Wikipedia

Ralph McQuarrie

Ralph Angus McQuarrie(/məˈkwɒriː/;June 13, 1929 – March 3, 2012) was an Americanconceptual designerwho worked in film and television. His career included work on the originalStar Warstrilogy,the originalBattlestar Galacticatelevision series, the filmE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,and the filmCocoon,for which he won anAcademy Award.

Ralph McQuarrie
McQuarrie visiting Industrial Light & Magic in 2008
McQuarrie visitingILMin 2008
Born(1929-06-13)June 13, 1929
Gary, Indiana,U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 2012(2012-03-03)(aged 82)
Berkeley, California,U.S.
Alma materArt Center College of Design
Occupation(s)Illustrator, designer
Notable work
Spouse
Joan Benjamin
​
(m.1983)​
AwardsAcademy Award for Best Visual Effects(1985)
Websitewww.ralphmcquarrie.com

Early life

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Ralph McQuarrie was born on June 13, 1929, inGary, Indiana,and was raised on a farm nearBillings, Montana.[1]He served in theUnited States Armyduring theKorean War,surviving a shot to the head.[1]After returning from the war, McQuarrie moved toCaliforniain the 1960s,[2]studying at theArt Center School,[1]then in downtownLos Angeles.

Career

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McQuarrie initially worked for a dentistry firm, illustrating teeth and equipment,[1]before working as an Artist and Preliminary Design Illustrator for theBoeing Company,where he drew diagrams for a manual on constructing the747Jumbo Jet, as well as designing film posters and animatingCBS News'coverage of theApollo space programat the three-man company Reel Three.[2][3] While there, McQuarrie was asked byHal Barwoodto produce some illustrations for a film project he andMatthew Robbinswere starting.[2][3]

Star Wars

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I just did my best to depict what I thought the film should look like, I really liked the idea. I didn't think the film would ever get made. My impression was it was too expensive. There wouldn't be enough of an audience. It's just too complicated. But George knew a lot of things that I didn't know.

—McQuarrie onStar Wars.[3]

The young filmmakerGeorge Lucaswas impressed by McQuarrie's work and met with him to discuss his plans for a space-fantasy film,The Star Wars.Lucas sought visual reference material to support his pitch to film studios and purchased pieces of science fiction artwork byJohn Berkey.[4]In 1975, Lucas commissioned McQuarrie to illustrate several scenes from the script of the film. McQuarrie may have been inspired by some of Berkey's works, in particular a painting of a rocket-plane diving down through space towards a gigantic mechanical planet (the image had been used as cover art for the 1972 reprint of the short story anthologyStar Science Fiction Stories No.4).[5]

McQuarrie's concept paintings were instrumental in helping Lucas to win approval from20th Century Fox;armed with vivid illustrations of his planned movie, Lucas was able to convince Fox executives to take a gamble and fund hisStar Warsproject. Despite their scepticism, it became a huge success upon release in 1977.[1][2][3][6]Among McQuarrie'sStar Warsportfolio were concept paintings depicting scenes on the planetTatooine,inside theMos Eisleycantina, inside theDeath Starand on the moon ofYavin.During filming, Lucas ensured that many shots reproduced McQuarrie's paintings exactly, such was his esteem for McQuarrie's work.[7]McQuarrie has said of his work onStar Wars,"I thought I had the best job that an artist ever had on a film, and I had never worked on a feature film before.... I still get fan mail — people wondering if I worked onEpisode Ior just wanting to have my autograph. "[3]

McQuarrie designed many of the film's characters, includingDarth Vader,Chewbacca,R2-D2andC-3PO[8][9]and drew many concepts for the film's sets.[2]His production painting of R2-D2 and C-3PO wandering in the desert on the planetTatooinewas the first to be completed. His early concept for C-3PO was visibly inspired by theArt DecoMaschinenmenschrobot fromFritz Lang's 1927 filmMetropolis.[10][11]The painting had a particular impact on actorAnthony Daniels,who was about to turn down the part of C-3PO;"He had painted a face and a figure that had a very wistful, rather yearning, rather bereft quality, which I found very appealing,"stated Daniels, and the appeal of McQuarrie's image convinced him to accept the role.[12]

