Sunday 22 April 2012

AFICIONADO CLASSIC BLOG 2008: THE RETURN OF THE McQUARRIE!



Am thrilled to read on the DREAMS AND VISIONS PRESS site the news that there is going to be a new book totally dedicated to Ralph McQuarrie’s stunning pre-production and conceptual art for the STAR WARS films. His previous book, THE ART OF RALPH MCQUARRIE, now sold out I understand, was a personal essential purchase at CELEBRATION IV, and is absolutely superb for it’s overview of all of his amazing work, not just on our favourite movies but some of his beautiful book jacket and advertising work as well. Despite the huge amount of material on the WARS films in that marvellous volume, however, the greedy little devil with the pitchfork sitting on my left shoulder wanted there to be more STAR WARS material within it’s pages, especially on JEDI, which, I thought, was sadly lacking (though I now realise in my research for the MAKING OF JEDI AFICIONADO issue that he wasn’t there for the full run of pre-production anyway). As I’ve said, that this new/revised book is coming out is great-fantastic!! Not only because it comes with thirty new pages of material, and not only because it will be just as beautifully designed and printed as the last one, but, even more importantly, I think it shows just how appreciated McQuarrie is by LUCASFILM as the founding visual designer of the saga. Normally a lot of people who have written or had books talking abut their involvement in STAR WARS, I believe, are only allowed to publish their memories/talk about their work on the saga if they are part of a more career encompassing body of work (for instance, Jeremy Bulloch’s autobiography which has a section on his Boba Fett career amidst a forty year, and continuing, acting lifespan, and Dave Prowse’s STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH epic two book tome-in fact, Dave probably still remembers what he had for Sunday breakfast back in 1968!!!), but with this, in equal celebration of Japan’s thirtieth anniversary, the powers that be guarding the bearded one’s best interests, have, to a grateful fandom, given permission for the most complete book attempted of his groundbreaking work. DREAMS AND VISIONS revelation that more material has been found in the artist’s house is even more exciting-more and more unpublished stuff on EMPIRE too-the film that many fans feel is the greatest of the saga-ole’ LUCASFILM better have some good celebration plans prepared for it’s that movie’s own Thirtieth in 2010!!


And let’s also not forget Lawrence Noble’s stunning art poster interpretation of one of McQuarrie’s unused 1976/77 poster concepts for the original movie-also primed for release and sale exclusively at CELEBRATION JAPAN. It’s a fantastic piece and a worthy tribute of Ralph’s name.


For more info on Ralph’s new book, check out www.dreamsandvisionspress.blogspot.com

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