I grew up in the 1980s, and as a result, I was exposed to a lot of the classic pop culture franchises we still follow today. But the first time I can really remember diving in deep was the release of 1983’s Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
At that time, I was, what, seven years old? A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back came out when I was much too young, but by 1983, I was aware of those movies and was so excited when the Return of the Jedi phenomenon hit.
It was the first time that I can recall really getting swept up into some big movie event. The day my aunt took me to see it, I burned my hand on a cooling iron and had to slather it in aloe vera while I went to the theater. But the movie? I loved it. I cheered on Luke when he fought the rancor, I was bouncing in my seat when the space battle happened, and I even liked the Ewoks before the internet was invented to tell me that they were uncool.
That one movie rippled out and became my obsession for a good year. I read the novelization on the school bus. I got a Jabba the Hutt watch for my birthday and wore it with pride. I played with so many of the toys — including an Ewok Village that I got for Christmas — and slept in Return of the Jedi sheets.
It’s a special movie that has a special place in my heart — and I still think it’s one of the best Star Wars movies to date, even better than Empire.
So your turn: What is your earliest memory related to one of your core fandoms?
And when you’re done with answering that, why not head on over to visit Glittering Girly Gwent Gaming, a blog by two girls who love Gwent: The Witcher Card Game.
Bio Break 
I was going to say Star Wars–and specifically mailing away for the Boba Fett action figure prior to Empire coming out, but then I realized I had to go back further to the mid-70s when I was around 5 years old. I had a hernia surgery and when I was recovering in the hospital my mother gave me a present: an 8″ Mego Shazam figure. I don’t recall knowing anything about comics at the time and it was definitely my first action figure. After that I acquired more Mego figures–as I recall I also had Robin, Superman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Tarzan, Spider-man, Captain America, and Falcon. A story my mother _still tells_ is how she spent one Christmas trying to find Mego’s Batcave–she did find it after much searching–and her disbelief that it was simply cardboard covered plastic. 🙂