On this day in 1944 a young George Walton Lucas Jr. was born in Modesto, California. Like so many of us, he grew up loving comic books and science fiction, having a special affection for the Flash Gordon serials. And while he aspired to be a racecar driver, a near fatal accident changed his mind. Filmmaking became his passion, starting in Junior College and on through his time at the University of Southern California. And of course we all know how his career blossomed from there.

Lucas made his feature film debut in 1971 with his dystopian sci-fi thriller “THX 1138”. He followed it up in 1973 with the coming-of-age classic “American Graffiti”. But it was in 1977 that he took an ambitious swing that would change the cinematic landscape in ways he never expected. “Star Wars” took the world by storm and launched what is arguably the most beloved entertainment franchises of all time. He was also instrumental in creating the iconic Indiana Jones character and he founded LucasFilm, LucasArts, THX, and Industrial Light & Magic. But it’s Star Wars that he will forever be known for.

Frequent readers know how much I love Star Wars. As a kid, I watched the original trilogy on repeat. I played with the toys. I read the storybooks. I wore the pajamas. I carried the lunchbox. If it was Star Wars related, I probably had a part. Later, I would watch his prequel trilogy as many times as I could in the theaters; read the Star Wars comics till the covers came off; dove head-first into “The Clone Wars” animated series; and so on. And it hasn’t stopped. Whether it’s on the big screen, small screen, or page, I’m still invested in this sprawling world.

So needless to say, a huge part of my childhood was influenced by the creative force that is George Lucas. And even today, some of my favorite entertainment involves the franchise that he created nearly 50 years ago and that is now carried on by others. For that reason I had to write a small but heartfelt tribute on his 82nd birthday. George Lucas is a name that many of us have revered since taking our first trip to his galaxy far, far away. Happy Birthday Mr. Lucas.