Hats off to a brilliant collaborator

A really quick email today as I am spinning plates and fighting fires left, right and centre, but I didn't want to let the day pass without a shout-out to my pal, Ario Anindito.

Those who have been reading the Star Wars: The High Republic comic will know that Ario has been there since the beginning. We launched the series together in 2021, introducing the world to the then-Padawan Keeve Trennis and her master, Trandoshan Jedi Sskeer. And Ario has been beside me every step of the way, designing characters, ships, and the interior of Starlight Beacon. He even went back 150 years with me to Phase 1 to introduce Jedi Vildar Mac, Matty Cathlea, and roguish ex-Guardian Tey Sirrek.

Why couldn't I let the day pass? Because, as Ario revealed on X the other day, today's issue of Star Wars: The High Republic is his last!

It's fair to say, that I found a kindred spirit in Ario. We both love horror. We both love monsters. And we both love these characters we created.

Most of all, we love a good laugh together, as happened from the very first moment we 'met' albeit over Zoom, thanks mainly to the fact that we live on different continents and there was a global pandemic going on!

Here we are, fresh-faced and completely unaware of what THR had installed for us on 9th July 2020...

We've only managed to meet in real life twice - first at New York Comic Con in 2022 and then, last year, at Star Wars Celebration London where we finally got to sign together.

Ario's work on The High Republic has been truly stellar. He always went the extra mile and the acting of his characters is second to none. You can feel the emotion in his pages whether that's a rampaging rogue or a heartbroken hero!

I'm definitely going to miss working with him on THR, but we still speak all the time and... whisper it... Star Wars won't be our last time working together. Another project is already underway! More on that when we can talk about it – and that's just the beginning.

In the meantime, we don't often get a chance to say thank you to our collaborators publicly, but we should, and so I am! Thank you, Ario, for breathing life into THR and, most importantly, for our friendship!

Speak to you soon, brother!

As for the rest of you, please check out Ario's last issue which is on sale today.

Here are the first three pages to wet your proverbial whistle...

And, while talking about THR, if you haven't seen it, the official Star Wars: The Acolyte trailer has dropped!

The High Republic just got a LOT bigger!

Right, I better get back to those plates before they tumble to the ground!

Until next time, take care of yourself and each other!