One of the more unsung heroes of the creation of Star Wars outside of the hardcore fans that really delved into it is Ralph McQuarrie. With a lot of renewed attention on him due to the new Star Wars Rebels series that’s going back to his conceptual artwork for the original films and using that as inspiration and launching points for more, the official Star Wars YouTube channel has a new eight minute long tribute that has a lot of folks talking about his contributions, what it was like working with him and just how much he inspired so many of them.
Having grown up during this time myself, there were some beautiful art piece packages put out for the three original films with large, oversized prints that just threw you into a whole lot of what-if’s.
“Ralph McQuarrie, concept artist of the original Star Wars trilogy, was essential in bringing the characters, ships, and locales of a galaxy far, far away to life. In this special retrospective, Star Wars creator George Lucas, Industrial Light & Magic effects legend Dennis Muren, and many others discuss the impact of McQuarrie, his artistic gifts, and his legacy.”