Force Material Episode XLV: Norman Rockwell

This is the story of how the great American illustrator inspired the great American filmmaker — and his best friend.

It’s the story of George, Steven, Norman, and many, many Benjamins. This week we examine — in broad strokes — the connections between Star Wars and Norman Rockwell.

We begin this week's episode by explaining how Norman Rockwell's Shuffleton's Barbershop became one of the star attractions at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (00:03:05), currently under construction in Los Angeles' Expo Park!

Then we rewind to look at Rockwell's career as the great American illustrator (00:06:58); how George Lucas and Steven Spielberg started collecting Norman Rockwell paintings as if they were baseball cards (00:07:52); and how Lucas and Spielberg fell in love with Rockwell's work in the first place (00:14:16).

We examine how Norman Rockwell has influenced George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's work (00:19:03); Rockwell's working methods (00:30:57); and the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode that made Rockwell canon (00:33:54).

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.