10 years ago, long before Hasbro, Kotobukiya, or EFX made merchandise based on Ralph McQuarrie’s preproduction conceptual art for Star Wars, I made a series of ten 6 inch figures based on the visionary artwork of Ralph McQuarrie.  This spring to celebrate his sites 10 year anniversary of my website I decided to revisit my initial foray in 6” customs.  Prior to that I had worked exclusively in the 3 3/4 “ scale.  

Before the film Star Wars was actually filmed an artist by the name of Ralph McQuarrie was hired to do pre-production art and design much of the look of the Star Wars Universe.   Many of the characters have a much different look then the one that eventually ended up on screen.  

My versions are not intended to be 100% accurate.  I took some stylistic liberties and combined certain different sketches into a new design.

Series 1    -    Series 2    -    Old & New Comparisons

SERIES 1

C-3P0

The origins of C-3PO were heavily inspired by Maria the robot from Fritz Lang's Metropolis.  Here is an An even more art deco inspired version of 3P0.

R2-D2

The earlier designs of R2 had a less streamlined look with more gadgets and extendable arms and a more metallic color scheme.

Luka Starkiller

In early versions of the script Luke was a girl with a more pilot-like look.  Luka is a name of my design to distinguish her from the Luke figure.

Obi-Han Kenobi

Early versions of the script had a single character providing the roles of both Han and Obi-Wan.  Obi-Han is another original title I use.

Chewbacca

Chewbacca's early designs had a much less harrier and much uglier looking alien.

SERIES 2

Luke Starkiller

Designed with the famous scuba suit look that is best known from the iconic pre-production painting of Luke fighting Vader in the hallway of a spaceship. The figure comes complete with the "flashlight-esque lightsabers of McQuarrie's art.

Stormtrooper

The shocktroops of the Empire had there stark white armor, but with a more sleek look and carried lightsabers and shields in the early production art.

You can definitely see how the pre-production art of Darth Vader was coming together. The armor was there, the chest piece, the robes, the flared helmet. But, in McQuarrie's art it all had a slightly more stream-lined and futuristic look. The figure comes complete with the flashlight-esque lightsabers of McQuarrie's art.

Early production art of Boba Fett had him as more of a Super-Stormtrooper, then the ruthless bounty hunter in piece-meal armor. His armor had the stark contrast armor of all white, the armor was slightly more modern looking and lacked the wild west, worn look.

Comparisons to older versions