Intermission strip 1. This is based on an earlier version of explaining this physical implausibility. We decided to take a different direction in the story to make use of the liquefied space-time, which we invented after the first draft of this version.
aurilee writes:
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Hah! Even while non-canon, Jim is amazing at explaining. Piezoelectric gravel would be pretty amazing to see as well. Though possibly also extremely dangerous; that much electrical force holding things up is bound to have a lot of energy behind it. I certainly wouldn't trust my skin to stay enough of an insulator in this environment.
Quantum goop is a much better explanation still however. Just imagine all the fun the players could have had if it hadn't all been spent getting rid of Nute! Rey or Artoo could have ended up being a university professor or some such with these kinds of discoveries, possibly in some sort of building for High Energy....
This is the last canon strip of Episode IX, ending our story after a long journey. We have our usual handful of non-canon "intermission" strips—four in this case—even though this isn't strictly speaking an intermission. The final bonus strip will appear on Thursday 25 September, and then we'll be done. We're not planning to continue with any other Star Wars media, and we're going to take a well-earned break.
Darths & Droids first appeared online 19 years and one day ago, on 14 September, 2007. The date is a pure coincidence; we didn't even realise it was almost exactly 19 years until after this strip was completed and we looked it up to remind ourselves when we began.
We began fully expecting to only do six movies, since that's all that existed at the time. Plans to make Episode VII were announced on 30 October, 2012, while we were in the middle of producing our version of Episode IV - A New Hope.
Episode VII was released in December 2015, while we were making Episode VI. This was a challenge. Our story planning had been up to six movies in advance, so that we could sow the appropriate plot seeds well ahead of time. How could we possibly begin writing our version of Episode VII without seeing Episode VIII and IX?
Fortunately Rogue One came to the rescue, released in December 2016, seven months before we completed Episode VI. We adapted that while we waited for Episode VIII (December 2017) and Episode IX (December 2019). However we completed Rogue One in January 2019, so still wanted to wait another year before beginning work on Episode VII. We considered adapting Solo (released May 2018) next, but eventually had a better idea. We temporarily slowed down to one strip a week and produced a story based on the Star Wars episode of The Muppet Show (The Invisible Hands). That took us into 2020, and we began our sequel trilogy in March of that year.
The extra time we gained allowed us to secretly work on our version of Solo, quietly in the background, while producing regular new strips for publication. Eventually we released all 234 strips of Solo all in one hit, on 14 August, 2022, as a bonus Easter egg on the Episode VII strip of that day.
The planning time we gained allowed us to integrate the story of the sequels into our established continuity for the first six movies. Some things required some very creative thinking. Others fell so naturally into place that we occasionally wondered if the people writing the official films were taking ideas from us. (Realistically we know that shouldn't happen, but still...)
And there are things we've been waiting to reveal ever since we started. Some that we planned to reveal by the end of Episode VI got carried forward into the sequels and were only revealed in Episode IX.
But now the journey is finally over. It should have ended nine years ago, in 2017, with the ending of Episode VI. But here we are another nine years later. The writing team have often reflected that we never knew what we were really getting into on that day back in 2007 when we had the crazy idea to adapt Star Wars in a way pioneered by DM of the Rings, by the late Shamus Young. He began a whole genre of webcomics, and we are indebted to his work.
And naturally we are indebted to George Lucas and everyone else who made Star Wars a reality. And to you, the readers who followed our journey and made it feel worthwhile to continue a hobby that ended up taking 19 years to complete.
aurilee writes:
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
A nice quiet little fade out to end the movie. For the most part, I think I like what I see of this movie more than Episode VIII. Yeah, there's some weird decisions for a few specific scenes, and Palpatine came back because Kylo was too whiny to make for a good villain. But none of the characters seemed like they were making stupid decisions just to make something happen so there could be a movie with those stupid decisions.
Aside from the odd difference where the two suns are between the two panels, I really like this last little bit. Especially how they're layered in the first panel. It's like a solar BB-8! The robot buddies do tend to be some of the nicer parts of Star Wars, so it's good to see little nods to them like this.
