SCRIPT AUCTION TO BENEFIT WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND

LegalDispatch 123

Jan 17, 2025

I have a short one for you this week as I have a few deadlines pressing, but I didn’t want to skip this week because I need to tell you about:

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE FUNDRAISER

I’m currently running an auction to raise money for the Red Cross’ California Wildfires Disaster Relief Fund.

The auction is running on my Bluesky account. I’m offering signed copies of any episode of Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, or Arrowverse crossover to the top-5 bidders.

(Truth be told, if you wanted a script written by me that isn’t Arrowverse-adjacent, like a comic script or the screenplay for the critically acclaimed Green Lantern movie, I’d hook you up as well.)

You can check out the auction here. It ends at 12 PM PST on Wednesday, January 22.

FEEDBACK

Jeff E. Gregory wrote in response to last week’s newsletter:

So sorry on the loss of your home, Marc. An excellent read about Billy Joel today.

Thank you for the kind words and well wishes. Fortunately, my house is still standing, although conditions were such that we had to evacuate shortly after I’d published last week’s newsletter.

Bill Fordes writes:

I am confused, as I often am: if Billy Joel does not exist — as I proved with “mathematical precision,” to quote my hero Captain Queeg — then how could that conversation have taken place?

What Bill is referring to here is an almost scholarly undertaking he pursued back when we were both writing for Law & Order. He summoned me into his office to reveal that he’d covered his whiteboard with the world’s most elaborate diagram of musicians and music that, he contends, proves that Billy Joel’s oeuvre doesn’t fit/exist into that world.

It was quite a stunning achievement, I must say (even though, of course, I disagree with his premise).

Heather Dancey writes:

Thank you for your thoughtful comments on the forest fires. I lost my home in the 2016 fire that took, if memory serves, around 2,500 structures from Fort McMurray, Alberta, and which was followed by devastating floods shortly after.
One positive takeaway was the love and support that I received from complete strangers from across the country and province. Old friends checking in, arts institutions offering tickets to events, retail stores that clothed us, homes that opened up and took us in, restaurants that provided food... If anything, in this total shit show we seem to be living in, I feel a little less hopeless knowing there are caring people out there who are doing what they can. I hope LA feels as much love as we did in the aftermath of such a harrowing event ❤️

I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your home. You’re absolutely right about these tragedies revealing generosity and humanity that is seen with less and less frequency these days.

Leave a comment

SHOOTING MY MOUTH OFF

I recorded a really fun podcast episode with the guys from Comic Book Club last week while attending FanExpo New Orleans. You can check it out by clicking here.

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS

As we careen towards the March launch of Star Wars: Jedi Knights more previews are trickling in.

First, I did an interview about the series with Polygon which you can check out by clicking here.

Polygon also published five new preview pages by our wonderful art team of Madibek Musabekov and Luis Guerrero:

And just today there was an official announcement that the second issue of the series will feature the in canon introduction of ATHA PRIME, a character created by Kenner to be the antagonist in what was intended to be a new post-Return of the Jedi Star Wars storyline. Unfortunately, the project never came to fruition. You can read the announcement below:

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS DEBUTS LONG LOST STAR WARS CHARACTER ATHA PRIME!

Atha Prime, a character originally designed for a '80s Star Wars action figure line that never materialized, makes his long overdue canon debut in STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS, a new comic series by Marc Guggenheim and Madibek Musabekov launching on March 5.

New York, NY- January 17, 2025 - A dark new threat is coming to the galaxy far, far away, but true Star Wars fans know he's been around much longer than anyone might expect!

Inspired by unused Return of the Jedi concept art, ATHA PRIME was planned to be the main villain for an unreleased Kenner toy line in the '80s, one that was intended to continue the success of Star Wars action figures following the release of the Original Trilogy films. Now, decades later, ATHA PRIME will officially debut in Marvel's upcoming STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS comic series.

Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and acclaimed Star Wars comics writer Marc Guggenheim and rising star artist Madibek Musabekov will introduce the character as a mysterious planet’s tyrannical ruler who boldly opposes the Republic and the Jedi Order.

Befitting his legacy, ATHA PRIME is spotlighted on John Tyler Christopher’s Action Figure Variant Cover for STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHT #1 and will also be featured on Ramon Rosanas’ Foil Variant Cover. ATHA PRIME was also previously teased on Rosanas’ “Sneak Preview” variant cover for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1.

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS #1 action figure variant cover by John Tyler Christopher

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS #1 foil variant cover by Ramon Rosanas

“While developing the series, Marc discovered this deep cut-the antagonist from Kenner's unrealized The Epic Continues toy line,” Editor Mark Paniccia explained. “We saw the original design and were immediately sold. What a cool character to bring into canon and what a perfect book to do it in!”

Hitting stands on March 5, STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS takes place before The Phantom Menace and stars legendary Prequel Trilogy icons like Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and more, including fan-favorite characters and all-new Jedi. Each thrilling issue follows a different Jedi duo on pivotal missions throughout the galaxy, with an overarching threat binding them together. Who is the mysterious new villain targeting Qui-Gon Jinn for death, and how will it force the Jedi Order to evolve for a new age?

“I love the idea that the Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy,” Guggenheim told Polygon in a recent interview. “But there are surprisingly few examples of that out there — mainly because the Jedi get sucked into the Clone Wars. I'm as much of a fan of the Clone Wars as the next guy, but I really craved seeing the Jedi doing their thing on a non-war footing. That’s the great appeal of this new Jedi Knights series: We really get a chance to see what the Jedi did before the Clone Wars and their eventual fall.”

Check out John Tyler Christopher and Ramon Rosanas covers along with Madibek Musabekov's design sheet, and preorder STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS #1 at your local comic shop today! For more information, visit Marvel.com.