Finally back from Midsouthcon 24, and as usual it was full of surprises. I've been going to the con since the fourth or fifth one, and attending this year as the comics guest of honor was a real, well, honor!

A cool extra this year came from Dark Horse, which, working wth programming coordinator Carlin Stuart, provided enough copies of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic/Rebellion special for everyone in the show.

The panels were exceptionaly well attended this year -- quite a contrast to that strange year when the Transportation Security Administration took over the hotel and we all wound up meeting in the hotel restaurant. Friday night's comics-writing panel with Rich Burlew of Order of the Stick and webcomics creator Orion generated a lot of great questions -- I'll be looking at adding some kind of seminar for the educational track next time out. Saturday's Knights of the Old Republic panel was a lot of fun, too. And thanks to the brave attendees who made that 9 a.m. Sunday morning panel -- where we all decided not to turn the lights on in the panel room because it was waaaaay too early...

It was also great to meet author David Weber, a fellow Horatio Hornblower fanatic -- as well as all of this year's guests.

I must say there was a sense of deja vu in watching the University of Memphis playing in the NCAA tournament at the con -- we were doing the same thing at the con back in the mid-1980s, back when it was still called Memphis State. Sorry to see the Tigers lose, but at least I came out OK in the office pool in spite of that. I can quit now...

Event news! I'll be appearing as the comics guest of honor at Midsouthcon 24, March 24-26, in Memphis, Tenn., at the Airport Holiday Inn. I'll be on panels each day, including one where I'll be talking about the new Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series. I'll also be available to sign copies in the main room and talk about the series as long as my voice lasts.

X-Wing Rogue Squadron artist Jim Hall will also be there -- and Dark Horse has helped provide the convention with a special bonus for attendees while they last! Find out more at Midsouthcon -- I'll see you there!

Also in Memphis, on March 29, I have a Knights of the Old Republic #3 release-day signing at Comics & Collectibles on Poplar -- I think it starts at 3 p.m., but check my website for updates as I have them. (In fact, all events are tentative, depending on whether something heavy falls on me on the way to the airport. Should that happen, check my website for updates from my next of kin.)

Pretty busy getting scripts out in advance of my convention appearance later this month -- more in a while on that -- but I now have some production notes up for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #2 and #0, the Rebellion flip-book. Click to read more about #2 -- and to find out how to buy the issue -- and here to read more about #0!

As many readers know, I have been developing an archives for comic-book sales figures throughout history for many years. My latest report, covering comics for the month of January 2006 sold by Diamond Comic Distributors, can be found here. My comments also appear on Newsarama here.

With Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #1 gong on sale today, I figured it was time for a redesign of the website -- plus the obligatory blog. I first used the Faraway Looks subtitle back on a 1992 comic strip -- before reusing it as a column title in Comics Buyer's Guide from 1996-2000 -- and exporting it back to my own comics for the Faraway Looks small press title I did in 2002. (And I may use it yet again. Because -- because, well, it's too darn hard to keep coming up with new titles, all right?) No, actually, I originally got the phrase from Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge story, "Back to the Klondike" -- which is as good a source as any. There will be more ramblings here as time goes on, theoretically. I shall endeavor to entertain -- or, at least, not to give you less than you paid to see when you got in here...