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A true genius. RIP
Where were you in '77?
The legend is gone - Ralph McQuarrie 3/3/12 — Page 2
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Goodbye Ralph, and thanks.
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McQuarrie's obit was on the CNN ticker. Pretty rare for a "behind the scenes" person to be mentioned.
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What a great concept artist, and could do matte paintings too! Even within a world that's becoming a lost art, he was a heavyweight.
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I'm fairly certain that the movie studios would have passed on Star Wars if it weren't for McQuarrie's art.
R.I.P to a true legend. You will be missed =(
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The far far away adventure I went on every week in 1977 - that was all him.
Damn.
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I always loved his art. RIP
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Sad news indeed. Without his wondrous work, I truly believe Star Wars would have turned out a lot worse. RIP
Since they're like poetry, what with the rhyming and all, I find that I only need to watch three out of the six films.
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A great artist gone, whose work truly gave a sense of looking at a universe. An actual place that you wound up gazing at for minutes on end just to drink in all of the intricate little details of the painting.
And only then do you realize that it's an image from Star Wars.
R.I.P.
VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader
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SilverWook said:
The very first piece of SW merchandise I can ever remember having was the Star Wars portfolio. I liked McQuarrie's designs better sometimes than what appeared in the finished film.
The ROTJ portfolio was one of my first SW items. I finally collected all 3 (the SW set was especially hard to find in the 1980s) and they were always among my most prized collectibles. I like the fact that some of the images are so different from the finished films--- they're fun to look at as "alternate" visions of the trilogy.
I'm very sorry to hear of his passing. There will never be another artist like him.
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SpilkaBilka said:
These two images in particular... I dunno, when I look at them, they take me somewhere special, a place even more fantastic and unimaginable than the movies themselves do... I can't put into words how they make me feel...
You took the words right out of my mouth, SpilkaBilka. That's exactly how I feel about McQuarrie's art, with this one being my favourite:
So cool, in fact, Kotobukiya made a statue of it:
RIP Mr. McQuarrie, and thanks for leaving behind such a wonderful legacy.
“It’s a lot of fun… it’s a lot of fun to watch Star Wars.” – Bill Moyers
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The world has lost a brilliant artist. He contributions to much of the art I love cannot be overstated.
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Sad news.
RIP Ralph
Thanks for everything.
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Not to derail the thread, but how do Lucas-apologists (TFNers... whatever we call them) value McQuarrie?
At the very least his awesome image of Vader is the reason Vader has a mask. How can that be acknowledged whilst still holding with Lucas's 'original intent' stories?
Will the ForceCast this week say, "McQuarrie was a guy who drew exactly what George told him straight from George's mind"?
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Mielr said:
I like the fact that some of the images are so different from the finished films--- they're fun to look at as "alternate" visions of the trilogy.
This may sound a little crazy, but I often fantasize about someone remaking Star Wars, but doing so with these "alternate" visions. Ie, remake the movie, but make the visuals as close to these McQuarrie illustrations as possible. Most important, try to get the feel. And of course, use some of the early scripts/story elements that I've been reading about in Secret History of Star Wars (amazing book!), which are absolutely fascinating to me. There are so many story versions with so many differences it's enough to make my head spin, but eg, have Father Skywalker and Vader be two different people.* I don't know if anyone could ever possibly pull something like this off better than I picture it in my head, but man it would be cool. Maybe it would work as an animated feature?
corellian77 said:
So cool, in fact, Kotobukiya made a statue of it:
Yes! I think it's so cool that they also made action figures based on the McQuarrie illustrations! http://www.sandtroopers.com/sandwatch/mcquarrie/ Beautiful work.
*(insane footnote about me: Star Wars is by far my favorite of the movies. And I love ESB, but I truly think the SW trilogy could have been so much more interesting, and could have shown us a much larger universe, if Vader was NOT Luke's father. When I watch Star Wars, I often pretend they are not related. I find it more enjoyable, but I am a weirdo).
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I'm stunned at how much this news hurts me. The man was certainly one of the main creators of the Star Wars we know and love.
RIP Mr. McQuarrie.
“It is only through interaction, through decision and choice, through confrontation, physical or mental, that the Force can grow within you.”
-Kreia, Jedi Master and Sith Lord
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TheBoost said:
Not to derail the thread, but how do Lucas-apologists (TFNers... whatever we call them) value McQuarrie?
