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August 27, 2024
New Website Preserves the Legacy of Colin Cantwell, First Star Wars Ship Designer
Colin’s Career Included Functioning as “HAL 9000” During Walter Cronkite’s Broadcast of the 1969 Moon Landing and More
Brad Cook and Sierra Dall, Colin Cantwell’s long-term partner, are proud to announce the launch of a revamped website dedicated to preserving the legacy of the legendary first designer of many Star Wars ships, including the X-Wing Fighter, TIE Fighter, Death Star, Star Destroyer, and others.
The new website features a blog that will dive deep into various aspects of Colin’s life over the coming months, starting with his work on Star Wars. The first two blog posts introduce his Star Wars work and discuss Colin’s creation of the first version of the Millennium Falcon.
A future blog post will explain how one of Colin’s Star Destroyer concept paintings became the basis for the Cantwell-class Arrestor Cruiser. That ship appeared briefly in the movie Solo (and was meant to be featured in a scene that was deleted but is available as a bonus feature on the film’s home video editions) and played a prominent role in episode 11, “Daughter of Ferrix,” in season one of the Disney Plus series Andor.
Another future blog post will detail Colin’s extraordinary involvement in the moon landing on July 20, 1969. He worked for NASA in the 1960s and functioned as the “HAL 9000,” as he described his role, for Walter Cronkite during the CBS News broadcast, giving the news anchor updates as the lunar lander approached the surface.
On a related note, Colin also worked with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey, which will, of course, get a blog entry too.
In addition, the new website features the first official online shop dedicated to selling autographed and non-autographed prints of Colin’s work on Star Wars, including pre-production paintings and photos of the models he built. The autographed prints are the last ones available, given Colin’s passing on May 21, 2022.
Other future plans include a partnership with TSJ Foundation, a non-profit organization whose goal is to inspire minds, uplift spirits, and create lasting memories with their unique approach of promoting the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) using immersive and interactive themed experiences.
Many of TSJ Foundation’s immersive experiences feature a Star Wars theme, and the non-profit created Galactic Visions: The Colin Cantwell Legacy, an exhibit for the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) Museum in Columbus, Ohio.
Sierra Dall, who was Colin Cantwell’s partner for the last 24 years of his life, said: “It pleases me to turn Colin’s legacy over to Brad Cook, who is doing a wonderful job of redesigning and managing the new website, as well as Eric Jacobs of TSJ Foundation, who is bringing Colin’s work to life at live events.”
About Colin Cantwell
Colin Cantwell (April 3, 1932 – May 21, 2022) was born into an artistic family in San Francisco, California. As a child, he was a voracious reader whose interest in space led him to a job at NASA sometime after graduating from UCLA as its first animation graduate.
He worked with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey and even sat behind Walter Cronkite during the moon landing on July 20, 1969, conveying the astronauts’ progress to the news anchor as one of the most memorable moments in human history unfolded.
A mutual friend, Hal Barwood, introduced Colin to George Lucas in 1974, and he was hired as the first spaceship designer on Star Wars in 1975. He created the first versions of the TIE Fighter, X-Wing fighter, Star Destroyer, Death Star, and other now-iconic spacecraft.
Colin later worked on Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the TV series Buck Rogers, the movie WarGames (earning a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Special Visual Effects), and other projects. He also helped Hewlett-Packard take the company’s software from 8 colors to 5,000 colors, ushering in the modern era of computer graphics.
His other interests included studying quantum physics and writing the science-fiction novels CoreFires and CoreFires II. In the final years leading to his passing, Colin enjoyed recognition from a legion of fans as a Star Wars alumnus, making personal appearances at comic book conventions and comic book shops.
You can learn more about Colin at colincantwell.com.
About TSJ Foundation
The Theresa Sondra Jacobs Foundation (TSJ) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to transforming STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education through innovative, immersive, and interactive experiences. Established in 2017 in memory of Theresa “Terry” Jacobs, a devoted educator who spent over 30 years inspiring young minds, the foundation was created by her son, Eric Jacobs, and his wife, Ruba, to continue her legacy of fostering curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning.
TSJ’s mission is to make STEAM education engaging, accessible, and impactful for learners of all ages and backgrounds. We believe that education should go beyond the traditional classroom, embracing new technologies and creative approaches that captivate and inspire students.
Our signature program, the interActive Robotic Teaching System (i-ARTS), embodies this philosophy by integrating robotics, artificial intelligence, and holographic displays into educational settings. This cutting-edge system creates dynamic, hands-on learning environments where students can explore STEAM subjects in a way that is both fun and deeply educational.
Over the years, TSJ has partnered with leading institutions like the COSI Museum in Columbus, Ohio, to bring our innovative approach to education to a broader audience. These collaborations have allowed us to develop and showcase a variety of transformative projects that push the boundaries of what STEAM education can be.
One such partnership is our involvement in the Galactic Visions: The Colin Cantwell Legacy project. While the project itself is a tribute to Colin Cantwell’s groundbreaking work as the original designer of many iconic Star Wars spacecraft, TSJ’s role is to bring our expertise in immersive educational experiences to help craft a legacy that will inspire future generations. By incorporating our i-ARTS technology and educational philosophy, we aim to ensure that Galactic Visions is not just a celebration of Cantwell’s achievements, but also a powerful tool for learning and inspiration.
Through our contributions to Galactic Visions and other projects, TSJ continues to make a meaningful impact on the field of STEAM education. Our work is driven by a passion for innovation and a commitment to making education accessible, engaging, and transformative for all.
You can learn more about TSJ Foundation at theresasjacobs.org.
