Star Wars ( Marvel ) The Marvel " Star Wars " series of comic books was the first ever comic series created for the saga . It spanned 107 issues , with three special Annual issues . The series was relatively long - running , lasting from 1977 to 1986 . It was published by Marvel Comics . The series was such a smash hit for Marvel in an otherwise dismal sales year that many who worked at Marvel in 1977 consider it to have singlehandedly saved them from financial ruin . Issues 1 – 6 adapted the events of " " and Issues 39 – 44 adapted " " ; however , the " " adaptation was published as a separate four - issue mini - series outside of the regular series . Marvel Illustrated Books ' " Star Wars " , " " , and " " and " " included additional stories published as part of the Marvel UK " Star Wars " series , which , due to running weekly , included additional stories . The only story that hadn ' t been reprinted in the US is " " until its ultimate appearance inside the 2013 " " . Many issues of the regular series included a letter column titled " Star - Words " . Canonicity . " Echo Station : " What kind of approval process did you need to adhere to ? " " " Archie Goodwin : " In the beginning I would send a synopsis of the story line I was planning to do to Lucasfilm and the folks in their licensing department would check over what I was doing . ( I dealt with ) a lady named Carol Titleman - practically a one person licensing department for Lucasfilm . Later on , as they hired more people , there would be an editor that I worked with and submitted material to . . . " We have what we call Canon , which is the screenplays , novelizations , and other core works that are directly tied into the continuity , and then there are a lot of marginal things , like the old Marvel Comics series , that we don ' t really try to work into the continuity when we ' re planning new projects . Allan Kausch from 1996 , referring to the " " According to Leland Chee , however , all of the Marvel Comics are considered S - Canon unless referenced by a C - Canon source , in which case that particular comic becomes C - Canon . Publication dates . When the series started in 1977 , the for comic books was still in its infancy and comic book specialty shops were rare . Because of this , Marvel kept dual records for publication dates : shipping dates and on - sale dates . Shipping dates described when comics left the printer to go out to newsstands , groceries , and drug stores , which would generally put them on sale upon arrival . On - sale dates were provided by Marvel as a uniform Tuesday intended for all outlets — but particularly comic book shops — to place a comic on sale . For the length of the " Star Wars " series , the on - sale date is usually three weeks after the shipping date . Depending on a reader ' s region of North America , some may have received a comic shortly before the on - sale date , but all readers should have had access to the issue by that date . Like with most magazines , the date on the cover is intended to tell retailers when to remove the book from store shelves , not relate when the item went on sale . For " Star Wars " , the cover date was normally three months after the shipping date , and two months after the on - sale date . Non - English variations . Sweden . Translated to " Stjärnornas krig " ( " War of the stars " ) ; Marvel ' s Star Wars comics were published by Semic Press AB between 1977 and 1987 . The first years only as annual king - sized albums , that collected issues 1 - 6 , 11 - 15 , 18 - 23 , 25 - 26 , 31 - 34 and 39 - 44 . The first regular issue of the Swedish Star Wars comic book is listed as # 1 1983 / 84 . It was released bimonthly , but with comics from two American issues in every Swedish issue . 1985 , the Star Wars title merged with the Indiana Jones title under the new title " Månadens äventyr " ( " Adventure of the month " ) where every other issue " starred " Indiana Jones instead of Star Wars Every American issue from 45 to 107 except 94 and 100 was published in the Swedish comic books , although the order of the issues was a bit more complex : 51 - 52 , 55 , 49 , 56 - 63 , 65 , 68 - 91 , 93 , 92 , 45 - 48 , 50 , 53 - 54 , 64 - 67 , 95 - 99 , 101 - 107 . Issue 65 was released twice . Portugal , Spain , Mexico and Brazil . In these countries the comics had been published on the same collection , " Comics Star Wars " , by Planeta DeAgostini , each with their own translation . Twelve issues , containing from eight to eleven stories , were published in total , all hardcovers . Italy . In 1978 , Mondadori and Marvel Italy , Italian branch of Marvel Comics , published a series of thirteen issues titled " Guerre Stellari " ( " Stellar Wars " ) , but it had many differences from all the other nations ' " Star Wars " . A fourteenth issue was a special edition : the adaptation of " Return of the Jedi " , titled " Il Ritorno dello Jedi . " Denmark . " Stijerne Krigen " was the title of the six - issued Danish edition of Marvel ' s series . The series includes comic books with covers different from the covers of other nations , except for the first issue , where you can see a modified version of the movie poster .