Art Notes: Farewell Biggs

"As light fills Luke's cokpit Luke skreams"

It's the final curtain for Biggs. I really get affected by this page which I must have drawn when quite young. It looks to have been enhanced later with colour and black marker. For all of its roughness it still gets me 'right here'.

In the film, Luke's reaction is very controlled and stoic. The farmboy of a couple of days ago bears the hallmark of a seasoned veteran; putting his emotions aside and getting on with the job. In mere minutes, the Empire will be within firing distance of the Rebel base.

But no such restraint here. Biggs' destruction takes up only 2 square inches or so, in the top-left of the page. A mere blip in the vastness of space. But the real drama takes place - in extreme closeup - in Luke's cockpit. It's over half of the page.

I wonder where this big-mouthed Luke came from: A Logan's Run comic? "FRANCIS - NOOOO!" Tomb of Dracula comic's Blade? Or, just maybe - precociously - my own imagination.

Farewell Biggs.

Happier times on Tatooine

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