The Man Who Designed Star Wars: Appreciating the Art of Ralph McQuarrie

Not to diminish George Lucas's influence on modern cinema, but I truly believe that without the people around him, we would have lived in a totally different world—one where "Star Wars" was just a forgotten, cheesy, and pretty bad B-movie. If it wasn't for Marcia Lucas stepping in at the last second to re-edit the entire movie, without John Williams elevating every moment to crazy heights, and without the charisma and talent of Harrison, Mark, and Carrie, this movie would have never gotten off the ground.

However, I have always believed that without the vision of one man, Ralph McQuarrie, the entire franchise would never have come to life. Ralph single-handedly defined a new genre of science fiction—the "Ancient Future" genre. A futuristic world that wears its long history on its sleeve. Sure, there are robots, but they need a little repair and a lot of cleaning. Spaceships look like they have seen some mileage, and cities are dirty, grimy, and lived in. Let's take a moment to appreciate this man's talent.

Author image for John Summers John Summers
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