As always, thanks for considering joining my Patreon, where you can get early access to comics and exclusive commentaries; and for using my Amazon Affiliate links (US, UK, Canada). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
It's good to have a nondescript and forgettable name. Although often players in games want to try and have memorable and bombastic names.
You can turn this into a bit of fun. "Your name is Brakkus Stonejaw, the Mountain That Walks? Well, I don't think I'll ever forget that, that's for sure." Let the party know that there's no way they'll ever get away with anything incognito.
aurilee writes:
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Well, I don't know if that name's one nobody has heard before, but I think that's an appropriate name to claim now. It's really close to Starkiller, you know? And while this isn't to hide from the Empire or suspicious barkeepers, it amounts to the same thing of avoiding the past, right?
Neat that they got old woman Jira to show up again. I bet there's meant to be some meaning there, especially with Luke and Leia showing up. Renaming herself in the movie here would be a little odd, unless Rey's been going with a different last name this whole time. Which would be a little odd, but not extremely so.
Weapons can of course be incredibly significant. They may have a storied history. They may be the symbol of true kingship. They could be magical.
In a typical fantasy setting with warriors and wizards, the magic-users get access to cool magical spells, but the fighter-types don't. One way to address this imbalance is to give fighters cool magical weapons, that the wizards don't get to use. This is a major reason why in early versions of Dungeons & Dragons the magic-users had severely restricted weapon choices. The sword+3 that is intelligent, speaks three languages, detects traps, and casts light and invisibility on command is something exclusively for the fighters, to give them awesome powers. And fighter progression can be based on them finding increasingly amazing magical weapons.
aurilee writes:
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
That's a good way to make a hole. I think it'd have been better if the hand gesture was more of a splitting motion than just holding a hand in place, but that's because I've got the time to think about how the sand would need to be compressed or dissolved to just have a hole appear like this. At least burying them here is probably better than losing them down another bottomless pit. Who knows where they'd turn up again if that happened!
Perfectly unremarkable, eh? Being yellow is totally not a sign of being unique. Nope, nothing new here, move along. To be serious though, making it yellow is an odd decision for the movie. We've got pretty much no time to show it off here. Why not make it green like Luke's was at the end of Episode VI? All of the others I remember from the sequels were blue or red, so we're missing green as one of the classic colors.
With only a few weeks to raise money for this incredible local charity, I doubted $10,000 was realistic (usually the campaign raises at least twice that much).
However, two days in from the launch, you incredible people have already smashed the first two stretch-goals, and are just a few hundred dollars away from $10,000 – wherein I will get on my bike for the first time since the concussion, and cycle (SAFELY) around the Bike the Barns parking area once or twice!
I’m blown away, to be honest. And as a thank-you to everyone, I’ve re-arranged the stretch-goals!
Now, at $14,000 (as opposed to $20,000), I will wear the duck as I (SAFELY) peddle around the parking lot. (In fact, I’ll keep the duck on my head as I pass around Duck buttons to other riders, allowing them to cycle with a duck!)
And as another incentive, should we near $20,000, I will again wear BOTH ducks on my head.
More goodies/swag/bribes will be added as we (hopefully) pass certain markers:
PASSED $5,000 – A sticker commemorating the weird-ass “Safety First” Insane Charity Bike Ride 2026 campaign will be included with all physical orders.
PASSED $7,500 – A new Duck Button will be included with all physical orders. You too may now cycle with a duck!
Screenshot
Passing $10,000 – I’ll take to my bike for the first time since my fall!
Passing $12,000 – A second sticker commemorating the weird-ass “Safety First” Insane Charity Bike Ride 2026 campaign will be included with all physical pledges.
PASSING $14,000 THE DUCK! THE DUCK! THE DUCK! I’ll cycle for the first time concussion with the Steve Jackson Games Duck of Doom on my helmet again!
Passing $16,000 – A unique Munchkin card commemorating the weird-ass “Safety First” Insane Charity Bike Ride 2026 campaign will be included with all physical orders..
Passing $18,000 – Sticker and buttons for ALL riders participating in Bike the Barns 2026, so the entire ride gets a duck on their head (should they so wish)!
