The Farce Awakens

It's a secret fact (well, maybe not so secret) that I am a big Star Wars fan. I've seen the movies countless times, read the novelizations and all the backstories, and bought the Lego sets. I blame good parenting.

That's a young me as Darth Vader. And my brother as a Lego brick.

So unless you've been stuck on a rock far away from the bright center of the universe, you know that Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out December 18th. Fans across the world were simultaneously giddy with anticipation while nauseous with fear for the much anticipated sequel. Was it going to be something fit for the trash compactor? Or worthy of thunderous applause?
Well, I saw it last night. It was pretty dang good. It hit all the right nostalgic notes and avoided the cluttery CGI trap house of practically every movie we saw in the trailers before. It has plucky droids on important missions, alien desert planets, unlikely orphan heroes, giant evil superweapons, and- well, let's just say there was a lot of homages to A New Hope. Which isn't a bad thing, incidentally.
Basically, like any great fan, I set out to watch all the movies beforehand, but like any great college student, I was snarled in finals last week. Upon finishing (on Tuesday) I still hadn't sat down and watched any. But I decided to do a dumb thing and watch them all before Thursday. This is more or less my experience.

I think my roommates were kind of annoyed I had finished finals and was enjoying myself before they could.

Worth it? Yes. Would I do it again? I'd rather kiss a Wookie.

What'd you think of The Force Awakens? Let me know in the comments below!

A Blogger's Book

It's been a little while. But, it's been an important while. I've fulfilled a lifelong dream! I'm a published author!
As you probably know if you actually read this blog, I wrote comics my entire mission. It was a good way to let off some steam and a surprisingly great way to chronicle two life-changing years. Hopefully it provided some level of entertainment for the folks back home.

Though I wouldn't say I got that much actual fan mail in response.

Since getting back, I've been working with the BYU Bookstore to have my comics published. And it happened! For anyone who's ever been interested in reading all the comics I wrote on my mission, they're here! Available on the BYU Bookstore website and on Amazon.com, if they ever get around to putting up the link. It's a pretty awesome feeling!
I was in Pennsylvania the other week. Talk about an incredible experience. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to see some great friends again and see the ways the gospel has been blessing and changing their lives. I got to visit a lot of members and missionaries. They loved the book!

 I disapprove of Elder Bramwell's tie length. But he's a big fan of the book!

Apparently even the other missionaries want in on the goods! (They're probably just hoping I featured them in a comic.)

At the risk of just making a bald-faced sales pitch, I'd really appreciate if you looked into buying the book. Here's a look at what you could be reading!

We've all had exchanges like this.

Enjoy!