This year at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, I participated in The Vader Case Project. The Celebration Collecting Track invited over twenty-five Star Wars artists and collectors to decorate a vintage Darth Vader carrying case with their own take on the Dark Lord. The artists include collectors like Gus Lopez and prolific Star Wars artists like Chris Trevas, Suckadelic, Bruce White, Spencer Brinkerhoff, Randy Martinez, Brian Rood and Tom Spina. The cases were shown throughout Celebration in the Collector’s Track Social Room and were auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
My contribution was a tribute to the late Ralph McQuarrie, concept artist for Star Wars, entitled “McQuarrie Concept Vader.” It was based on one of his original design concepts for Darth Vader and required a complete re-sculpting of the face and helmet of the original action figure case using bits of found material, epoxy sculpting clay and automotive paint. McQuarrie was a huge inspiration on my growth as a young artist. I began drawing as a direct result of seeing Star Wars and later, when I found a Topps Star Wars Space Painting trading card featuring Ralph’s work, the creative flood gates were opened.
Sold for $1500.