Passing $20,000 – THE SECOND DUCK! I’ll ear both the Duck of Doom AND the Duck of Gloom on my helmet (The Duck of Gloom add-on is dedicated to my late friend Andrew Hackard, who first suggested two ducks years ago.)
Take care with mysterious objects. They are pretty mysterious, after all.
Here's a tip: If you're running a fantasy game and the PCs can detect magic, give them an item that radiates magic. But don't tell them what it does. Nothing they do can figure out what the item actually does.
They'll probably give up after a while, but still hang on to it, just in case.
Then when they've forgotten about it...
aurilee writes:
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Well, probably not; hating sand would be your grandpa's thing. Luke seemed to like it on Tatooine from what I remember. At the very least, he never said he disliked anything about the planet or parts of it. Except maybe Jabba; I don't recall the dialogue from that part of the movie well.
Bundling up both lightsabers to presumably bury in the sand? That's a little odd; I would have thought Rey would hold onto at least one of them. If nothing else, Disney would want to keep their new Jedi as obviously being a Jedi. And for obvious Jedi-ness, you gotta have a lightsaber. Maybe she's made a new one. That would be fitting, I think, even if this is the very end of the movie.
I've been meaning to try going to the gym for a while. Then this summer I discovered my local leisure centre were doing a weekend of trying things out for free to tie into the Commonwealth Games. For the gym it said there would be a staff member there to show you how things worked, which would be handy given that I didn't really have a clue.
As it turned out I didn't see a single staff member anywhere in the building. But it also turned out that most things were self-explanatory, had instructions or I had some experience of. ( Read more... )
Over those 14 years, Dork Tower readers (YOU!) and Munchkin players (YOU AGAIN!!) have raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for a wonderful local charity providing a critical important service in the fight against food insecurity.
This year will be VERY different, however:
In July, I fell, smashing my head on the pavement, blacking out, concussed.
Under Doctor’s orders (and my wife’s stern-but-loving supervision), I won’t be able to join the 2026 ride.
HOWEVER, if we hit the $10,000 goal, I am allowed to get on my bike for the first time since the concussion! I’ll cycle around the parking lot once or twice – POSSIBLY WITH A DUCK ON MY HEAD -but for me, this will represent as major an achievement as if I’d biked 60 miles in previous years.
Another big change: timeliness! In 2025, backer swag went out ridiculously late. This was entirely on me. But to make sure this does not happen again, all the swag will be drawn and completed and ready to go to press as soon at the ride is completed!
And the swag will be AWESOME: The original Munchkin card art at the $400 and above levels will be from the Munchkin 2nd Edition core set (as opposed to “corset.”) This will be your chance to own a classic Munchkin card that will define the game for decades to come!
I’ve added Sponsorship levels, so companies can pick up advertising at DorkTower.com that is 100% a charitable deduction, tax-wise. These may be added onto any level.
Finally, one of the stretch-goals is to provide Duck stickers and badges for all the other riders, so that EVERYONE in the event, should they wish, can ride with a Duck on their head (or possibly pinned to their saddle bag).
This has been a VERY weird time for me, to be sure, but with your support, we can continue to support local CSA farmers (who have already been hard-hit) and low-income a (even harder hit).
$125 – The Dork Web! You will get a PDF of the next Dork Tower collection as soon as it’s ready, before publication! This is the volume one of a new series, collecting the Dork Tower web strips for the first time! Plus the 2026 Button, the 2026 Postcard and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF.
