I’ve worked with hundreds of illustrators in my life, and they’re all brilliant, they’re all great, but they don’t get recognized for anything. So, this is sort of a temple to the people’s art.
– George Lucas
The Maker himself, George Lucas, made his San Diego Comic Con debut at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel in Hall H on Sunday, July 27th. He was accompanied by Lucas Museum board member and Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, and Lucasfilm’s Senior Vice President and Executive Design Director Doug Chiang, with artist, actress, and producer, Queen Latifah moderating.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park on an 11-acre campus in 2026, is co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson. It will be the world’s first institution dedicated to the exploration of narrative art, celebrating illustrated storytelling across eras and cultures, from ancient cave drawings and children’s book illustrations to comic books and digital media.
…because we are in a critical moment in which one of the things they like to disappear is the past. You know? And this is memorializing a popular, vociferous, expressive, and eloquent moment in our visual past that belongs to all of us, and the museum celebrates this.
- Guillermo del Toro
The 300,000-square-foot, 5-story structure will feature thirty-three galleries, two theaters, a retail store, a library, a café, a restaurant, and event spaces.
Star Wars fans will be excited to learn that there will be life-size models of Anakin’s N1-Starfighter, General Grievous on his Wheel Bike, Luke’s Landspeeder, Podracers, and Speeder Bikes from Return of the Jedi. There will be so much more to witness and enjoy from George’s personal collection of over 40,000 pieces of art.
You know, narrative art is a way to educate kids, and to sort of like validate and say it’s ok to, you know, draw your fantasies, draw things from your mind, embrace comic books. It shouldn’t be looked down upon. And what’s fantastic is that I think the museum, my hope is that it will inspire, you know, the next Norman Rockwell or Frank Frazetta.
- Doug Chiang
…and the society cannot exist without a common belief system. And that’s where illustration is vital to show you what that means in everyday life.
– George Lucas
This will undoubtedly be an unforgettable experience! I cannot wait to visit. If you'd like to experience the museum and get insider access, you can join the waitlist.
Credits: The quotes in this post were transcribed by me from videos that the Lucas Museum kindly provided me with. Photos are by Eric Charbonneau. Some of the information pertaining to the life-size models comes from Star Wars Explained and Luke's Outpost.
Are you planning to visit once the museum is open? Let me know! You can get in touch with me by leaving a comment below or following me on my social media channels: Instagram, X, Threads or Bluesky.
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