I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and when I was four years old my dad took me to see Star Wars in 1977. He stood in lines with me that wrapped around the theater for hours in the summer heat to see The Empire Strikes Back opening day in 1980 and we did it again in 1983 for Return of the Jedi. In 1981 we saw Raiders of Lost Ark three times in the first month of it's release. I even remember how excited he was for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when our local newspaper ran the first images from the film in an early review. We both couldn't wait to see this sequel either. For The Last Crusade we sat through the entire end credits, something my dad would never do since patience wasn't his best virtue, watching Henry Jones junior and senior ride together into the sunset.

Growing up with my parents I never really wanted for anything, most especially Star Wars toys. Every year there would be so many Kenner Star Wars toys under the Christmas tree that it was impossible for him and Mom to wrap them all. They became presents from Santa while everything else that was wrapped were from Mom and Dad. He took me to John's Comic Book Closet and Comic Carnival to buy me the Marvel Star Wars comics and on the weekends we'd hit the flea markets where we searched for the loose cards from dealers to complete my Topps Star Wars trading card sets. We'd spot Star Wars posters and other collectibles from vendors and he'd be sure to grab those for me as well. For my fourteenth or fifteenth birthday he even bought me every set of metal miniatures for the Star Wars Role-Playing Game from West End Games. My dad loved Star Wars, and collecting it for me, just as much as I did.

If it wasn't for him and the bond we shared for George Lucas' films I wouldn't have even have the career that I have right now and these amazing opportunities to work as an artist for Lucasfilm, Star Wars Insider, Dark Horse Comics, Wizards of the Coast, Topps and so on. Most of my best friends that I've met are because of my childhood fascination with Star Wars. Even when I'm not working on a project for Lucasfilm or one of their licensees, Star Wars is still a constant in life in one way or another and I can always trace it back to my very early years with my parents.

I've been very lucky, very privileged and very honored to have him for my father. He wasn't perfect, he made mistakes in life, but I know he always tried hard and did his best for me. He desperately wanted me to play professional sports when I grew up and I did my best to please him in gradeshool but to this day I still can't throw a football, hit a golfball, or make a three pointer like he tried so hard to teach me to. In fact, I think the pressure from letting him down so often just gave me further inclination to stay indoors on sunny afternoons spending more time drawing away on my own comic books. Regardless, he was excited about the talent I did have and would drive me to my Saturday morning art classes every weekend, to comic books conventions at the Holiday Inn downtown and he would be interested and entertained at my own characters and stories I came up with in my drawings.

Appropriately, the last movie we would end up seeing together in the movie theater was The Phantom Menace in 1999. It was in July and I had already seen the film nine times by this point, but I made a special trip home that month to make sure he got a chance to see it with me while it was still playing on the big screen. He thought Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn was the best Jedi ever and he especially enjoyed Darth Maul. Even though it was starting to get tough to get him out of the house around that time because of his health, I'm glad I talked him into it and we shared that experience together.

Almost exactly a year ago, early evening on Sunday April 24th 2005, when I left the Indiana Convention Center I drove to his house on the east side of town to spend some time with him before I drove back to Ohio. I proceeded to tell him how great the Celebration III weekend went for me, how I sold tons of artwork, met so many fans and signed comic books, posters and program books at my table in the art show and at the Dark Horse Comics booth (and because of Lucasfilm and Dark Horse I couldn't have asked for a better homecoming). My dad smiled and for the first time since I can remember I saw him shed tears of happiness as I described everything. It was then for sure that I finally realized I had made him as proud as I always wanted to.

Last Sunday, April 9th, my father passed away due to complications from diabetes. This is about as personal about my life that I'll probably ever get online but I feel the need to euologize him in some way since his memorial service was very brief (they way he wanted it to be) and this just seemed like the right place. I was home in Columbus, Ohio at work drawing so I wasn't with him when he passed. Though I got to to spend some time with him for a little while a few weeks back when I drove back home to Indy for a few days after finding out he was back in the hospital. He was in pretty bad shape but everyone thought he was going to pull through just like he did before. I seriously thought I had another chance to see him and was planning to call him again to check on him. He was a real tough guy, an Army veteran actually. He had always been overly protective of me and would never had let me known how bad things really were, even though, looking back now I realize he already seemed to know. I never got to tell him how grateful I was for everything he ever did for me as his son. But at least I knew he was proud of me which is something.

Hug your dads, give them a call just to see how they're doing, just to say hi. Maybe even take a Sunday afternoon off to watch Star Wars, Indiana Jones or any movie with them. It could mean a world a difference.

I love you, Dad. May the Force be with you.

David Joel Corroney (1945-2006)