Ahsoka Tano by Daniel Warren Johnson

I was lucky enough to see Felix’s email about the DWJ signing in Berkeley right as it came in so I secured a spot on the sketch list. Once on the list I knew immediately the world in which the sketch would be a part of: Star Wars.

I’ve always been a fan of Star Wars but it wasn’t until The Clone Wars series, and the additional universe building that followed on small and big screen, that I realized what fantastic and diverse stories could spin off of the main Skywalker saga.

And then, not too long ago, I came across DWJ’s take on the Star Wars universe through his commissions, sketches and mini comics. Holy hell, how utterly savage and incredible.

My expectations were high when picking up the sketch, but they were far exceeded even still when this was handed over to me. So much to take in: the fury in Ahsoka’s face, her arms thrown back forming a subtle ‘X’ across the page with the clone trooper’s arms, the predominant ‘X’ of where her lightsabers cut swathes through the trooper, the bits and pieces trailing the path of the lightsabers. I am beyond thrilled with how this sketch turned out.

Even if the day never comes where DWJ is allowed do a Star Wars miniseries with no creative constraints (which admittedly is all but certain given Disney and Lucasfilm’s policy when it comes to Star Wars content) at least there will be these small glimpses of this savage and gritty universe that crop up from time to time.