The Gizmodo.com:

The internet is understandably excited about the new Star Wars trailer. I have no problems considering myself a mega ultra super fan. I’ve made pilgrimages to conventions around the country and seeing new live-action Star Wars footage that isn’t the prequels is really exciting. But there’s one name that’s been woefully absent during the internet’s long discussions about the plausibility of lightsabers and that really cool x-wing scene—Ralph McQuarrie.

McQuarrie is Star Wars, and I say that with no exaggeration. Sure the scripts belong to George Lucas, and Star Wars would be nothing without them, but McQuarrie gave the original series that classic Star Wars feel that even 35 years later can still capture imaginations. Character concepts? McQuarrie. Vehicle designs? McQuarrie. Planet topography? McQuarrie. The guy was in every sense a creative genius.

And it wasn’t just the original trilogy. His artistic influence guided the prequel films and the Clone Wars series. In a five-part documentary, filmed in 2012 after McQuarrie’s unfortunate passing, George Lucas and tons of other creatives who helped shaped the franchise weigh in on McQuarrie’s monumental influence.

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