A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

Promotional photo of Buena Vista Home Entertainment/Lucasfilm's S tar Wars: The Skywalker Saga  box set, a Best Buy exclusive. © 2020 Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) Hi, there, Dear Reader. I hope this post finds you safe, healthy, and adjusting to the new realities of living in the "dark times" of the novel coronavirus pandemic. I know that you must be feeling frustrated and scared about the effects of social distancing, working from home, and the effects of a "lockdown" on the economy. I, too, am fretting about the same things, and I am hoping that the pandemic will reach a peak and eventually peter out as a result of prudent self-quarantining and other preventive measures. If you know the history of how I became a Star Wars fan back in 1977, you doubtlessly understand that the franchise created nearly 45 years ago by George Lucas has helped me cope with sad and stressful situations. If you don't, all you have to know is that

Cover Art: "Rey and the Island" concept painting by James Clyne. © 2017 Abrams Books and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) On December 15, 2017, Abrams Books, an imprint of New York publisher Henry N. Abrams, released Phil Szostak's The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Published on Opening Day of director Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, this was Szostak's third volume in a series of illustrated books that focus on the concept art created by Lucasfilm's Art Department during the making of the post-George Lucas Sequel Trilogy and the standalone Star Wars Anthology movies. An image archivist who has worked for The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm in the past, Szostak was embedded with Lucasfilm's Art Department almost as soon as George Lucas retired from making blockbuster films and sold his famous production company and all of its assets to Disney in 2012. As a result, he has been in a good position to cover the illustrators, set designers, pre-vis artis

© 2015 Henry N. Abrams Books and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) On December 18, 2015, Henry N. Abrams (aka Abrams) Books published image archivist Phil Szostak's The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh book in The Art of Star Wars series of books devoted to the concept art used by Lucasfilm Ltd. to create the Star Wars live-action movies. Following the traditions established by Carol Titleman in her 1979 book The Art of Star Wars, Szostak curates an impressive array of pre-visualization paintings, costume and set designs, concepts for Resistance and First Order starships and secret weapons such as Starkiller Base, and sketches and photos for such now-iconic props as Kylo Ren's "crossguard lightsaber" and Rey's handy fighting stave. Released on the same day of Star Wars: The Force Awakens' theatrical release, The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens features artwork contributed by renowned production designer Rick Baker (who wrote the book's forewor

© 2018 Abrams and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  On May 25, 2018, New York City-based publisher Abrams Books released Phil Szostak's The Art of Solo: A Star Wars, the latest entry in the long-running  The Art of Star Wars series that began with Carol Titleman's classic 1979 work, The Art of Star Wars.  Featuring production paintings, costume designs, sketches and concept paintings for props, spaceships, and the many characters that were imagined for the 10th live-action Star Wars movie, The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story is a treasure trove of graphic artwork created by some of Lucasfilm's most talented artists. Concept art for the Vandor train heist by artist Thom Tenery. © 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) Published on the same day that Solo: A Star Wars Story premiered, Szostak's fourth The Art of... book is divided thusly: Foreword by Neil Lamont Foreword by James Clyne Introduction by Phil Szostak Who's Who Harry and the Boy Han Solo Qi'ra