CLASSIC IMAGE: HELP FROM AN OLD FRIEND...

Here's some great EMPIRE 1978/79 storyboards from artist unknown (possibly the UK's Ivor Beddoes?) showing Luke's capture by the Wampa and his first attempt to retrieve his fallen lightsaber. Click the pic to see a larger version. Note that, in the original sequence as stated on the board, Luke was to have heard Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice telling him to concentrate and use the Force.

With thanks to Ian Trussler for the image.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: BALANCE TO THE FORCE!

Here's a few great effects reference storyboards (presumably from Joe Johnston, though David Carson and Nilo Rodis-Jamero also worked in that area for the film), circa December 1982, that we weren't able to incorporate for space reasons in our MAKING OF RETURN OF THE JEDI issue of a few years back, showing some of the previously filmed classic scenes of Luke's conflict against Darth Vader when he discovers the truth about his daughter and uses the knowledge against his son, plus the all-time classic emotional moment where Vader, back to the good side as Anakin Skywalker (of which we're all now cheering him on), throws the Emperor down the shaft (referred to in the boards as "The Pit of Death"!).

Classic material, and we look forward to seeing more storyboard goodies and incredibly rare and unseen pre and post production art of all kinds when J.W. Rinzler's MAKING OF book comes out in 2013.

Meanwhile, in the long two year wait for the official book, head over to our back issues area and find out how to get out pretty exhaustive, and reader acclaimed, MAKING OF RETURN OF THE JEDI issue: BACK ISSUE PDF CATALOG

CLASSIC ART: TINY WISDOM!

Here's a fun b/w late 1978 or early 1979 storyboard, possibly by the respected UK artist Ivor Beddoes during the time he worked on storyboarding for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at ELSTREE with the late director Irvin Kershner, showing a wide-eyed and innocent, dreaming of adventure and excitement Luke Skywalker conferring with an early version of Yoda within his hut home on Dagobah.

With thanks to Ian Trussler for the image.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: GOING IN FOR THE KILL!

Above the Death Star planetoids surface, two deadly TIE fighters move speedily to intercept a Rebel X-wing fighter (possibly Luke's, from looking at the Fourth Draft script) in a lovely ILM 1976/77 storyboarded image by artist unknown (presumably Joe Johnston).

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image.

LOOKING BACK: OBI-WAN LIVES!

Obi-Wan Kenobi makes the ultimate sacrifice for his escaping friends in STAR WARS.

Prior to March 1976, Sir Alec Guinness, playing the wise and noble Jedi Knight, Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi, thought he was going to survive his duel with Lord Darth Vader and go on to the Rebel Base on Yavin IV to provide both support for Princess Leia and encouragement to Luke Skywalker whilst piloting his ship against the Death Star. Here are the late 1975/ early 76 storyboards by famed UK artist Ivor Beddoes of the original sequence, which culminated in a shield door cutting the devil horned, helmeted Vader off from Kenobi (injured in battle, the Jedi is then helped back to the Millennium Falcon by Luke Skywalker):

George Lucas, however, had other ideas, and didn't want Sir Alec as an actor and Kenobi as a character having very little to do but stand in the background for the films final act. So, in advice and consultation with wife Marcia, he took the brave step of killing Kenobi off- a wise move that added drama and sadness to the film and gave it a harder edge-that main characters, despite their abilities, could be killed off unexpectedly in the STAR WARS saga- though it was a decision that Lucas struggled with right up to the start of the films shooting in Tunisia and which worried Guinness. Fortunately, Lucas also had a little plan of having Kenobi come back as a spectral Force voice at the end victory, which meant that a return of some kind for Guinness/Kenobi, in person or in voice-over, for the future (if the film was a hit) was possible.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: "RED FIVE STANDING BY"

A great ILM STAR WARS 1976/77 storyboard of Luke Skywalker in the cockpit of his X-wing, at some point during the Death Star attack. We assume the illustration was brought to life by Joe Johnston, and based around the earlier July 1976 filming of the fighter pilot cockpit scenes at ELSTREE.