Pete Vilmur, writing at StarWars.com, takes us on a journey from 1978 to present day, looking at the numerous Lucasfilm holiday cards created over the past 44 years, including those created by legendary Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie. We select our favourites….
1978 Star Wars Corporation, UK: Ralph McQuarrie’s first Lucasfilm holiday card illustration appeared on a rare card distributed by Star Wars Corporation’s (the production company created to make Star Wars) UK office in 1978, which was readying The Empire Strikes Back production.
1978 Star Wars Corporation, US: For the US 1978 holiday card, the Star Wars Corporation utilized a famous illustration by John Alvin of the droids equipped as a two-man band. The illustration was originally used on a very rare Star Wars concert poster.
1979 Lucasfilm: R2-D2 and C-3PO shed the musical instruments of 1978 to don more holiday-appropriate garb for the 1979 Lucasfilm holiday card, illustrated by Ralph McQuarrie.
1980 Lucasfilm: McQuarrie’s artwork for Lucasfilm’s 1980 holiday card was also the cover illustration for the only Star Wars Christmas album to date: Christmas in the Stars.
1981 Lucasfilm: McQuarrie’s Santa Yoda actually appeared on two different holiday cards from Lucasfilm in 1981, one blue and one white, giving collectors an extra variant to hunt down (the illustration was resurrected again for the company’s 2012 card, making three variations to find!).
1983 Lucasfilm:Ewoks were the obvious choice to front the 1983 holiday card, as many toy versions of them would be given as gifts to young fans that year. Art by Ralph McQuarrie.
1994 Lucasfilm: Jumping ahead over a decade to 1994, McQuarrie imagined a festive Jawa gift exchange on Tatooine.
2000 Lucas Learning:Padmé‘s dress doubles as a holiday tree in this stunning card from Lucas Learning created by Maryn Roos.
2000 Lucasfilm: Kids on sleds are in for the ride of their lives in this whimsical card from 2000 created by Kathryn Otoshi, Philip Metschan, and Angela Ursillo.
2009 Lucasfilm: The 2009 Lucasfilm holiday greeting card, which dons a festive Clone Wars theme, was designed by artists Harrison Parker and Kelly Smith.
2013 Lucasfilm: ILM artist Tyler Scarlet designed this troupe of caroling bounty hunters, taking some creative liberty devising mouths for some of its vocally-challenged members.
2016 Lucasfilm: ILM concept artist Doug Chiang created this stunning pop-up illustration of K-2SO, R2-D2, and BB-8 for Lucasfilm’s 2016 holiday card.
2020 Lucasfilm: Artist Christian Alzmann created a whimsical digital card of Din Djarin and Grogudashing through the snow on a rocket sled for Lucasfilm’s 2020 holiday card.
2021 Lucasfilm: To celebrate Lucasfilm’s 50th anniversary, and to also highlight some of the company’s productions to come, artist Amy Beth Christiansen created a digital card filled with various Lucasfilm characters including Indiana Jones, Ahsoka, Willow, Omega, Grogu, Cassian Andor, and others.
2022 Lucasfilm: This year’s digital Lucasfilm holiday card, which depicts a Jello-toting Darth Vader being warmly welcomed by Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Yoda, Artoo, and others, was created by ILM’s Aaron McBride.
To see all the cards released over the last 44 years, head to StarWars.com for a full breakdown.
