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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Lit Lovely old WEG illustrations

Discussion in 'Literature' started by cthugha, Jan 20, 2013.

  1. cthugha

    cthugha Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 24, 2010
    While browsing through some old WEG adventure books and supplements in my nonexistent spare time, I just realized how much I love these old black-and-white illustrations from back in the day when the Galaxy was still mostly unexplored, when there was so little material coming out with such huge gaps in between (at least that was how it felt in my backwards country in the 90s) that I'd spend hours pondering every single picture, making up stories about all the people in the background, and whoa there was quite a lot going on in these backgrounds...

    So I figured I'd start a thread for talking about (and posting) some of these lovely old illustrations. I'll start of with this one that just kicked the thought loose in my head:

    [​IMG]

    So obviously there's Han Solo and Chewbacca in the middle... and a bartender droid (these seem to have mostly vanished, I remember lots of barkeep droids in WEG times)... then there's a creepy Rodian up in a floating thingie, or maybe it's something like an indoor observation tower... a Noghri (I guess) sitting next to Han, and the cat equivalent of a Wookiee next to that... "Win" and "Jackpot" signs in the background, but best of all the multi-armed announcer (or singer?) in front of the band... that image alone could be the basis of a short story anthology.

    So, any other fond memories or rediscoveries? :)
     
  2. thesevegetables

    thesevegetables Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2012
    Yay old stuff!
     
  3. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    I just posted a bit of WEG artin ep7 forums.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. cthugha

    cthugha Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 24, 2010
    This is... beautiful [face_hypnotized]
     
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  5. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    I always liked using WEG sourcebook images as evidence that there was no such thing as an anti-female bias, given the prevalence of female Imperials in WEG. I believe that the following two images are from the Imperial Sourcebook -- one of a female Imperial in a landspeeder, and the other from the Imperial Academy (also establishing that the Navy does have a skirt option for the uniforms). The next three are from Heroes and Rogues, where the third image is a female Imperial army adjutant. The fourth image is just a spoiled debutante, which I find hilarious. Then the fifth image is the arrogant Imperial noble, who I aspire to emulate. Then the final image is just some fat Imperial official. Not sure where that one is from -- I put these images on my photobucket like almost a decade ago.

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  6. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    [​IMG]

    I feel like google thinks I'm typing in a foreign language. This stuff is hard to fing online. And I can't get SW wikia to load for nothing.
     
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  7. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    Should also be from Heroes & Rogues from what I remember :)
    That’s one is actually from the Essential Chronology, though there is one almost identical in the Death Star Technical Commentary.
     
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  8. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    I have the Death Star book, and Wanted By Cracken. Conjuring these things online is a pain. I have almost every SW Adventure Journal, and quite a few WEG products. If I had a scanner I'd share.
     
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  9. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Yeah one of the greatest moments of my SW career was when I bought my first Adventure Journal on Amazon -- it was the first time I'd seen one of them sold for less than an arm and a leg. I've since acquired 7 or 8 of them, but not a full set... one of the random used book sales at my undergrad had SWAJ #1 for 25 cents. Best bargain ever.
     
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  10. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Must get WEG. Or at least the DE sourcebook. I'm going to require that at my side when I reread DE soon (maybe I can make sense of it in relation to other works this time?)

    I've read quite a few of the Adventure Journal stories through text alone, but I do know that a lot of the stories featured illustrations. How prevalent is the artwork throughout the journals?
     
  11. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    I have purchased up to #12. However, and this is breaking my heart, I only have a scattered six of them. Either some are lost in moving and storage or else I have them put away in some box that is out of sight right now.

    I just googled "Wanted by Craken" and sur eenough the SSD Guardian pic I just posted come sup in the search as a post here. lol.
     
  12. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    About the same as in the guide books, so about every fourth page will have something.
     
  13. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Yeah there's a ton of art, whether as part of short stories or character portraits for the RPGs. And there are some surprising gems, like a Corran Horn I encountered the other day (a few years ago) in a Stackpole short story.
     
  14. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    I didn't ask that question up there^^.

    [​IMG]

    Found Purr.

    [​IMG]

    And Lifehold.
     
  15. rumsmuggler

    rumsmuggler Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2000
    Nice images. I've seen most of them before though.
     
  16. Parnesius

    Parnesius Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 8, 2012
    Do those glasses have two stems? Is that a Star Wars or a WEG thing?
     
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  17. The_Phantom_Calamari

    The_Phantom_Calamari Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 10, 2011
    I love how Vader's Force-choking some random Imperial officer and no one seems to notice or care. "Oh, yes, that's just something Lord Vader...does....from time to time...."
     
  18. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    The slaves are busy working and the Stormtroopers are properly making faces at the guy. ;)
     
  19. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000

    ...good catch. Somehow I hadn't noticed that in all those years. I should have realized her fingers were holding the bulb rather oddly.
     
  20. jasonfry

    jasonfry VIP star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2003
    I'd love to see Mike Vilardi return to Star Wars. Wonderful artist -- love encountering his stuff in those old WEG books.
     
  21. DarthCane

    DarthCane Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 30, 2002
    Those are all from Heroes and Rogues actually ... my WEG guides were kept out of the mass "I'm a responsible adult now" purge of SW books a few years ago (I do think my shelf looks better without Planet of Twilight or The Crystal Star on it ... of course I kept the Thrawn trilogy/duology and the X-wing series). Never actually played the tabletop RPGs myself, just bought the sourcebooks as reference guides. As far as the art goes, I vastly preferred WEG's depiction of Talon Karrde over the more widely accepted Dark Horse comics one ...

    [​IMG]

    Seems more befitting of a dapper, sardonic ne'er-do-well than this guy checking on his tickets for a grunge concert:

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    Very much so, WEG gave him a very Lando like vibe, which just fits way better with the way he comes across in the books.
    [​IMG]
     
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  23. Dr. Steve Brule

    Dr. Steve Brule Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2012
    Hah, so that's where the image of Mara from the Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy originally came from. Always liked that, personally.
     
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  24. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    So after some scanning

    My Favourite Stormtrooper type ever :p

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    The Real Imperial Army
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    Vader and Ming the Merciless?
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    Slavers - Scum of the Galaxy
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    And they have come to steal earth woman!
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    Some Pirates seem to like to take a very good look at the goods they sell to the Hutts [face_batting]
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    Privateers Ho!
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    Never annoy a Hutt
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    Random Rebel cruelty
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    Money well spend from the look of it ;)
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  25. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Dude, that Imperial officer in the Lawrence of Arabia getup is incredible.

    Also, that pirate is a total creepster and I don't even want to know what's going on in that last one.