The Sometimes Violent Reality

...of life in the mixed-race produce ghetto

The King

The king rested his hand on my shoulder;

didn’t speak.

Modestly dressed

small and quiet,

gentle eyes and soft hands

a calming presence

I wanted him to stay near.

I knew he would guide me

maybe even love me.

R.I.P. Ralph McQuarrie

Legendary concept artist Ralph McQuarrie died yesterday at age 82. He is best known for his concept drawings and production paintings for George Lucas (Star Wars) and Steven Spielberg (ET). As a kid, I loved studying his paintings in Star Wars "making-of" books, trading cards, etc. He influenced so many illustrators in his time and inspired me ('round age 7 or 8 or so) to start sketching character designs of my own. Here's a link to some of his artwork.