Does anyone remember the first picture/screenshot that was released to the public for each prequel film?
Coruscant concept art in Time Magazine was the first I came across. I can't really remember the first actual photo I saw.
I'd guess closer to 96. It was early enough to be the first confirmation I found that new Star Wars would be made.
February 1997 according to this archive of TFN in the old days. There were spy reports and pictures too but I don't know the dates for those. One of the earliest ones was a picture of the landing ramp of the Queen's ship on Tatooine, and another was one of the hovertanks on Naboo. (If I remember right.)
I remember that page now. Unfortunately there is no archive of it on Wayback Machine... If somebody has those pictures and could upload them, I would appreciate it. .
The Coruscant passenger liner at the dock concept art was actually official Return of the Jedi Special Edition concept art, not Episode 1 art. Chiang later commented that it was an unofficial first image for the prequels because it was the same setting as one in Episode One, etc. But that specific piece was created for the ROTJ SE ending celebration(which shows the liner all too briefly docked at the landing bay in the background).
I'm pretty sure the first image I remember seeing was a blurry photo of maul in the Naboo hanger. Thought the first AOTC photo I remember was Jango with the umbrella. Which confused the hell out of me.
Can't say I can remember what it was for the first two. But for revenge of the Sith, I remember the promo of Anakin's cape forming Vader.
The first "official" movie photo I remember seeing for Episode 1, as opposed to "back stage" photos or leaked ones, was this one: I remember thinking "awesome"
i didn't find out about the prequels until my dad showed me a trailer for them. to this day we still use Palpatine's line "wipe them out...All of them" line.