A New Direction For Lucasfilm Animation

The new Star Wars trilogy is going to be more than three more movies. Think about it. They’re going to explore the era after the fall of Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire. It’s going to be a new era, with new characters and a new story. With that in mind, Lucasfilm has decided to change up their animated series to coincide with the films.

For 5 seasons, Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been entertaining audiences with its stories of the years between Episode II and Episode III. We see the Old Republic wage war with the Separatists; huge battles and epic duels between Jedi and Sith masters. Good stuff.

But now, Lucafilm has decided that it’s time to phase out of the Old Republic. Star Wars: The Clone Warswill be winding down in favor of the new trilogy. But, Dave Filoni, supervising director for The Clone Wars, says that the series isn’t going to just abruptly end. Lucasfilm is still going to produce the series and continue the story, promising some very exciting adventures to come. Star Wars fans, rejoice!

Go to http://starwars.com/news/a-new-direction-for-lucasfilm-animation.html for more information and a sneak peek of an upcoming Clone Wars story.

The George Lucas Art Museum?

When you think of the words “art museum”, you aren’t likely to think of George Lucas. But you will soon enough. Lucas, director and producer of the Star Wars films, plans to build an art museum in San Francisco. Probably the biggest question is: why? Lucas states: “There’s a world of young people who need to be inspired.”

This is an interesting move for Lucas, who hasn’t done much since he sold LucasFilm to Disney last year. Lucas is an avid art collector, although you won’t find many Picasso’s or Monet’s in his collection. He’s big fan of Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell though. In fact, Lucas owns one of the largest collections of Rockwell’s work.

The museum will be dedicated in exploring “cultural fantasy”. It will also embrace digital design and animation from Hollywood films. In other words, art that will touch and inspire everyone, not just art critics. Will Star Wars have a place in this museum? Most likely. Lucas has been collecting the art of Star Warsfor decades. And he has more or less stated that his personal collection will be put on display in the museum, which is very exciting.

Currently, no date or exact location has been announced for the museum.

Abrams To Direct Star Wars: Episode VII

It’s official. JJ Abrams (Star Trek, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness) is going to direct the next Star Wars film. Episode VII, which will be written by Academy Award-winning writer Michael Ardnt, was greenlit when Disney acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. and given a 2015 release.

Abrams says that it “is an absolute honor” to take part in the next generation of Star Wars. And George Lucas himself approves of Abrams as director and has stated that “the legacy couldn’t be in better hands.”

In addition to his proven track record of successful blockbuster films, Abrams has ties with Lucasfilm, using the company’s legendary postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, for all of his features. Abrams also has worked with veterans of the classic trilogy, Dennis Muren (visual effects) and Ben Burtt (sound designer/editor), who offer nothing but praise for JJ.

So dust off those lightsabers and blasters and let out your best Wookie roar. The future looks bright for the Star Wars franchise.

Disney Gets A Death Star

A long time ago (about a month ago), in a galaxy far far away (probably in California or at Skywalker Ranch) Disney finalized the agreement to acquire Lucasfilm in a landmark deal valued at just over $4 billion. Like Marvel, the House of the Mouse now controls the future of the Star Wars franchise. And yes, there will be another Star Wars. Episode VII is slated to hit theatres sometime in 2015.

Reactions to the deal are mixed. Many are horrified or afraid for the franchise. Plenty others are excited. To quote JJ Abrams: “Part of me? Thrilled. Part of me? Terrified. Most of me? Thrillified.” That seems to be the general sentiment to the news. One thing is for sure: Episode VII could be the landmark film that reenergizes the Star Wars franchise. Now that the saga of Anakin and Luke Skywalker is basically over, what is next in store for the galaxy? The return of the Empire? A new Jedi order? Han and Leia’s kids!? We’ll find out in 2015.

Celebration 5

Today Michael and I are running around like lunatics getting ready to drive to Florida to take part in our 3RD convention this summer, Star Wars Celebration 5.  

For those of you who have been sleeping inside a Tauntaun for the last 30 years, it’s the anniversary of Empire Strikes Back this year, since it was released in 1980...

