1977 – We were in the right place at the right time, naturally we became Star Wars fans.
It was a different time for fans in late 1977 in the UK. We didn’t have all of the amazing spin-offs taken for granted now. We had very little, so what we could get our hands on meant so much more.
Star Wars took me by surprise, I thought no film could replace Jaws as my favourite but Star Wars set me on a course that affects me to this day.
I wanted to know everything there was to know, like I said, very little but what was available were the Marvel Comics and Magazines, featuring the great work of Artist Ralph McQuarrie. I treasured my first Poster from the Star Wars Fan Club of Lukes X-Wing being chased by Darth Vaders TIE Fighter. It was the first time I had heard of a Concept Artist and wanted to see much more of his work. Foraging in the likes of UK mag Starburst, USA mag Starlog etc. Anything with Star Wars and Ralph McQuarrie, well, I would buy it!!!
I loved what Ralph had done. It let me slip further into the Star Wars universe, beyond the movies and allowed me to fill my imagination with all kinds of wonderful worlds and creatures. I loved the `Art of Star Wars` books, I mean, yes, they had the scripts but I just wanted look at the paintings by Ralph. I loved the painting of a then female `Luke` standing atop a hill looking out at Mos Eisley as the Twin Suns of Tatooine, shone down. I loved the the Cantina sequence, as a young Luke was faced with an alien foe, remotes hovering in the background. And I especially loved the two droids in the desert.
I was doing a play in which I took on the responsibility of set decoration and put those three painting on the wall of the set, in a play that had nothing to do with Sci-Fi, I just wanted those pictures on the wall. If no one else knew what they were, at least I did.
One of the first things I featured on my old web site GEN, WAS the Artwork AND Concepts of Ralph McQuarrie, expanded now with the great work he had done with Kevin J Anderson in The Illustrated Star Wars Universe.
In losing Ralph, we have lost a visionary that I don’t think we will ever see the likes of again. Thankfully his influence is still felt today with many aspiring artists so his legacy WILL live on.
Rest In Peace Dear Ralph and thanks for the dreams.