*Scroll down for some preview images in our most recent update to this post*
Barnes & Noble has a link up for the upcoming coffeetable book Star Wars: Inside the Production Archives: The Blueprints, written by J.W. Rinzler (with a foreword by Gavin Bocquet and a preface by Norman Reynolds) and produced by becker&mayer! The announcement states that the 336-page hardcover is expected in early November (as are Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible, Star Wars Art: Comics, and The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Old Republic). The cover-price for this book is a whopping $ 500 (although the BN-page has it on pre-order for 'just' $ 337.50)
Here are some tweets by J.W. Rinzler regarding this book: Nov. 2, 2010: Had an incredible interesting talk with Roger Christian yesterday ? Oscar winner for first SW ? about a TBA book. Stay tuned... Dec. 10, 2010: Finished going through b&w images for the Blueprints book. Great photo Elstree art department: Peter Childs, Harry Lange, Ted Ambrose, et al. Dec. 21, 2010: Got in Gavin Bocquet's foreword for the Blueprints book; Norman Reynolds will write the preface. Jan. 18, 2011: Yikes. So many captions. But that?s what where I am with SW: Blueprints book. Nice archival images. Will be talking to Les Dilley on Wednesday Feb. 18, 2011: Hard to believe, but already working on the video "sizzler" for Blueprint book. Dennis Muren and Lorne Peterson and I in b-roll at SR Archives. March 11, 2011: SW: Blueprints is off to the printer! Got in a final interview with Les Dilley. March 30, 2011: Blueprints book may have an ultra special edition.
Check out the Barnes & Noble pre-order link here...
UPDATE: The book, which will be published by Epic Inks, is a limited editon of 5,000 copies. From Epic Inks:
"Star Wars: The Blueprints brings together, for the first time, the original blueprints created for the filming of the Star Wars Saga. Drawn from deep within the Lucasfilm Archives and combined with exhaustive and insightful commentary from best-selling author J. W. Rinzler, the collection maps in precise, vivid, and intricate detail the very genesis of the most enduring and beloved sets ever to appear onscreen.
Star Wars: The Blueprints showcases more than 250 of the original and unpublished technical drawings created for all six films of the Star Wars Saga. In this massive, oversized volume, all-new photographs of the blueprints are matched with supporting images of concept design, production models, and film stills and new interviews with many of the films? original production designers, draftspeople, and set decorators. This revelatory look at the Star Wars universe was created in partnership with Lucasfilm, and authored by Lucasfilm executive editor, J. W. Rinzler
Star Wars: The Blueprints will be published in Fall 2011 as a single, limited edition of 5,000 hand-numbered copies, the first 125 of which will be signed by the three surviving Academy-Award winners for Best Art Direction (Star Wars, 1978): art director Norman Reynolds; art director Les Dilley; and set dresser Roger Christian.
- More than 250 featured blueprints - Over 70,000 words - More than 500 photographs and illustrations - Hand-numbered title page - Printed on 200 gsm matte paper with a varnish seal - 15.5? wide by 18.5? tall (39.4 cm wide by 47 cm tall) - 22 pounds (10 kg)
Cloth case - Custom-dyed - Debossed - Individually handcrafted, assembled, and inspected - 19? wide by 2.625? deep by 22.125? tall (48.3 cm wide by 6.7 cm deep by 56.2 cm tall) - Including book, 30 pounds (13.6 kg)
Certificate of Authenticity - Signed by Epic Ink Publisher Andrew S. Mayer - 4? wide x 5.75? tall (10.2 cm wide by 14.6 cm tall)
Some design highlights include: - The Millennium Falcon - C-3PO and R2-D2 - The Skyhopper and the X-wing fighter - The Ewok forest and the battle of Hoth
A custom-made cloth case holds the massive book of technical drawings within. Featuring 10 gatefolds that open to just shy of 4 feet in length, Star Wars: The Blueprints captures the original materials in breathtaking detail. Each book is hand-numbered. With an exclusive, limited run of only 5,000 English language copies, the incredible story told will appeal to the most passionate fans and collectors.
Like an archeologist, author J. W. Rinzler reveals the incredible story behind each blueprint. Each seminal design was handpicked by Rinzler and his expert panel of three Academy Award? -winning artists: Dennis Muren, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) visual effects supervisor on the original Star Wars trilogy; John Knoll, ILM visual effects supervisor for the Star Wars prequel trilogy films; and Lorne Peterson, ILM model shop supervisor for all six Star Wars films.
Rinzler, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Making of Star Wars, includes new insights from discussions with Norman Reynolds, the Academy Award-winning production designer and art director for the original Star Wars trilogy, and Gavin Bocquet, the production designer of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, as well as many others from the Star Wars production departments. These interviews reveal previously unexplored details behind the creation of Star Wars."
Although not yet online, the book will have its own website at theblueprintsbook.com.
UPDATE #2: Click on the thumbnails below for full preview images...
Rebelscum Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Patch Posted By Philip on November 25, 2014: Thanks to everybody that ordered patches. I sent a check for $1,600.00 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation on Monday. While it's not as much as I hoped for, it's still very much appreciated. They will remain for sale in the store for anybody that still wishes to purchase them. Details after the jump.