Monday 20 June 2011

CLASSIC ART: FIRE IN THE SKY!


Here's a terrific and evocative piece of art by the late sci-fi talent John Berkey-a favourite illustrator of George Lucas- from sometime between 1976 and 77, showing Rebel X-wing fighters making their attack runs in, out and around the mighty planet killer, the Death Star, from the original STAR WARS. Sadly, this image from Berkey (whose other great film work would include art for KING KONG (1977) and SUPERMAN III (1983)), which was created as part of his commissioned work for the STAR WARS poster campaign, was not eventually used, though one other piece of character/action art (featuring the towering figure of Lord Vader with a defiant Luke, Leia and the droids underneath him) would make the grade as the iconic cover of the UK SPHERE BOOK edition of the movies adaptation in 1977. This Death Star battle art is yet another fine example of the incredible artistic work done for the saga over the last thirty-four years, and its stunning depiction remains indelibly iconic....

Check out more of Berkey's brilliant sci-fi work here:  John Berkey Image Gallery

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