99 STORMTROOPERS JOIN THE EMPIRE

Last week, I was fortunate enough to check out an advanced copy of a new book written and illustrated by Greg Stones. It's called '99 Stormtroopers Join the Empire', and basically it tells the tale of what happens to 99 Stormtroopers who join the Empire. Although, with a title like that, I'm sure you could have figured that out for yourself. So, before I start making a pigs ear out of things, I best let Greg tell you about his book himself. Greg, it's now over to you, pal.


99 Stormtroopers Join the Empire


1) Tell us a little bit about yourself, Greg?   I am an artist, an author, and a lifelong Star Wars fan who lives and works in the United States.

2) What inspired you to create, ‘99 Stormtroopers Join the Empire’?   I was inspired to create this book because, call me crazy, but I LOVE STAR WARS! Even though I was only four at the time, I still vividly remember seeing the original film with my dad in theaters, and being terrified by those white-armored Imperial troops. But to be honest, I didn’t even know that creating a humorous Star Wars book was a possibility until Jeffrey Brown’s Darth Vader and Son was released in 2012, at which point I began harassing my poor editor with funny ideas, set in a galaxy far, far away.

3) In your own words how would you describe this picture-book?   My new book is pretty simple to sum up: It starts with 99 Stormtroopers joining the Empire, and then, by the end, there are no longer 99 Stormtroopers.

4) What is your favorite episode of Star Wars and why?   'The Force Awakens' is currently my favorite episode of Star Wars, because seeing that film on opening night back in 2015 made me feel like I was four years old again. I was literally paralyzed with happiness for two straight hours, mesmerized by the characters, the action, and the humor. It was an amazing experience.

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   Does Obi Wan Kenobi count? He could totally Jedi mind-trick everyone into thinking that '99 Stormtroopers Join the Empire' IS the book they're looking for! If his force ghost isn’t available for my promotional purposes, however, then I will settle for Mark Hamill. He seems like a fun, funny, and down to earth individual.

6) During your time in this field, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   What keeps me happy as an artist and an author is knowing that I make people happy. The creation of a book can be somewhat stressful, but when I get to witness people reading what I have created and actually laughing out loud, it is incredibly gratifying. It is nice to know that I am putting something out into the world that means something to other human beings.

7) If you had a personal motto, what would it be?   My personal motto is totally stolen from Han Solo in 'The Force Awakens': “This is not how I thought this day was going to go.” That is almost like every day for me. Which is both good and bad. But definitely good when it involves your editor calling you up to let you know that Lucasfilm has green-lit your Star Wars book!

Now for any more information please check out Greg's official facebook page or website. Better yet, why not pick yourself up a copy via the Abrams And Chronicle online store. Priced at £9.99, this 96 page book is one hell of a great read and I would highly recommend it. So go on, tweet-tweet, read-read, and may the force be with you.