You know, I always hear about everyone's early STAR WARS memories, and the story of how seeing the movie changed their life. My story is similar and very dear to my heart, but what do you all 'really' remember about your magical STAR WARS childhoods? What really brings back the nostalgia?

Perhaps it was the time you convinced that girl to give you a kiss for 'good luck' as you prepared to swing across the swing-set at recess...

Perhaps it was the time you got to play Han Solo (the action figure) at your buddy's 8th birthday party...

Or perhaps it was the first time you drank milk out of your EMPIRE STRIKES BACK collector's glass from Burger King.

For me, many of my childhood STAR WARS memories stem from the books and comics. Here, my imagination would wander from this early Expanded Universe, and inevitably create my own stories in the STAR WARS galaxies. I have really fond memories of the first STAR WARS Pop-Up-Book... And trying to draw the pictures of Han aiming his blaster from the Marvel Comics...

And who could forget reading along with the record as you followed Chewie through the PLANET OF THE HOOJIBS?!

These are were some of the most magical STAR WARS memories for me, and it definitely guided me to where I am today. I never in a million years believed that one day I would be writing or illustrating STAR WARS books and magazines. And who knows, maybe twenty years from now, someone will be writing about nostalgic memories of the first time they saw a STAR WARS book I illustrated, or when they tried to draw a character from one of my HOW TO DRAW STAR WARS articles from the magazines...

I'm sure I speak for us all, but I just love those warm and fuzzy STAR WARS memories.

The Force will be with us... Always.