The Comics and Pop Art track at Dragon Con welcomed Henry Gilroy to Mart2 203BC Friday afternoon for an hour-long discussion that spanned the breadth and depth of his career. Most famous for his work with Star Wars, Gilroy has also worked with Hasbro, Marvel, Dark Horse/DC, and Disney. Gilroy got his access to the Star Wars comics world when the search was on for someone who could adapt a screenplay to comics. His role grew when they needed someone who knew animation and who knew the franchise. Chosen to develop Star Wars: Clone Wars, Gilroy served as head writer for season 1 and part of season 2. He is best known for writing the early episodes introducing Ahsoka Tano. Discussing his work in the animated shows, Gilroy was quick to point to the influence of George Lucas. Working with Dave Filoni, the goal was to produce something “very cinematic” and true to Lucas’s vision. It had to hold up to the original trilogy as well as the prequels. They knew they were headed in the right direction when they showed the first renders of the series to George Lucas. He became very excited and increased the program’s development budget.
Both he and Dave Filoni were trained to make Star Wars under the guidance of George Lucas, but Gilroy also had experience Disney animation. On the issue of Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm, Gilroy understands that Disney has a genuine desire to protect its brand. So too does Lucasfilm. It has led to some “interesting, and not always pleasant” discussions. Disney has, in Gilroy’s words, engaged some “fantastic” creators who are “making terrific content.” He specifically referenced Andor, the action-drama starring Diego Luna that ran for two seasons (2022-2025).
While he was able to mature in his craft at Lucasfilm, Gilroy credits his earliest work for having a formative impact on his approach to making art. He began his career as an editor at Warner Bros and sold his first script to the producers of the Emmy winning Batman: The Animated Series. Of that experience, Gilroy noted that “no one really knew what that show was going to be.” What was clear was that the team was not producing a program for kids; they were producing a show for themselves. In the end, that is fundamentally important. The work you do is for you. The rest will come in time.
He describes the feeling of seeing animated characters he helped create and define being brought into live action as “surreal.” It is important to remember that moving between media like that has its challenges because each has its own inherent rules. There’s translation required when moving between the two. Like a fan’s reaction when their favorite book character gets translated onto the big screen by an actor that does not meet their expectations, he experienced similar feelings when watching an animated character, he worked on for years being translated into live action. “You have to let go.” In many ways, each creates and operates within its own reality and creates its own version of a character.
Gilroy’s focus as a creator, whether animated series or comic books, is on the character. It is in the character, their development and story, that success lies. He wanted his audience to bond with characters and to worry about them, be afraid for them when they were in danger, and celebrate with them when they triumphed. In other words, Gilroy wanted the audience to invest in the character’s humanity. That was the key to success, not more guns!
As a storyteller, Gilroy harkens to Joseph Campbell and the journey of the hero. He sees his work on both Star Wars and Spiderman as essentially examinations of the human condition with the goal being to create an emotional reality. A perfect example of this from Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the three-episode arc in season 1 in which Anakin searches for a lost R2D2. In the wake of a battle, R2D2 gets separated from Anakin. Obi Wan Kenobi is not that concerned about the droid’s loss, but Anakin is determined to recover him. Gilroy points out that while it is easy to “roll your eyes” at Anakin, his commitment to recover the droid points to his inability to let go. Anakin cannot detach himself from those he cares about. That character trait had real consequences. Gilroy also said that this was “a bit like the boy who lost his dog.” His own emotional condition requires him to find the droid, and he is going to do whatever is necessary to get him back.
Gilroy has tried to introduce a degree of humanity into all his characters, regardless of franchise. In the case of Ezra from Star Wars: Rebels it was a connection to the natural world. Part of what drove that was Gilroy’s own desire to free himself from the construct of a technological world and get back in touch with nature. He did that by projecting a little bit of himself into his character.
As the questions ranged across the spectrum of Gilroy’s career, the theme of building characters grounded in humanity came up repeatedly. That was even the case when discussing Ezra’s companion “Chopper” from Star Wars: Rebels. The hour raced by, and when the session ended many in attendance raced to speakers’ table to continue the conversation, because Henry Gilroy had given them an hour rich with memories and insight.