At Lucas' suggestion, McQuarrie designed abreathing apparatusfor Darth Vader to wear.[13]In an interview withStar Wars InsiderMagazine, McQuarrie stated that Lucas' artistic direction was to portray a malevolent figure in a cape withsamurai armour."For Darth Vader, George [Lucas] just said he would like to have a very tall, dark fluttering figure that had a spooky feeling like it came in on the wind."McQuarrie noted that the script indicated that Vader would travel between spaceships and needed tosurvive in the vacuum of space,and he proposed that Vader should wear some sort ofspace suit.Lucas agreed, and McQuarrie combined a full-face breathing mask with asamurai helmet,thus creating one of the most iconic designs of space fantasy cinema.[12][14]A 1975 production painting of Darth Vader engaged in alightsaberduel with Deak Starkiller (a character prototype forLuke Skywalker) depicts Vader wearing black armour, a flowing cape and an elongated, skull-like mask and helmet. Its similarity to the final design of Vader's costume demonstrates that McQuarrie's earliest conception of Vader was so successful that very little needed to be changed for production.[10]Working from McQuarrie's artwork, thecostume designerJohn Mollodevised a costume that could be worn by an actor on-screen using a combination ofclerical robes,amotorcycle suit,aGerman military helmetand agas mask.[15]The prop sculptorBrian Muircreated the helmet and armour used in the film from McQuarrie's designs.[16]

  • McQuarrie'sStar Warsdesigns
  • McQuarrie's concept art for Darth Vader
  • McQuarrie's design brief specified samurai influences, such as this kabuto helmet.
  • The final design of Darth Vader's helmet
  • The robot from Metropolis (1927) that inspired McQuarrie
  • Imperial stormtroopers
  • The final design of the robotC-3PO
  • R2-D2

While McQuarrie was working on visualisation work for Lucas, he was also commissioned by an executive ofBallantine Books,Judy-Lynn del Rey,to produce thecover artof the forthcomingnovelizationofStar Wars.The first edition ofStar Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalkerwent to press in 1976 featuring McQuarrie's version of Darth Vader's helmet on the cover. Like the film, the book was a runaway success, and McQuarrie began a long relationship with the publisher, producing the artwork for 22 further titles forDel Rey Booksbetween 1978 and 1987.[7]

Star Trek

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Around the time that McQuarrie was completing his work onStar Wars,he was brought on board the design team for a planned cinematic production based onGene Roddenberry's science fiction television series,Star Trek.TitledStar Trek: Planet of the Titans,the film was to feature a redesignedUSSEnterprisestarship, and McQuarrie was recruited to provide the visualizations. His triangular ship design has been likened to the appearance of theStar Destroyersfeatured inStar Wars.Star Trek: Planet of the Titansdid not make it past the pre-production phase and the project was cancelled in 1977.[17]The design was later used in 2017'sStar Trek: Discoveryas the basis of the titular ship.[18]

Star Warssequels

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Model of the Mother Ship fromClose Encounters of the Third Kind,based on McQuarrie's design

When Lucas began work on his sequel toStar Wars,The Empire Strikes Back(1980), McQuarrie was once again brought in to supplyprevisualizationartwork. His sketches and production paintings established the appearance of some of the saga's most enduring elements, such as the giganticAT-AT Walkersin the battle on the ice planetHothand the wizened elf creatureYoda.McQuarrie's design forCloud City,afloating cityin the clouds, actually originated from his early sketches forStar Warsfrom 1975, when he was illustrating a concept for the planetAlderaan,as described in Lucas' 1975 draft script,Adventures of the Starkiller as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars.[7]McQuarrie made an uncreditedcameo appearanceinThe Empire Strikes Back,when he appeared in the film's opening sequence in theRebel baseon Hoth as a character named General Pharl McQuarrie.[1]In 2007, McQuarrie became part of theStar Warsaction figurerange when an action figure in his likeness as "General McQuarrie" was produced for theStar Wars30th anniversary in 2007.[1][9]Action figures were also produced based on McQuarrie's concept art, including conceptual versions of theImperial Stormtrooper,Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO, Darth Vader,Han Solo,Boba Fett,Obi-Wan Kenobi,Yodaand other characters.[19]

By the time McQuarrie was engaged on Lucas' thirdStar Warspicture,Return of the Jedi(1983), he had begun to experience creative fatigue. "It became less fun as time went on. I had done the best part already and I was just rehashing everything. I kept meeting myself in my thinking. It became more and more difficult to keep my enthusiasm up," McQuarrie has said. Despite his earlier success, fewer of his design ideas were included in the final cut of the film.[20]

