CLASSIC ART: DARKNESS FALLS!

The George Lucas cinematic STAR WARS saga may have ended in 2005 but its legacy continues to resonate and attract all-new fans, especially linked to the Prequels. Despite that trilogy's all-too-harsh critics, there still exists a massive and healthy fan base inspiring fierce loyalty and commendable celebration of its best aspects, and especially linked to its most popular entry, the epic finale that was Revenge of the Sith, the film's heroism and darkness so well captured in this great poster art by Jerry Vandersteldt for one of the Celebration conventions a few years back.

'STAR WARS' AT 40: THE QUICKEST OF BATTLES...

It's now become classic art used in countless areas of STAR WARS related media- Jerry Vandersteldt's superb painting of Obi-Wan Kenobi, lightsaber raised, within one of the Death Star corridors after having dispatching Imperial Stormtroopers- a scene that never happened onscreen that would have been cool to see, before the old Jedi Master's ultimate struggle with former pupil Darth Vader.

And intriguingly, back in 1976, a scene like that very nearly happened- it was certainly in one of the fourth draft shooting scripts (dated 1/1/76) that was changed before principal photography at Elstree Studios from April onwards, as Peter Mayhew revealed in 2015 on TWITTER via his fascinating weekly page scans of his earliest script for what was then known as THE STAR WARS.

Here's the scene:

SCENE A106. INT. MAIN PASSAGEWAY - DEATH STAR

Ben moves swiftly down the Death Star passageway to where four troops are guarding an intersection. Ben walks right up to the officer in charge.

OFFICER: Your sanction.

The guards start to lower their weapons, but before they can fire, Ben has moved through them swinging his deadly blade, cutting the troops to ribbons. The old Jedi swiftly continues along the passageway and disappears.

What a shame it never made it to filming, though Ben was certainly adept at ducking in and out of corner alcoves!

Artist's website: Vanderstelt Studio

1987 Sir Alec Guinness interview on STAR WARS: BBC Arts - BBC Arts, Sir Alec Guinness talks Star Wars in 1987

'CELEBRATION EUROPE' SPOTLIGHTS 'EPISODE VII'

Acclaimed genre artist, and one of my personal favourites, Jerry Vanderstelt knocks it out of the park once again with his latest STAR WARS piece for sale at CELEBRATION EUROPE in London next month, part of a mostly EPISODE VII-centric gallery collection that can be found here:

Celebration Europe Art Show Revealed! - Star Wars Celebration • July 15 - 17, 2016

Other event news:

Star Wars Movie Screenings - Star Wars Celebration • July 15 - 17, 2016

Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew & More Headed To London For Star Wars Celebration | The Star Wars Underworld

http://www.starwarscelebration.com/RNA/RNA_StarWarsCelebration_V2/2016/docs/SWC-Floor-Plan.pdf?v=636015113142977811

CLASSIC ART: 'RETURN' TO ADVENTURE!

Jerry Vanderstelt's classic art piece of RETURN OF THE JEDI's supreme heroes and villains for the CELEBRATION VI event truly captures the heart and spirit of the epic final film of the Classic Trilogy.

For more on the artist, go to his site: Vanderstelt Studio

AFICIONADO REVIEW: 'STAR WARS: THE ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE' REVISED AND EXPANDED 2012 EDITION

A history of light and darkness, of good and evil, is wonderfully revealed in the new updated edition of STAR WARS: THE ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE from DORLING KINDERSLEY.

STAR WARS: THE ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE

(UPDATED AND EXPANDED 2012 EDITION)


By Ryder Windham


Published by DORLING KINDERSLEY BOOKS



Reviewed by Scott Weller


Just in time for Classic and Prequel Trilogy Celebrations (the original STAR WARS 35th Anniversary and EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES 10th), as well as the now landmark 5th Year set down by the triumphant hit animated series THE CLONE WARS from this September, writing adventurer Ryder Windham's excellent and esential THE ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE from 2005 gets a welcome re-release from DORLING KINDERSLEY books, fully updated and expanded for 2012, and truly chock-a-block full of the history of the saga both on and off screen.

Launched from 2008 onwards, THE CLONE WARS gets some fine coverage in the new edition...

As does the events of THE FORCE UNLEASHED.

More on Obi-Wan Kenobi's self-exiled life on Tatooine, as well as other planetary characters, is revealed. Art by Jerry Vanderstelt.

As the story, once described as belonging to "a boy, a girl and a universe", continues to evolve in its enduring mythos of wondrous imagination, memorable characters and stirring adventure, so too does the accompanying visual guide as, eight years on from its original release (of which an awful LOT has happened/emerged from the hallowed grounds of LUCASFILM and SKYWALKER RANCH since it's original publication!), this well-deserved update has a terrific and colourful new section on THE CLONE WARS series (the book even has an enthusiastic new launch foreword from Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano herself, aka the lovely and telented voice actress Ashley Eckstein) and looks at all the key moments, characters, battles, technology and drama of every story arc from it's first four seasons within a lovely visual feast that makes the most of the series pioneering animation and visual style (leading up to the return of the dreaded, once deceased, Darth Maul), but noticably not covering the separate, and no less enjoyable, Genndy Tartakovsky animated series events leading up to the live-action EPISODE III in either edition. Is there a long-term reason for this? Will the eventual final season of THE CLONE WARS be doing its own particular replacement lead-in to what had previously been established in 2005?). The Lucas made series 24 page section also includes some notable books and comics tie-ins, too, accompanied by a behind the scenes spread look at the making of the hit series and the talented cast and crew that bring it to life. Linked to the Classic Trilogy events both live-action and multi-media, there's also a new spread on the malevolent Dark Times period between movies EPISODE III and IV, in which our pariah hero Obi-Wan Kenobi spent nearly twenty years in isolation on the hauntingly beautiful desert world of Tatooine, the cataclysmic events of Dark Jedi servant/secret weapon "Starkiller" and THE FORCE UNLEASHED, and a look at the legacy decades after and beyond the original saga with the adventures of Cade Skywalker against an Empire now reborn and even more all-powerful. As if all that wasn't enough to further satisfy, there's also more-a lot more- dedicated space on the merchandise empire that is now a firm part of the STAR WARS legacy which fans old and new will wallow deeply in nostalgia to, a welcome look at the classic KENNER figures that helped create the toy craze from the seventies onwards into the huge conglomarate it is now with HASBRO- the modern guardians of the sacred flame, and a quirky and noteworthy look at some of the zany, old/new and beautifully specialised novelty SW items and mass appeal technology that have emerged to span four decades.

One of the books new spreads on the singular (so far) THE CLONE WARS movie from 2008.

Another new spread on the diverse array of Bounty Hunters appearing in the new animated series.

If you haven't already gotten hold of this release, now is the perfect time to sit (or should that be Sith?) back and clutch this enjoyably weighty tone, and discover, or re-discover, the wonderful, epic scope in all-things that is STAR WARS.

The essential purchase for STAR WARS fans of all ages, with its exhaustive research, exemplary picture selections (encompassing all media)/specialist photography, and its lovely and easy to follow overall design, the newly updated and expanded ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE fully justifies my 10 out of 10 rating for it, IMO.