A few posts ago, I noted the work of Dayton Allen, a Florida commercial artist and hobbyist who has working on a model of Rohlan, the renegade warrior from our Knights of the Old Republic comics. He's done, so take a gander of the final painted result!

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #9 hits shelves today! This is the special interlude issue that shows what's going on with Lucien and his gang back on Coruscant while the Mandalorian Onslaught rages elsewhere in the galaxy. Lots of answers — and new questions here!

It also marks the turning of the calendar from "approximately 3964 years before the Battle of Yavin" to "approximately 3963"; the Onslaught, taking several days, actually straddles the 3963-and-a-half year mark, so the whole battle is "on the cusp."

The production notes page is now up. Be sure to let me know what you think of the issue here...

Preparatory to getting the info online for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Vol. 1: Commencement trade paperback (due in just about a month's time) I've added comics trade paperbacks to the books section of the site.

First one up is the Iron Man portion of Avengers Disassembled (which seems like so long ago now); more to come.

I'll also probably have the comics sales figures online this weekend or Monday on CBGXtra. KOTOR made the list twice, #8 in the Top 100, and then a repeat listing for the reprint of #1. Fonzie says "Aaaay..."

You knew it was happening: now, this report confirms the endangerment of a species taken for granted: the TV show theme song. Imagine, trying to put yourself in a Beverly Hillbillies fame of mind without "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" to see you through! Obviously something for you American readers to think about when you go into that voting booth next month. Protect the TV show theme song -- Alan Thicke and Mike Post will thank you!

A scheduling note: Dark Horse has reversed the publication order of two previously announced stories, "Homecoming" and the conclusion of "Flashpoint." "Homecoming" will appear as #9, and the last chapter of "Flashpoint" will appear as #10. Both stories take place simultaneously, half a galaxy apart, so the move makes sense -- and having artists alternating as we are, it happened that one story was ready before the other.

Both chapters have heaping gobs of interesting material for causal readers and continuity fans alike, so it's all good either way.

While "Model Officer" was the title of my Star Wars: Empire #35, I'm using the phrase more literally this time. While I have dabbled with art now and again, it only took me a couple of attempts at sculpture to decide that my talents lay elsewhere. Leave it to those who can!

One who obviously can is Dayton Allen, a Florida commercial artist and hobbyist who has been keeping the Knights of the Old Republic comics team posted on his progress with rendering our favorite renegade Mandalorian, Rohlan, as a custom action figure.

Readers have seen a little more of Rohlan each issue lately – he's first seen in a cameo #6, heard in #7, and unmasked in #8. Dayton first showed us his take on a masked Rohlan figure a few weeks after #7 came out – and, following #8, he added new details for the character's face and backpack.

It's a hobby for Dayton — he's got more online at his site — and the work looks great to me. It was fun when my and Steve Ellis' design for Crimson Dynamo became a Heroclix figure; this is pretty cool, too!

"OK, I spent a lot of doggone money on this college education, and by God, I'm going to use every bit of it!"

That's how I feel sometimes, inserting little trivial tidbits into things -- not just from pop culture, but from that otherwise wasted education of mine. Thus far, I've tributed Melville in one of my Star Wars issues -- and with Knights of the Old Republic #8, now available, we hop around from the medieval Song of Roland to 18th-century ships of the line! (Click the link there to my production notes to see just how tortuously I'll trace a path to an inspiration!)

Not one of these things actually means anything, of course, except that, well, I had to sit through those classes (when I went), and this is the only way to get something out of them...

Just back from Wizard World: Chicago, and another enjoyable singing at the Dark Horse booth. It was fairly non-stop, and there was a nice mix of fans -- veteran Star Wars comics readers bringing their own copies, as well as new readers finding out about the series for the first time.

Thanks again to Dirk Wood, Amy Huey, Jeremy Atkins, Dave Land and all the fine folks at the Dark Horse booth for their hospitality. See everybody again next year!

Knights of the Old Republic #7 is now on sale, and my production notes and trivia are now online. A new arc, so there's a little more than usual -- as well as the truth (well, part of it) behind the naming of the galaxy's most uncooperative droid, Elbee.

Anyway, here's your spot for feedback for #7. Enjoy...

While I've been to Comic-Con International: San Diego eight previous times (I think), this is the first time I've been there promoting a comic book. Crimson Dynamo just missed San Diego back in 2003, and last year, Knights of the Old Republic was just being announced. So signing in that gigantic monument to comics was a new experience -- and a fun one. I wondered whether I'd actually make it there. The night before I left, I had a fever -- evidently associated with nothing at all, since it went away the next morning -- and then, on the way out to the car with my luggage, I was stung by a hornet. You can imagine the fun of toddling down the road, wondering whether or not I'm allergic to stings or not. (I lucked out.) Then there was the weather along the way and ... well, let's just say I was glad to make it to San Diego, even if the gentle ocean breeze seems not to have made it this year.

I had a good time meeting with the rest of the Star Wars team, including editors Randy Stradley, Jeremy Barlow, and Dave Marshall.

And this was my first meeting, believe it or not, with the art team -- seen in the pics here during our signing on Friday's "Star Wars Day." Up top, that's me and Brian Ching -- and below here, that's me with artist Dustin Weaver and colorist Michael Atiyeh.

(Thanks to the inexhaustible Trudy for the photos! I did remember to take my camera, just not to use it...)

Anyway, it was good seeing everyone, and KOTOR fans, I'm glad to say that we definitely have a lot of great stuff coming up in the series for you. I'll be appearing again at Wizard World Chicago in a little over a week -- hope to see you all then!

Comic-Con International: San Diego is coming up, and I have a few notes for your schedule:

I wrote the intro for the comics and graphic novels section for next year's Novel and Short Story Writer's Market -- but you don't have to wait to hear some of what's in it. On Friday, from 10:30-12:00, I'll be speaking in the Impact University: How to Write and Draw Comics and Graphic Novels panel. I did this a couple of years ago with Will Eisner and Lea Hernandez, and it was really a lot of fun.

This year's panel also includes Marv Wolfman (Crisis on Infinite Earths, New Teen Titans), Matt Haley (Superman Returns artist), Jim Salicrup (editor-in-chief, Papercutz), Maggie Thompson (editor, Comics Buyer's Guide), and Peter David (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, X-Factor), Peter has a book on writing comics coming from Impact Books -- I helped direct them to him in the beginning, and am thrilled that it was able to turn into a project for them.

That's Friday from 10:30-noon in Room 8 upstairs.

And as Friday is Star Wars day, I'll be signing at the Dark Horse booth from 4-5 p.m. with fellow Knights of the Old Republic creators Brian Ching, Michael Atiyeh, and Dustin Weaver. Wouldja believe it's my first time meeting these guys in person? Amazing how well people can collaborate remotely these days...

This year, Dark Horse is also giving away a galaxy map, including several of the locations seen so far in KOTOR (and some that we'll be visiting in the future). Bring your KOTORs and your Empire #35s -- Brian and I will be happy to sign 'em.

Apart from that, I'll be out and about in the hall -- sometimes at the Dark Horse booth, sometimes at the F&W Publications/Comics Buyer's Guide booth, sometimes over where my artists are set up. Schedule updates will be here, if any happen. Hope to see you there!