The Star Wars Sketchbook

When I was 9 my family went to see this weird new movie everyone was talking about. It was called Star Wars. My life was never the same. I collected all the Star Wars junk I could get my hands on: action figures, toys, games, magazines, cards, even bed sheets (which I still have!) But one special set of collectables would influence me more than all the others: books. Star Wars books and comics opened my eyes to all the other sci fi and fantasy that existed. But one of my enduring regrets was a critical missing book. I had bought The Empire Strikes Back Sketchbook brand new in 1980. As a young artist this book was very important to me. Then in 1990 I found the Return of the Jedi Sketchbook in a used bookstore. But I never could find the original Star Wars Sketchbook, until now. Now this cool little art book fills a space long empty on my bookshelf. It's essential for any fan of sci fi and fantast art. Black line drawings of space ships such as the Millenium Falcon, X Wing, and Tie Fighter, among others, show how radically original were George Lucas' visions.

I've heard that this book is now a sought-after collector's item. If so, it is definitely worth searching out for fans of the original Star Wars movie, much more so than most of the other tie-in merchandise from that film. The black-and-white ink drawings offer many insights into the design and creation of the film's legendary ships and vehicles (the door to the Millenium Falcon was apparently quite a challenge!) They also have aesthetic qualities in their own right.

This is a book of pre-production drawing and character development for the original Star Wars. It is a must of a child of the 70's - 80's who was in love with the Star Wars universe. I really glad I found this book. I always wanted it growing up, but my parents thought an expensive book of pictures was worthless. I really enjoyed this book and it is interesting to see how different versions of ships and equipment show up in the later films.