Pablo Hidalgo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Pablo Hidalgo atStar Wars Celebration IV, 2007 | |
| Born | Santiago, Chile |
| Occupation |
|
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Subject | Star Wars |
| Years active | 1995–present |
Pablo Hidalgo is a Chilean-borncreative executive based in California,[1] forLucasfilm on theStar Wars franchise. He is frequently named as one of the people tasked with maintaining thecanon of the franchise after its partial reboot in 2014 and often consultson Star Wars projects in development regarding their integration in the largerStar Wars canon. He is the author of several official references and guidebooks about theStar Wars,G.I. Joe andTransformers franchises.
Hidalgo was born inSantiago, Chile, and raised inWinnipeg,Manitoba, Canada.[1] In 1987 he became a fan of therole-playing game (RPG) resources published byWest End Games, the only official source ofStar Wars content in the late 1980s, and took it upon himself to become knowledgeable of the universe to create better stories for the group of friends he was playing it with. He later used both content from the RPG and ideas he developed for his gaming sessions within officialStar Wars media, such as thetracking device used by the Inquisitor and the name of a ship inStar Wars Rebels.[2]
He submitted content for West End Games'Star Wars Adventure Journal in 1993. Although rejected because he was not a published author at the time, his correspondence with the company resulted in his being hired as acartoonist for the magazine by Peter Schweighofer.[1] Since he was now a published author, he was allowed to publish both material for the RPG and stories in the magazine.[3]
During his involvement, he collected the first large-scale database ofStar Wars knowledge, parts of which he posted online in 1997 as the "Star Wars Index". He used his extensive knowledge to assistSteve Sansweet withfact-checking theStar Wars Encyclopedia, the first such work published shortly before the release of theStar Wars prequel trilogy.[2]
In January 2000 he was hired by Sansweet at Lucasfilm to build up StarWars.com, the officialStar Wars website, as a resource for fans during the then-active filming and launch of theStar Wars prequel trilogy.[2][4] He then served as internet content manager for Lucas Online, the division of Lucasfilm responsible for maintaining StarWars.com, where he published multiple comics until 2011. In addition, during this time Hidalgo was consulted to ensurecontinuity in various Star Wars media releases.[2]
In 2005, he had a nonspeakingcameo role inStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith as a patron of the opera ChancellorPalpatine andAnakin Skywalker visit.[5]
After the acquisition of Lucasfilm byThe Walt Disney Company,Kathleen Kennedy created theLucasfilm Story Group, a group ofStar Wars experts tasked with maintaining thecanon of the franchise after its partial reboot in 2014.[6][7] While at Lucasfilm, Hidalgo was known for his extensive knowledge of Star Wars mythology and was added as a member of story group led by Kiri Hart.[6][2][3]
Sometimes called theYoda of Lucasfilm or "theIndiana Jones ofStar Wars", his extensive knowledge ofStar Wars canon is used by multiple sources to confirm or deny rumors about certain characters, locations or events within the fictional universe.[8][9][10]J. J. Abrams admitted that during the production ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens, he frequently consulted Hidalgo.[11] In 2022, Hidalgo's official title at Lucasfilm was creative executive[12] and "Star Wars Lore Advisor".[13]
Hidalgo is the author of several official reference and guide books about theStar Wars franchise as well as theG.I. Joe andTransformers franchises.[1][14]
Pablo Hidalgo is the Star Wars Lore Advisor, and yes, that's his official job title.