So for the 5th official time on US soil, LucasFilm is throwing a con/party to celebrate, and all manner of cool geekasm inducing doodads and thingimajigs are being offered for sale exclusively there--and as you may have seen in my “Instant Insights” section of our webmagazine site, George Lucas will be there being interviewed by Jon Stewart as “The Main Event”.  

What the jabba the hut will we be doing there?  We will have a booth offering the official art of Star Wars--that is to say the art that was commissioned by LucasFilm for use as posters, books, limited editions, etc., by artists who have been working for them-- some since the movies were released, some who have only recently been interpreting the stories...

The coolest things about our being there:

1. we will be representing the art of John Alvin.   If you don’t yet know who he is, check out our fan site at www.johnalvinart.com or see him on imdb.  you can also read all about him and his importance to the history of Star Wars and film in general at rebelscum.com, where i did an interview with Andrea Alvin, his wife, who will be there with us to meet John’s fans and help carry on his legacy by displaying all his gorgeous original work from Star Wars still on the market (not much!) and some from other films too!  I am completely honored to be representing John’s original art worldwide and also honored to have an exclusive limited edition of the art he painted as he was contemplating what he would do for an official poster for C5, which he was asked to do before he passed away unexpectedly.  We don’t have much of his art on our site yet, because our new one is SO new, but i can send pictures when we get back if anyone is interested in what might still be available for purchase at that time.  The limited edition is $150 and there are only 100 of them.  There are also some new limited editions of his work at the Acme booth...
3. We got art from Randy Martinez, who will be at our booth during the con every day, and his work is gracing every promo, every event poster, magnets, postcards, even a beachtowel.  His work melds Star Wars with Florida life, and Steve Sansweet, who KNOWS his art, bought some of the originals.  We’ll have most of the others there!  We love Randy, and Randy was a close friend of John Alvin’s, so there’s definitely some symmetry there.  
4. We got art by William Silvers and Christian Waggoner (#1 most collected limited edition artist for LucasFilm official art!) of Star Wars imagery, and it’s the first time anyone who wants to buy art by those artists have had access to it, because George buys almost everything they’ve ever done.  Finally we’ve gotten access to a few!!  First time ever, so even for those who can’t afford it, it’ll be exciting to see them in person.  Christian will be there, and he promises to come by our booth from time to time!
6. We get to have access to all the special items available at the Celebration store--like the Wampa with detachable arm and the Eau Lando--want to see what they’re selling?  GO HERE.
8. Little did we know when we signed up to be part of Celebration that we get passes to “The Main Event” with George and Jon by having a booth.  Otherwise we’d have to stand in line starting the night before--(and don’t think we wouldn’t!) Oh BOY!!!!
10. We just found out some special guest is coming to the exhibition hall early on Friday morning and “it would behoove us to be there, because we don’t want to miss it”...???  The anticipation is killing us!  We’ll keep you posted...

We are very excited.   More updates soon, on this blog...Wish the force being with us!!!

Leslie and Michael

A Galaxy of Star Wars Art

Star Wars original art, a galaxy not so far far away...

 

Such a crazy series of events led me to Celebration 4, i couldn't explain it if i tried.  Suffice to say it resulted from some Shakespearean drama between me and one of the wholesale companies i worked with.  However it happened, i wound up there.  And the beauty of it is, i met one of my favorite people in the world, Mark Chiarello, while is was there, who has become a close friend and artist client of mine (check out his website www.markchiarello.com)  Most of my time at C4 was spent with my close friends John and Andrea Alvin.  John, who had done over 200 movie posters and was already very famous for them, was promoting the official C4 poster, which he had done, and a Star Wars limited edition he had done for the event.  We had such fun together, and spent time with Tsuneo Sanda, another Star Wars artist, and up and comer Randy Martinez, who had created the other official C4 poster, and who is now also a close friend of mine, and whose original art i represent exclusively.  I also met his gal pal partner Denise Vasquez, who is a gazillathreat, visual artist, actress, musician, philanthropist--(check out her site www.denisevasquez.com) Both of them are now creating great Star Wars art and now Randy is creating one of the official Star Wars posters for C5!

Meanwhile, it occurred to me that it might be an exciting and good idea to have a booth where fans and collectors of John Alvin's art could come during C5 and meet and talk to Andrea, John's wife, and see the last of John's Star Wars art that is available for sale.  Andrea and I have come together in partnership to support and promote the legacy of John's work, and part of that is to meet, greet, and sell to his Star Wars fans who have been so good to him.  

