[Colin’s] artistry helped me build out the visual foundation for so many ships that are instantly recognizable today. His talent was and remains evident for all to see.”¹
george lucas
Star Wars spacecraft created by Colin Cantwell
Many people believe Ralph McQuarrie was the first person who created concept art for Star Wars spacecraft, but Colin Cantwell was actually hired in 1974 as the first employee of Lucasfilm.
Colin laid the concept art foundation for Star Wars spacecraft, including the X-Wing and TIE Fighter, that Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and others at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) used to further develop the look and feel of those ships.
You can buy prints of his work in our online shop, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting TSJ Foundation, a non-profit that creates Star Wars-centric museum exhibits to promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education for kids.
“I never met Colin Cantwell when I was hired to do Empire and Jedi, but then again, I didn’t have to. The trail he left behind on Star Wars made it easy for anyone to follow his footsteps. Thank you, Colin.”
– Nilo Rodis-Jamero, designer²
“Colin may have departed to become One with Force, but his own creative juices still live on within each new Star Wars film and show. Thanks for building our childhood, Colin.”
– Peter Briggs, co-writer on the 2004 movie Hellboy²
“Colin deserves a lot of credit for the initial vision of what Star Wars looked like.”
– Joe Johnston, concept artist and visual effects technician for Star Wars and film director (The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Captain America: The First Avenger)²
“I miss him dearly,” says Sierra Dall, Colin’s partner for the last 24 years of his life.
She adds: “It pleases me to turn Colin’s legacy over to Brad Cook, who is doing a wonderful job of redesigning and managing this site, as well as Eric Jacobs of TSJ Foundation, who is bringing Colin’s work to life at live events.”
¹ George Lucas quote from The Hollywood Reporter. Image used via a Wikimedia license.
² Other quotes used with permission. Thanks to Jamie Benning of The Filmumentaries Podcast for the Nilo Rodis-Jamero quote.