Back when Star Wars was just a twinkle in George's eye, he hired artist Ralph McQuarrie to create the concept art. I own all six of the art books (one for each movie) and paging through them just gives me shivers of awe and wonder, sometimes even more than the movies themselves. Think of it: George has a dream, he tells it to McQuarrie, and McQuarrie brings that dream into being, enough so that a team of technical people can work their magic and bring the movies to life. It's almost like a virus--an imagination virus--which starts with one person and spreads to another and then expands exponentially until it infects the whole world. I am fascinated by this process: That one person can have an idea, a mere spark, that sets off a chain reaction and takes on a life of its own. Star Wars is now part of our cultural consciousness. I would even go so far as to say it's part of our collective unconscious. The images are in our minds; the phrases have become part of our language. How incredible! How thrilling! Three cheers to Ralph McQuarrie for pulling those visions out of the ether and bringing a dream to life!
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