$400– Original Art from the Munchkin 2nd Edition Core Set!!! I don’t sell original Munchkin art. This is the only way you can obtain a piece, and this year the pieces come from one of the most important releases in Munchkin history! Plus, you get the Beholder plushie, The Dork Web PDF, the 2026 Button, 2026 Postcard, and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (20 of 20 remaining)
$500 – The Dork Web physical book, which is scheduled to be published Spring 2027! Plus, you get the Original Munchkin Second Edition Art, the Beholder plushie, The Dork Web PDF, the 2026 Button, 2026 Postcard, and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (20 of 20 remaining) (Please note that the book itself will be sent later, upon publication, and will be numbered, signed, and sketched in)
$750 – Appear in a Dork Tower Comic!You, a friend, your family, or even a pet will appear in a Dork Tower strip! We can talk about how best to fit you or your loved one into a strip. You also get the Dork Web physical copy (upon publication), the Original Munchkin Second Edition Art, the Beholder plushie, The Dork Web PDF, the 2026 Button, 2026 Postcard, and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (4 of 4 remaining)
$2,000 – Become an Official Munchkin Card! You, a friend, your family, or even a pet will become an official Munchkin card! You also get 100 printed cards and the card’s original art, along with the Dork Web physical copy (upon publication), the Original Munchkin Second Edition Art, the Beholder plushie, The Dork Web PDF, the 2026 Button, 2026 Postcard, and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (4 of 4 remaining)
SPONSORSHIP LEVEL 1 – Add $1,250 to any level for six months of ads on DorkTower.com. The ads may be changed up to four times and may include Dork Tower characters. Your company will be listed as a sponsor on all materials, and will be included in an upcoming Dork Tower comic strip or series, which I will write after working with you on the topic or game you’d like covered. (2 of 2 remaining)
SPONSORSHIP LEVEL 2 – Add $2,000 to any level for a full year of ads on DorkTower.com. The ads may be changed up to eight times and may include Dork Tower characters. Your company will be listed as a sponsor on all materials, and will be included in an upcoming Dork Tower comic strip or series, which I will write after working with you on the topic or game you’d like covered. (2 of 2 remaining)
PLEASE NOTE, there may be an added cost for shipping the physical rewards outside of the United States, depending on the whims of the current US administration. We apologize deeply for this, and will contact supporters as the time approaches.
STRETCH GOALS (updated 9/9)
PASSED $5,000 – A sticker commemorating the weird-ass “Safety First” Insane Charity Bike Ride 2026 campaign will be included with all physical orders.
PASSED $7,500 – A new Duck Button will be included with all physical orders. You too may now cycle with a duck!
Screenshot
Passing $10,000 – I’ll take to my bike for the first time since my fall!
Passing $12,000 – A second sticker commemorating the weird-ass “Safety First” Insane Charity Bike Ride 2026 campaign will be included with all physical pledges.
PASSING $14,000 THE DUCK! THE DUCK! THE DUCK! I’ll cycle for the first time concussion with the Steve Jackson Games Duck of Doom on my helmet again!
Passing $16,000 – A unique Munchkin card commemorating the weird-ass “Safety First” Insane Charity Bike Ride 2026 campaign will be included with all physical orders..
Passing $18,000 – Sticker and buttons for ALL riders participating in Bike the Barns 2026, so the entire ride gets a duck on their head (should they so wish)!
Passing $20,000 – THE SECOND DUCK! I’ll ear both the Duck of Doom AND the Duck of Gloom on my helmet (The Duck of Gloom add-on is dedicated to my late friend Andrew Hackard, who first suggested two ducks years ago.)
As always, thanks for considering joining my Patreon, where you can get early access to comics and exclusive commentaries; and for using my Amazon Affiliate links (US, UK, Canada). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
People inherit stuff. So it could happen in a game campaign. If it's either established that one or both of a PC's parents are alive, or if it's ambiguous because there's no specific backstory about them, then you can have them die at some point. Another option is the good old "long lost relative" that they haven't heard from in years or didn't even know about.
The PC gets the news of the death, and is also informed that they've inherited something interesting. Don't just make it money. Make it a property, or a weird artefact. Of course, whatever it is presents problems!
Maybe the property is haunted, or costs more to upkeep than it's worth, or comes with an obligation of fealty to the king. Or all three. The artefact is cursed, or magical, or sought after by an evil lich. Or all three. You get the idea.
aurilee writes:
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Honestly, this doesn't look too bad for like 30 years later. For a giant pit in the middle of a sand desert, that we know has extremely strong wind storms, it's pretty empty of sand. I wonder if we're going to see some critters or beings hanging around down here. Likely nothing dangerous enough to fight given that this is the end of the movie, but seeing something would be nice.
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