Exclusive Rebelscum.com & TheForce.net Q&A with Marvel Star Wars artist John Cassaday:

John, thanks for taking some time to answer a few questions for us today.

Q: To start, did you have any idea that Marvel’s relaunched Star Wars comic series would be as popular as it’s been becoming such a big seller with multiple printings?
A: We had an idea of what it would do and were confident in a big launch, but I’m not sure anyone saw THAT coming. But if a comic book is gonna do that, it’s the new first issue of Star Wars from Marvel Comics, right? We worked hard on it and are proud, but you don’t think of that kinda thing at the time. It’s just a beautiful bit of icing on the cake.

Q: Do you have a favorite issue from the Skywalker Strikes arc?
A: The first issue has a special place in my heart because it’s the beginning of it all, but #5 is a favorite too. I feel like we hit our stride and that it’s as close to a perfect overall Marvel Star Wars comic as we could manage. From beginning to end, it’s a fun issue.

Q: Are there any plans for you to work on future Star Wars comics for Marvel?
A: I did what I set out to do and helped launch the book and I’m really good with that for now. I’d best answer to some of the other things calling my name. But I do love those characters…

Q: If you had your choice of any point in the Star Wars timeline about any character(s) to create a one-shot comic, what might we see?
A: I love the span between Empire and Jedi, but the window we did our book in is hard to beat. We had the A team.

Q: I read that New Jersey Comic Expo will be your first show ever in New Jersey. Are you excited to be headlining the event?
A: Absolutely. I know the organizers and know what a great con they’ll throw. And the guest list is terrific- I look forward to catching up with some awesome comic folks, professional and fan alike…!

Q: When you do an event like this, what’s the one thing you look forward to the most?
A: Meeting the fans, no question. It’s a wonderful and unique thing and I’m lucky to get to experience it.

Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and do you have your tickets yet?
A: I do have tickets. I’ll sell them to you for a mere 500% mark-up. Excited…? Well, you wanna be careful about hype, as we’ve all been bitten by that dog, but I am incredibly excited. I’ve got a good feeling about this.

John, thanks again for chatting with us and good luck with the show this weekend!

If you live in or around the Edison, NJ area, make plans to attend the New Jersey Comic Expo and meet John in person!