Dark Empire Writer Tom Veitch Dies at Age 80

Tom Veitch, well known in the Star Wars comics world as the writer of Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, Empire’s End, Tales of the Jedi, Tales of the Jedi: Freedon Nad Uprising, and Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith, has passed away due to complications from COVID-19. His brother Rick Veitch announce his passing this morning on Facebook:

“Sad news. My brother, Tom Veitch, has passed away from Covid at 80 years of age.

Tom Veitch

1941-2022

Tom Veitch was born September 26, 1941, the eldest of six children, growing up in Walpole NH and Bellows Falls Vermont and was educated at Columbia University. From 1963 to 1965 he was an active participant in the literary florescence of New York’s Lower East Side through the St. Mark’s Poetry Project. His first published work, “Literary Days”, appeared from Ted Berrigan’s “C” Press in 1964. Other early books of poetry include “Toad Poems”, “Cooked Zeroes”, “My Father’s Golden Eye” and “Death College”. From 1965 to 1968 Tom was a cloistered Benedictine monk in Weston Vermont. The copper-enamel crucifix he sculpted still hangs in the main chapel at Weston Priory.

In 1968 he moved to San Francisco where he met his wife, Martha, wrote a novel “The Louis Armed Story” and edited his own poetry journal, “Tom Veitch Magazine”. In 1969, Tom began collaborating with artist Greg Irons on many underground comix, including “The Legions Of Charlies”, “Deviant Slice” “Slow Death” and “Skull Comix”. He also wrote scripts for comix illustrated by Richard Corben, Jack Jaxon and brother Rick Veitch. In 1973 he won the Big Table Award for Poetry. Two more novels were published,“Antlers In The Treetops” with Ron Padgett and “Eat This!”. In 1976, Big Sky published “Death College & Other Poems” with an Afterword by Alan Ginsberg.

Returning to Vermont in 1982 he worked for Hemmings Motor News. In 1988 he began collaborating with Scottish cartoonist Cam Kennedy on the Marvel/Epic Comics series “The Light and Darkness War” under editor Archie Goodwin. Tom sent the series to film director George Lucas who chose Tom and Cam to create all new Star Wars comics. Dark Horse released Tom and Cam’s “Dark Empire” in 1991, followed by “Dark Empire 2” and “Empire’s End” in 1995. Kenner released four toy action figures based on the series in 1998 and elements of the story were later incorporated into Star Wars films. Wikipedia credits the series with “sustaining the profitability of Star Wars in the 1990’s.”

Through the 1990’s and 2000’s Tom was an active writer of mainstream comics, including “The Nazz” with artist Bryan Talbot, “Clash” with artist Adam Kubert, and “My Name Is Chaos” with artist John Ridgway, and “Animal Man”, for DC Comics.

A life long spiritual seeker, Tom founded and moderated the popular internet message board, “Lightmind Forum” devoted to discussing various metaphysical schools of thought. He published a spiritual memoire, “The Visions of Elias (A True Story of Life In The Spirit)” in 2016 through his own Sky River Press.

Tom owned and operated Old Bennington Books, a bookstore in downtown Bennington, VT for many years.

He is survived by his wife Martha Veitch of Arlington, daughter Angelica Veitch Stasolla of Brunswick ME. two grandsons Tommy Walls and Jacob Walls of Brunswick ME, sister Wendy Lillie of Rockingham Vt, and brothers Robert D. Veitch of Minneapolis, MN Rick Veitch of West Townshend VT, Michael Veitch of Woodstock NY and Peter Veitch of Chester VT.”