Recommended music: John Williams – The Rebels Escape Again
We’re on the ice planet of Hoth this #WhateverWednesday, and today we’re taking a look at my print of Ralph McQuarrie Ion Cannon concept art!
25 years before it was known as the V-150 Planet Defender in a Star Wars video game, the ion cannon was just a concept for a weapon due to appear in The Empire Strikes Back, first visualized by artist Ralph McQuarrie. McQuarrie was the concept designer for the original trilogy and even appeared briefly on-screen in Empire as a general in Echo Base.
With a range of 180,000 KM, this cannon could fire from the frosty planet surface into space to disable Imperial ships orbiting the Hoth system. I was able to pick up this print of McQuarrie’s art at Star Wars Celebration one year and was glad to find a piece that Ralph signed before his passing in 2012. The signature on this piece is a simple “RMQ,” which he used later in life when a longer form of his autograph became increasingly difficult.
This large, beautiful art is the perfect size to serve as a backdrop for one of my Hoth action figure displays. It fits into the diorama much better than I imagine a scaled-down three-dimensional version of the weapon would.
The Empire Strikes Back turns 45 years old today! Happy 45 years of ESB!
#EmpireStrikesBack45
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