Force Material Episode XCV: A Celebration of Ralph McQuarrie w/ David Mandel, Brandon Alinger & Wade Lageose
The authors of Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie join us to pay tribute to cinema’s most beloved and influential concept artist.
David Mandel is an Emmy– and Writers Guild Award–winning writer and producer who first made his mark on pop culture as a writer for Saturday Night Live (1992-95) and Seinfeld, where he wrote the all-time classic ‘Bizarro Jerry’ episode. He served as a writer and producer on Curb Your Enthusiasm, before becoming the executive producer and showrunner of HBO's Veep. He’s also a serious collector of film props, production art and original comic art.
Brandon Alinger is the author of Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy, and was a research assistant for the great JW Rinzler on The Making of Return of the Jedi. He’s also the chief operations officer of the Los Angeles branch of Prop Store, a company specialising in film props and costumes.
Wade Lageose is a graphic designer and artist whose clients have included the likes of Lucasfilm and Walt Disney. He first met Ralph McQuarrie in 1997, and enjoyed 15 years of friendship with the great man before McQuarrie passed away in 2012.
David, Brandon and Wade join us to discuss a range of topics, including:
The unmade film that brought George Lucas and Ralph McQuarrie together
McQuarrie's commitment to concepts that 'work'
The unused McQuarrie designs that have resurfaced in the Disney era, and the ones that haven't
How McQuarrie felt about the fame that came with Star Wars
How McQuarrie's life experiences informed his work
Why McQuarrie walked away from Star Wars
What McQuarrie thought of the prequels
The process of creating Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie
The most impressive McQuarrie pieces in David, Brandon and Wade's collections
David, Brandon and Wade are the authors of Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie, a two-volume set published by Abrams Books in 2016.
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.
