BEHIND THE SCENES: A HOME FIT FOR JEDI!

As a hideous rainstorm hits the area around them on the muddy world of Dagobah, Luke Skywalker enters the unique home of the mysterious and mercurial vagabond who has agreed to introduce him to the legendary Jedi Master known only as Yoda. Soon enough, Luke soon gets a big surprise with this upcoming encounter... 

A lovely pair of 1978 prelim set concept sketches for Yoda's hut within the ambitious first sequel to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and another fine showcase for the talents of the film's respected British Production designer, Norman Reynolds.

Star Wars Aficionado was saddened to hear of Mister Reynolds passing in news released today (April 6th, 2023), though his iconic and legacy building production design work on the Original Trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark, amongst many other notable subsequent film ventures, will live on...

Star Wars: The man who designed the films' 'look' - BBC News

Norman Reynolds at work on The Empire Strikes Back, his first Star Wars production as responsible Production Designer.

Norman Reynolds: 1934-2023 • Lucasfilm

Star Wars: Oscar-winning production designer Norman Reynolds dies - BBC News

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: PREPARING TO DEPART!

Outside Yoda's hut, an X-wing fighter pilot suited Luke Skywalker confers with his Master, presumably discussing how he must leave him to try and rescue his friends, in this gorgeous production painting by Ralph McQuarrie.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE VISUAL DEVELOPMENT OF 'MINCH YODA' - PART TWO

The look of Yoda continues to evolve, as seen in these important conceptual development images by Joe Johnston, the artist attempting to further lock down the impish quality of the character. Johnston's artwork for Yoda would be provided to Marvel Comics for advanced artist use by Al Williamson in their upcoming special paperback adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back (the character appearing near miniscule on the art panels when seen next to Luke), though a later Summer Special magazine edition, with a later print run by the time of the film's release (and the unveiling of the character proper), would see the Freeborn version of Yoda officially replacing it.

One of the early Yoda designs as seen in the 1980 Marvel Comics paperback adapting Empire. This was revised to the film Yoda for the later printed full size magazine edition.

Celebrating the work of Johnston, modern SW merchandisers Gentle Giant sculptors would release this limited edition version of Yoda that would be similar to his conceptual art.

https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.com/2012/07/classic-art-house-proud-jedi.html

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE VISUAL DEVELOPMENT OF 'MINCH YODA- PART ONE!

Created to replace Ben Kenobi, previously 'killed off' in the original Star Wars (in order to service the plot of what was then a singular film), so as to become Luke's new teacher in the ways of the Force, early illustrations saw Jedi Master 'Minch' Yoda look like a character out of the kind of children's fantasy tales like The Wizard of Oz, or the works of Hans Christian Anderson. As time went on, the character became more alien looking and frog-ish, with its eventual facial features refined by British make-up legend Stuart Freeborn in the UK, at a time perilously close to needed-for-filming at Elstree.

CLASSIC ART: HOUSE PROUD JEDI!

Master Yoda, in a slightly different visual incarnation to what was eventually seen on screen, gets to work in his kitchen in this lovely Ralph McQuarrie storyboard for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, circa 1979.