JTA reader Scott K. put together some of Star Wars' earliest concept art drawings and questions why artist Joe Johnston doesn't get more credit with some of the new concepts brought forth in Star Wars: Rebels. Click through to read his concerns and see just how much stuff is being borrowed from both McQuarrie's and Johnston's impressive bodies fo work.

Paul,

Has Joe Johnston become the Marcia Lucas for Hasbro?

Is it me or does former Lucasfilm production artist/modern day film director Joe Johnston not get the design credit he deserves from Hasbro? Clearly it’s Johnston’s two-legged walker (AT-DP) Lucasfilm/Disney are using in the new Rebels animated series. In the 1980 The Empire Strikes Back Sketchbook (page 25) you can see that it is this exact design of Johnston’s they are using for the series.

Adding to that, the trooper helmet now realized in several new Hasbro toys depicts the design of an ESB Snowtrooper helmet that looks to be an amalgam of Johnston’s drawings (page 45 of the sketchbook) and several Ralph McQuarrie designs. I think the new Rebels design leans toward Johnston’s sketches a bit more, though the Lego Rebels trooper helmet that is packed with the Ezra mini-fig does sport the “handlebar mustache” design prevalent in McQuarrie’s illustrations. Honestly, I think one of the two artists “copied” the other back in 1979 for this particular helmet design, but whose design came first?

Anyways, I’ve heard several voiced statements (Filoni’s Rebels design team and Hasbro reps at Toy Fair) that many Rebels designs are old McQuarrie illustrations, but no one mentions Johnston. Could it be a Lucasfilm edict? Hell, Hasbro spelled his last name wrong on the package back of the Legacy BAD collection’s Concept Art Snowtrooper (BD48).

Thankfully, Galoob used to give proper credit to Johnston back in the mid-90’s.

Sincerely,
Scott Krasowski, the Warsaw Wonder