Star Wars - Thirty Years On

The Human Replica Droid Guri,
art by Ron Randall, from Dark Horse's
Shadows of the Empire: Evolution

As part of the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Celebration last evening, there was a panel discussion at Powell's Books, in Beaverton. Writer Timothy Zahn, Dark Horse Comics editor/writer Jeremy Barlow, and Star Wars comic artist Dustin Weaver and I were the panelists, and a squad of the 501st Stormtrooper Division (Cloud City) in full gear stood guard. There was a costume competition, mostly children. The Jawa won first place.

Tim was funny and clever; as was Barlow; Weaver kept passing the mike, so we made him the head judge for the costume contest. Modesty forbids that I brag too much about my own performance, but they laughed when they were supposed to laugh ...

We blathered on for an hour and half or so to a full house, hundred and fifty or sixty people, took questions, and signed books and comics, after which several of us decamped to a local Red Robin for a late supper. The science fiction guy at Powell's Beavo as the store is called, is Peter Honigstock, and I was pleased for him that we had a good turnout. Last time I did a signing at Powell's, they managed to book me on the Friday before the Rose Festival or somesuch, and attendence was sparse.

Thirty years. My, how time flies ...