Real talk: 2024 was rough. So I’m gonna take a minute to celebrate some wins and share some thanks. I’ve already written about the past year on my gregpak.net blog, which you can feel free to check out for a more personal angle on all of this. But please read on for some highlights of the creative work I was able to do with awesome collaborators — and a big Happy New Year to you!

Finished a 50 issue run on DARTH VADER

Working on the DARTH VADER comics throughout the pandemic has been one of the great joys of my comics career. So I’m particularly proud of the way we wrapped up the run this year with an oversized issue #50 in September. Artists Raffaele Ienco, Paul Fry, Luke Ross, and Adam Gorham absolutely knocked the four stories in the book out of the park, with glorious coloring by Federico Blee, Frank William, Alex Sinclair, and Guru-eFX, cover by Leinil Yu, letters by Joe Caramagna, and editing by Mark Paniccia and Mikey Basso.

DARTH VADER #50 concluded the Schism Imperial arc and featured a final showdown between Vader and the Emperor with major denouements for Sabé, Ochi, and even Kitster and Wald and little Anakin Skywalker. We were able to pay off our big themes and put a button on our exploration of the tragedy of Darth Vader, and I loved the whole experience.

Thanks so much to all the readers and retailers who supported the book and massive love to everyone who worked on the entire series.

I’m also honored that the series was declared Best Comic of 2024 by TheHoloFiles.com — also nabbing the Fan’s Pick citation. Huge thanks, y’all!

Worked on some fun STAR WARS oneshots

Speaking of Star Wars, I also had the awesome chance to write two one shot comics this year — the PHANTOM MENACE 25th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL draw by Wil Sliny and the DARTH MAUL: BLACK, WHITE, and RED #4 book drawn by Luca Pizzari and Wil Sliny.

The PHANTOM MENACE book gave us a tremendous chance to dig deeper into the heart and soul of young Anakin and serves as a great companion to the main DARTH VADER series. The NerdyNook called it “truly incredible” and named it one of the best books of the year.

And the DARTH MAUL book was just a blast — a dark, bleak fable that along with the other Maul stories in the series ended up on Chad Burdett’s Top Ten best books of the year at Comic-Watch.com.

Worked on the Stop Project 2025 comic

I was proud to join an all-volunteer group of comic book artists and writers who worked like hell to put out the Stop Project 2025 comics, which you can read here. They remain a valuable resource to get a handle on what Project 2025 supporters have in mind for our country in the months and years to come.

Edited the A STORY IN EVERY OBJECT! Asian American comics anthology

A STORY IN EVERY OBJECT! features six stories by brilliant Asian American cartoonists about the history of personal objects in their families. The book was produced for the NYC DOE Civics for All Comics Group and is free to download in PDF form right here!

It’s one of the best books I’ve worked on in the last decade and I hope you’ll check it out. If you’re a teacher, you might find it really helpful as a way to get kids to think about history — and there’s a fun “make your own comic” section at the end of the book!

The incredible cartoonists include MariNaomi, Trung Le Nguyen, Nidhi Chanani, Shing Yin Khor, Gene Luen Yang, and Kolbe Yang. The stories they share in this anthology are so personal and funny and moving all at once; I’m so grateful to them and I hope you’ll love the book as much as I do.

Launched LAWFUL

In June, BOOM Studios launched the comic series LAWFUL, which tells the story of two young heroes coming of age in a world in which any time you break the rules, you turn a little more into a monster. The book’s drawn by the great Diego Galindo with colors by Irma Kniivila and letters by Simon Bowland, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Our amazing editors are Shantel LaRoque and David Mariotte.

LAWFUL’s one of the most personal books I’ve ever written and might be one of the best. Please feel free to check out the FreakSugar interview for more about the series.

Wrote eight issues of LILO & STITCH

LILO & STITCH is my favorite of the modern Disney animated movies and I was thrilled when editor Nate Cosby approached me about writing it and even more thrilled when we were able to bring Moana McAdams on board as a cultural consultant. The book’s drawn by the brilliant Giulia Giacomino with letters by Jeff Eckleberry, and you can buy signed copies of the first issue at the Greg Pak Shop!

Worked on a secret project I think you’ll love

Here’s a sketch I did in preparation for a secret project. I can’t say anything more about it except that it’s been a dream project for years and I think it’ll blow your minds. Cross your fingers for us in 2025!

What’s coming up?

SAM WILSON: CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 hits comic shops TODAY, January 1! And it’s already getting rave reviews! Please do check it out. The book’s written by yours truly and Evan Narcisse with interior line art by Eder Messias and Valentine De Landro, colors by Fer-Sifuentes Sujo, letters by Joe Caramagna, editing by Alanna Smith, and cover by Taurin Clarke.

Taurin and I will be doing a signing of the book starting at 2 pm on January 5 at Anyone Comics in Brooklyn — please do come by, NYC!

I’m also working on three (3) different unannounced and very exciting comics projects — more news on everything soon!

I hope you’re all having a restful day and wish you all as good a 2025 as we can make!