Let me tell you about Star Wars fans…You who have read my blogs know that I absolutely LOVE the Harry Potter collectors and fans.  They are an erudite, enthusiastic, gracious, and articulate bunch.  Well, the same goes for the hardcore fans of the Star Wars movies.  Of course, both have two sets of collectors, the ones without two dimes to rub together (often young, and in the case of Star Wars, sometimes basement dwellers) that are genuine and love the properties wholeheartedly, and the ones that own or work for huge computer companies, or build the space station, or solve the quandaries of astrophysics etc, who buy the big ticket items, travel to the European cons, and write blogs that are read worldwide (HP blog writers, you know who i'm talking about!) Of all the collectors in the worlds of collecting, and I know most of them, Harry Potter and Star Wars are two of the very best most loyal fan-bases.  Given that, and my own love of those two sagas,  it was only natural that i would build a clientele for original art from those properties.  From Harry Potter, i've been able to uncover the most beautiful art created for both the books and the movies.  For Star Wars, I have found the same is true, with one very interesting wrinkle…Let me tell you what is special about the art of Star Wars…

George Lucas. 

Seems kind of obvious, i guess.  George Lucas is the reason Star Wars exists.  But in the world of art, especially Star Wars art, he is way way more.  Let me explain.

George Lucas buys art.  Not just a little bit of art.  98% of the art.  Even though there are laws against such things, LucasFilm has set something up where if you are an artist who wants to work for LucasFilm, whenever you create art for the franchise, you have to offer your original art to George first.  And George, as you may guess, has a bit of cash.  There are artists, really famous Star Wars artists, who have sold almost everything to him.  Which obviously is kind of awesome.  He supports artists!  

But that also means there is very little original art available for the fans.  The deal is, if you create art for LucasFilm in any capacity, you must offer George the first opportunity to buy the original art.  As a result, Tsuneo Sanda, Christian Wagonner, William SIlvers, and many other amazing artists, are very hard to get Star Wars art from, unless the LucasFilm budget has been exhausted at exactly the right time!

There is also a very interesting disparity of pricing and popularity between the big daddies of Star Wars art, and the artists that sell their art for nearly nothing.  Obviously everyone wants to create Star Wars art.  So lots of newcomers will create art for nearly nothing.  They create art for sketch cards and sell them online for $100 or $200 or less.  It would take a savvy art collector indeed to be able to decipher who out of that collection of artists might become one of the big daddies over time!  Gratefully for Randy Martinez, and a few others, they have jumped from one to the other, not a little because of George's interest in their original art!

The way LucasFilm has set up the creation of art, if an artist wants to continue working for them, they can't create art outside of sanctioned images commissioned by LucasFilm.  If they starts doing original commissions and LucasFilm hears about it, they'll never work for them again.  Great motivation to stay in line! 

 

And.  Seriously.  What can be better than knowing George Lucas, who created Han Solo, Leia, Jabba and Yoda, would want the art that was inspired by those creations?  

It's not like there isn't good art available.  Our friends at Acme (you can buy the art online on our website under "cinema, star wars") have created some great limited editions based on the art George was most excited about.  But the original art--good original art by the artists George collects--that's hard to get.  

That's why we're so excited.  We have struck a deal with those artists to sell their art, whatever George and his crew decline, however temporary, to the true and faithful Star Wars fans/hopeful art collectors.  And we're getting more and more artists all the time.  So.  If you are a fan of Star Wars…give us a call, or stay tuned, because by the time C5 rolls around in August we are going to have emassed quite the awesome collection of original Star Wars art.  

 

We'll be at Celebration 5 with Andrea Alvin, John Alvin's wife and artistic partner, and with Randy Martinez, and who knows who else in the world of Star Wars art, and even now we are pulling together gorgeous original art that spans the spectrum of the Star Wars universe.  

If you don't know who Boba is, this isn't for you.  But if you know an X wing from a Tie Fighter, if you know Tatooine isn't something you do as a drunken sailor on leave, if Salacious Crumb is more than a breakfast coffee cake…we might be able to hook you up…

Stay tuned.  As usual, we have a plan…and the force is strong with this one…

Leslie

ArtInsights