Star Wars Tales #21 Delayed?
(source: Dark Horse Comics, 09-18-04)

Oh, the irony is just far too thick.

Based on recent revisions to Dark Horse Comics' list of upcoming Star Wars, it would appear that Star Wars Tales #21, featuring three new stories (including Fanworks founder Nathan P. Butler's first official Star Wars foray, Equals and Opposites) has been pushed back from its release date of September 29 by nearly a month to October 20!

The issue had originally been slated for September 8 when Dave Land was still editor of the series, then moved to September 29 by Jeremy Barlow to accomodate time for the changes in editors and format to be ironed out. So, for the last few weeks, solicitations in such publications as Previews still had it listed as September 8, and the Dark Horse website had the art cover version listed correctly at September 29, and the photo cover listed incorrectly at October 6. Now, the page has been revised to have both cover variations being released on October 20.

Given that part of the ChronoRadio episode that helped bring Butler to Barlow's attention in the first place was about how Dark Horse had failed to meet most of its Star Wars release dates in 2002, it's ironic (and probably what most fans expected) that the very issue to feature Butler's story would be delayed itself.

Rest assured, however, that Butler's story is finished and ready to go (with printouts of the final pages in Butler's hands already). But then, somehow the traditional smuggler's line ("It's not my fault!") just doesn't seem quite adequate to shrug off the amusement fans (and especially detractors) of ChronoRadio will have with this news.

In the words of C.J. Cregg of The West Wing when President Bartlet ran his bicycle into a tree . . .

"By all means, enjoy yourselves."