As its the internationally recognised Star Wars Day its the perfect time to share some of my favourite Star Wars related art works.
Why Star Wars is still such a cultural phenome over 40 years since the release of A New Hope is hard to pinpoint. Maybe its the incredible range of merchandise, especially action figures which I find myself coveting as an adult not to mention the emergence of Star Wars Lego which I would have been all over as a kid. I can still remember the day a vicars wife came to collect our beloved toys which my mum had sold through an ad in the paper, £40 for a selection of figures including Luke & Wicket, a Tie Interceptor, AT-AT and Lukes X-Wing. She certainly got a bargain and I secretly suspect she was a toy seller and had plans to punt them on. I guess these things are all part of growing up but I do get nostalgia for my youth and those simpler times.
After reading the Star Wars Archives 77 - 83 (check it here) I was amazed at just how much thought went into the Star Wars universe with in depth interviews with creator George Lucas along with concept artists and designers like Ralph McQuarrie. The final films really didn't stray too far from his original concept paintings although the characters underwent numerous re writes and changes as George developed the stories into what we know and love today. Every detail has been worked up and refined to the last detail and I think that's why apart from Boba Fett's demise in Return of the Jedi, you pretty much have 3 perfect movies. Not a single scene is wasted, the John Williams score adds depth and scale and characters like Yoda capture the imagination.
Even the slightly ropey prequels which I've tried to re watch and appreciate have some solid moments although the Clone Wars cartoon, both the Genndy Tartakovsky series and the Dave Filoni series add so much to the series that was perhaps missing from the prequel trilogy. Filoni has indeed become the saviour of Star Wars after the rather baffling sequels which seemed to be disjointed and generally pissed off many hardcore fans (although they were Disney films for kids!). The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch have both become firm favourites introducing new characters and stories into the Star Wars universe while also paying a huge service to the fans both old and new.
With characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader making their way into popular culture of course that includes being imortalised and bastardised by artists. Sorry I got sidetracked thinking about why I love Star Wars but the point was to share some of my favourite Star Wars related artworks so here's a few pieces for your enjoyment from Ralph McQuarrie, RYCA, Flying Fortress, Nychos, floating world interpretations and a whole load more. Happy Star Wars Day, May The Force Be With You Friends!
.jpg)