Other film and TV work

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McQuarrie designed the alien ships inSteven Spielberg's filmsClose Encounters of the Third Kind(1977) andE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(1982),[3]while his work as the conceptual artist on the 1985 filmCocoonearned him theAcademy Award for Visual Effects.[9][21]He also worked on the 1978 TV seriesBattlestar Galactica,[9]and the filmsRaiders of the Lost Ark,Star Trek IV: The Voyage Homeand*batteries not included.[6]

Retirement

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Rick McCallumoffered McQuarrie a role as designer for theStar Warsprequel trilogy, but he declined, noting he had "run out of steam" andIndustrial Light & MagicanimatorDoug Chiangwas appointed instead. McQuarrie retired and hisStar Warsconcept paintings were subsequently displayed in art exhibitions, including the 1999Star Wars: The Magic of Myth.[3]Several of McQuarrie's unused designs from the original trilogy were utilized for theStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebelsanimated TV series,[22]including the planet Orto Plutonia, which was based on McQuarrie's original design of Hoth,[23]and the characters Zeb Orrelios and Chopper, based on his original designs forChewbaccaandR2-D2,respectively.[24][25]

Personal life

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McQuarrie married Joan Benjamin in 1983 and stayed married until his death at age 82 on March 3, 2012, in his Berkeley, CA home.[26]McQuarrie died from complications ofParkinson's disease.[1][6][9]

Critical assessment

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Christian Blauvelt ofEntertainment Weeklypraised McQuarrie's works as "pioneering of the 'used future' aesthetic" which unlike other science-fiction, "imagined a lived-in galaxy that was gritty, dirty, and in advance states of decay." He described McQuarrie's style as "strongly geometric subjects rendered in muted colors against a flat, purposefully compressed backdrop. A McQuarrieStar Warsdesign looks like what would have resulted ifSalvador Dalíhad sketched concepts for Universal's 1936Flash Gordonserial by way ofSergio Leone's Old West. "[23]

Neil Kendricks ofThe San Diego Union-Tribuneemphasised McQuarrie's importance to theStar Warsfranchise, saying that the artist "holds a unique position when it comes to defining much of the look of the" Star Wars "universe."[3]

After McQuarrie's death, George Lucas said: "His genial contribution, in the form of unequalled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the originalStar Warstrilogy. When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'do it like this'. "[27]

Legacy

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The current Lucasfilm creative team is employing parts of McQuarrie's original unused concept art from the seventies and eighties in the development of newStar Wars-related media.[28]

ForStar Wars Dayin 2023,Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagareleased a free DLC character named Luke Starkiller, based on McQuarrie's design.[29]

Filmography

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Actor

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Bibliography

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McQuarrie'sprevisualizationartwork, production sketches and paintings, andmatte paintingsfeature prominently in the first three volumes ofThe Art of Star Warsbook series.

  • Titelman, Carol; Hoffman, Valerie, eds. (1979).The Art of Star Wars(1st ed.). New York: Ballantine Books.ISBN0345282736.
    Reprinted 1994ISBN9781852865832
  • Bulluck, Vic; Hoffman, Valerie (1980). Call, Deborah (ed.).The Art of The Empire Strikes Back(1st ed.). New York: Ballantine Books.ISBN9780345293350.
    Reprinted 1994ISBN9780345392039
  • Kasdan, Lawrence; Lucas, George (1983).The Art of Return of the Jedi - Star Wars(1st ed.). New York: Ballantine Books.ISBN978-0345312549.
    Reprinted 1995ISBN9781852865856
  • Anderson, Kevin J.; Carabetta, Michael (1996).Star Wars, the art of Ralph McQuarrie.San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.ISBN9780811813204.
  • McQuarrie, Ralph; Alinger, Brandon; Lageose, Wade; Mandel, David; Ltd, LucasFilm (2016).Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie.Harry N. Abrams.ISBN9781419717932.Retrieved21 June2017.

