney and respective rights holders.