Q: Where did the idea for a radio drama originate?
A: Rise of Nobility was a direct result of the Moisture Farm Co-Op. That was the name of our Star Wars fan club here in Richmond, VA. Of course, that was before personality clashes brought an end to the group a few years ago. Despite the group collapsing, our audio project continued. It was basically just an idea we all had of doing something fun together as a group. We knew we lacked the talent and resources to do a fan film, however a member's friend actually broadcasted on a local unauthorized radio station. So the idea kind of grew out of getting it aired there.

Q: Why was Star Wars Tales #5 chosen for a type of "spin-off"?
A: Well, actually there are two spinoffs on the horizon. Both under the same umbrella so to speak, but one of them I am producing and the other one I am not. This is mainly due to time restraints. But as for Star Wars Tales #5, well...I love the story and how it fits in with the existing Star Wars universe. I kind of see it as not only an extension of what happens between Amidala and Palo as mentioned in Episode 2, but also as a possible extension of what we already did in Rise of Nobility. It just seemed to fit nicely as a project. Plus, it's short and something I knew I would be willing to finish if I started it.

Q: Can you give us any teasers for A Summers Dream?
A: If you mean audio teasers, some will be forthcoming soon as MP3's of the week. You'll get to hear what the characters will sound like. I'd say probably in the next month sometime. As to the story, you can buy a copy of Tales #2 the graphic novel (available in most book stores) and check out Terry Moore's original story there.

Q: Do you ever hope to be featured on Star Wars En Direct Radio?
A: Actually, I've only listened to the show a few times since it began. Mainly because my French is so rusty I couldn't have understood a word they were saying. Of course when I visit France in a few months, I will certainly be put to the challenge. But since they have recently switched to an English format, it wouldn't be out of the question if they asked. I used to be an avid Jedi Talk fan, so I do think the opportunity would be quite fun.

Q: How exactly did you find the voices? I know the voice of Natalie was recruited from TFN, but what of the others?
A: Actually, our Natalie Portman (Elizabeth Ascot) would be the perfect guest for Star Wars En Direct! She too is from Canada. We were very lucky to find Elizabeth. It's not every day you run into someone who has the talent of say a Ben Fletcher at recreating a popular Star Wars character (for those of you who don't know Ben, he's the best Darth Vader voice you'll ever hear). For Rise of Nobility, most of our actors were from Richmond. Some from the Moisture Farm Co-Op and a few from the acting community (like Susan Highsmith, Cory Dell and Evan Slaasted). Others we found on the fanfilms forums at TFN like we did with Elizabeth. Of course, this was before the advent of Starwarsfanworks.com. As for A Summer's Dream, Elizabeth and myself are both returning, and we have a few new faces to the team that have done work with Nathan Butler's Chrono Radio and his Anthology series. Our new narrator is new to the audio community.

Q: What was the most challenging part of this project?
A: Rise of Nobilty was difficult for many reasons, but the biggest difficulty was just keeping things together over the course of 4 years. Trying to keep the cast and crew motivated, trying to get schedules worked out, and most of all just getting the different opinions sorted out. When you work with such a large group of people, obviously you're going to get a lot of conflicting ideas. But I think what helped us overcome this was just using common respect for everyone's opinions. Knowing when to let go of your own passion to see that someone else's passion is as equally important. Everyone sacrificed in one form or another. And that's what got us through.

Q: Thanks for doing this Interview, anything you'd like to add?
A: You're very welcome. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell you more about our work. There are two thigns I'd like to add. Sometimes I really wish I could make a movie because I am typically a visual person. But creativity isn't overrated. Fan Films are typically a bunch of guys dressed up as Jedi swinging toy lightsabers at each other. That's all fine and dandy to want to play Jedi, but my hope is that the Fan Film community would really take the hint from all us audio guys. Movies aren't just about cool effects and choreography. Films are 50% sound and 50% visual and good acting is a key element. My advice is for them to free their minds to see what other wonders are out there in the Star Wars universe. There are just so many stories that can be told besides the cliche of a Jedi vs Sith stuck in a forest. There's much much more. And if you'd like to stay informed on A Summer's Dream or Linda Lyon's untitled Palpatine story, you'll want to keep an eye out on Rise of Nobibility and StarWars Fan Works.