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^abcdefghRees Shapiro, T. (2012-03-05)."Ralph McQuarrie, artist who drew Darth Vader, C-3PO, dies at 82".The Washington Post.Retrieved2012-03-05.
  2. ^abcdeMagid, Ron (2004-09-28)."Ralph McQuarrie on Designing Star Wars".Star Wars Insider #76 via RalphMcQuarrie.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2012.
  3. ^abcdefghKendricks, Neil (1999-09-23). "Behind The Force 'Star Wars: The Magic of Myth' showcases the work of artists who collaborated with the head Jedi, a.k.a. George Lucas".San Diego Union-Tribune.p. NIGHT & DAY-32.
  4. ^Cohen, Ben."John Berkey's art inspired the Death Star in 'Star Wars'".Star Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on 15 September 2017.Retrieved15 September2017.
  5. ^Heilemann, Michael (15 February 2013)."John Berkey & The Mechanical Planet".Kitbashed.Archivedfrom the original on 15 September 2017.Retrieved15 September2017.
  6. ^abcWhite, James (2012-03-04)."Ralph McQuarrie Has Died".Empire.Retrieved2012-03-04.
  7. ^abcScoleri, John (14 January 2014)."An Annotated Guide to The Star Wars Portfolio by Ralph McQuarrie".StarWars.com.Lucasfilm.Archivedfrom the original on 24 June 2017.Retrieved24 June2017.
  8. ^Michael Heilemann:George Lucas Stole Chewbacca, But It's Okay,binarybonsai.com,18. September 2010,Sep 18, '10
  9. ^abcde"Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie dies aged 82".BBC News.2012-03-04.Retrieved2012-03-04.
  10. ^ab"Ralph McQuarrie's Most Memorable Masterpieces | StarWars.com".StarWars.com.16 August 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 22 June 2017.Retrieved22 June2017.
  11. ^"The Cinema Behind Star Wars: Metropolis | StarWars.com".StarWars.com.18 August 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 23 June 2017.Retrieved23 June2017.
  12. ^abCasey, Dan (2015)."64. Ralph McQuarrie, the Conceptual Mastermind".100 Things Star Wars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.Triumph Books.ISBN9781633193451.Retrieved22 June2017.
  13. ^Rinzler, J.W. (2007).The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film.Ebury Press.ISBN978-0-09-192499-7.
  14. ^"The Old Master: Ralph McQuarrie on Designing Star Wars".Star Wars Insider(76). June 2004.
  15. ^Gilbey, Ryan (1 November 2017)."John Mollo obituary: Star Wars costume designer who dressed Darth Vader".the Guardian.Retrieved10 July2018.
  16. ^"Sculpting the Sith: An interview with Brian Muir".Star Wars Insider(116). 24 March 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 9 August 2011.Retrieved24 June2017.
  17. ^Anders, Charlie Jane (December 31, 2010)."Ralph McQuarrie's concept art for a Star Trek movie in 1976–1977".io9.RetrievedJuly 28,2013.
  18. ^Trendacosta, Katharine (July 23, 2016). "Star Trek: Discovery Officially Takes Place in the Prime Universe". io9. United States: Univision Communications. Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  19. ^Szadkowski, Joseph (2007-08-04)."Star Wars' concept art turned into action figures".The Washington Times.p. C09.
  20. ^Gilbey, Ryan (6 March 2012)."Ralph McQuarrie obituary".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 23 June 2017.Retrieved23 June2017.
  21. ^Spelling, Ian (2009-11-24)."The real, incredibly mundane reason Darth Vader wears a mask".Sci Fi Wire.
  22. ^Hibberd, James (January 23, 2014)."'Star Wars Rebels' interview: New series goes to dark places, embraces 1977 film's spirit ".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedMay 5,2014.
  23. ^abBlauvelt, Christian (2012-03-04)."Ralph McQuarrie, legendary 'Star Wars' concept artist, dies at 82: A tribute to the man who designed that Galaxy Far, Far Away".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved2012-03-05.
  24. ^Goldman, Eric (18 February 2014)."Star Wars Rebels Exclusive First Look: Meet Zeb".IGN.Retrieved14 June2014.
  25. ^Hibberd, James (Jan 28, 2014)."'Star Wars Rebels': New droid revealed ".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedFebruary 13,2014.
  26. ^Watercutter, Angela (4 March 2012)."Star Wars Conceptual Artist Ralph McQuarrie Dies at 82".Wired.com.Retrieved5 March2012.
  27. ^"Ralph McQuarrie Remembered".Star Wars.com. 2012-03-03.Retrieved2012-03-04.
  28. ^Sciretta, Peter (1 December 2014)."See How 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Was Inspired By Ralph McQuarrie's Unused Concept Art".Slashfilm.com.Retrieved1 January2015.
  29. ^Doolan, Liam (2023-05-05)."LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Adds Luke Starkiller Minifigure For Free".Nintendo Life.Retrieved2023-05-06.

General and cited references

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