At the very least his awesome image of Vader is the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">reason</span> Vader has a mask. How can that be acknowledged whilst still holding with Lucas's 'original intent' stories?
Will the ForceCast this week say, "McQuarrie was a guy who drew exactly what George told him straight from George's mind"?
You should ask dgr4 that question. She's one TFNer who justs loves to deemphasize the collaborative nature of the SW films.
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Mielr said:
I like the fact that some of the images are so different from the finished films--- they're fun to look at as "alternate" visions of the trilogy.
When I listen to the radio dramas, I like to visualize the characters and environments as they appear in McQuarrie's work. It truly is a cool way of experiencing an alternate version of the trilogy, as you say.
“It’s a lot of fun… it’s a lot of fun to watch Star Wars.” – Bill Moyers
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DuracellEnergizer said:
TheBoost said:
Not to derail the thread, but how do Lucas-apologists (TFNers... whatever we call them) value McQuarrie?
You should ask dgr4 that question. She's one TFNer who justs loves to deemphasize the collaborative nature of the SW films.
(It's been awhile but I think dgr is a dude?) But anyway the answer is: no, Mcquarrie is not particularly valued, nobody else from the '77-'83 period means much of anything to the cult, it's just like asking a scientologists about someone who left the church.
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SpilkaBilka said:
Mielr said:
I like the fact that some of the images are so different from the finished films--- they're fun to look at as "alternate" visions of the trilogy.
This may sound a little crazy, but I often fantasize about someone remaking Star Wars, but doing so with these "alternate" visions. Ie, remake the movie, but make the visuals as close to these McQuarrie illustrations as possible. Most important, try to get the feel. And of course, use some of the early scripts/story elements that I've been reading about in Secret History of Star Wars (amazing book!), which are absolutely fascinating to me. There are so many story versions with so many differences it's enough to make my head spin, but eg, have Father Skywalker and Vader be two different people.* I don't know if anyone could ever possibly pull something like this off better than I picture it in my head, but man it would be cool. Maybe it would work as an animated feature?
corellian77 said:
So cool, in fact, Kotobukiya made a statue of it:
Yes! I think it's so cool that they also made action figures based on the McQuarrie illustrations! http://www.sandtroopers.com/sandwatch/mcquarrie/ Beautiful work.
*(insane footnote about me: Star Wars is by far my favorite of the movies. And I love ESB, but I truly think the SW trilogy could have been so much more interesting, and could have shown us a much larger universe, if Vader was NOT Luke's father. When I watch Star Wars, I often pretend they are not related. I find it more enjoyable, but I am a weirdo).
I thought about McQuarrie figures back in 1978! Why didn't I write Kenner a letter? I still need to complete my set of those.
It's also a testament to the love of McQuarrie's designs that fans have been making helmets based on his work, even before the official concept Vader helmet came out.
http://www.starwarshelmets.com/mcquarrie-concept-darth-vader-helmets.htm
http://www.starwarshelmets.com/mcquarrie-concept-stormtrooper-armor-helmet.htm
http://www.starwarshelmets.com/fan-made-boba-fett-costume-armor-helmet.htm
I had a tiny forlorn hope before Episode III came out, that Anakin's first Vader suit would be the concept version.
Where were you in '77?
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anyone know why he was not included for the oscar for art direction? they got john barry and norman reynolds - why not mcquarrie?
im surprised at this - i thought all along he won. thank god he got one for cocoon
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Good question!
The oscars have been notoriously screwy for not recognizing certain people's contributions to films. Look how long it took for Ray Harryhausen to get one.
Where were you in '77?
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TheBoost said:
Will the ForceCast this week say, "McQuarrie was a guy who drew exactly what George told him straight from George's mind"?
My guess...
ForceCaster: "While Ralph McQuarrie's death is sad, every cloud has a silver lining. Now ILM can alter those original paintings to better illustrate George Lucas's brilliant original vision. Huzzah!"
Since they're like poetry, what with the rhyming and all, I find that I only need to watch three out of the six films.
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do conceptual artists not count as part of the design team? was he uncredited at the time?
[sob] i wonder how many mattes of his were removed by the special editions?
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his coruscant stuff is great
both of these pictures remind me of chicago
we never really did get to see coruscant on a street level, except for when anakin chased zam in AOTC.
woulda been kinda nice to see anakin and padme - just the two of them - taking a walk down the city streets, reflecting on things and contemplating their futures. and no, i don't mean the lame-ass walking-and-talking scenes we have now ;P