1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class. A production 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio, Hello and Happy Friday. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: Fry and I'm Tracy Bee Wilson. We got to spend 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: a luxurious two episodes talking about Ralph mcquarie. This week 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 1: we did. This is one of those episodes. First, I 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: should mention that it was your idea it kind of yeah, 7 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: should I tell that whole saga shower? Um? So, as 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: you may have noticed, we had some three D audio 9 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: in these episodes, and originally we had been asked to 10 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: do something that was going to come out the week 11 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: of May four, and I said, hey, we could do 12 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: something kind of Star Wars e because we were trying 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: to think of what would work well with a three 14 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: D audio aspect for our show, which right, and and 15 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: May the fourth is Star Wars Day, and May the 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: fourth is Star Wars Day, So that seemed like a 17 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: good can action. Uh. And then the date of the 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: drop for these episodes got pushed by a week and 19 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,559 Speaker 1: it wasn't around Star Wars Day anymore. That's okay, which 20 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: was fine. Anytime is a good time to talk about 21 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: Ralph McQuary. Yeah, um, yeah, this is one of those 22 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: those episodes. That is simultaneously an absolute delight for me 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: to research and work on and incredibly deeply painful for 24 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: me to research and work on because anybody who knows 25 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: Ralph mcquarie's work, particularly for the Star Wars films, which 26 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: obviously I'm rabbit about, it's so dense, there's so much 27 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: of it. They're literally thousands of pieces of art. So 28 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: having to only talk about a few of them was 29 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: I could do an entire episode where I only talk 30 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: about his work on best Bin because Cloud City is 31 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: where it's at for me. Yeah, something that was really 32 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: interesting to me. I have seen all the Star Wars movies, 33 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: some of them more than one time, and I've seen 34 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: all of the Mantalorian but like, I have never had 35 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: the level of Star Wars connection and immersion that you 36 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: have had. But still, reading a lot of the descriptions 37 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: of the art that he made, so much of it, 38 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: like I immediately know exactly what's seen you were talking 39 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 1: about and exactly what it looks like. Yeah, I mean, 40 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: it's really really marvelous to see how meticulously some of 41 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,959 Speaker 1: his his imagery was recreated on screen, was really very 42 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: little or no changes to it. I mean, he he 43 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: talks in various interviews. He he talked through the years 44 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: about how like there were just times when things could 45 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: not look the way he drew them because there were 46 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: just logistics and he understood that from like a material's perspective, 47 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: you can't actually make this thing, which is pretty interesting, 48 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: but there are some that just look exactly like what 49 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: he painted. One of the things that I did not 50 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: get into, and it kind of falls into that territory, 51 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: is his designs for Yoda, because his Yoda does not 52 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: look like Yoda at all when he read the script 53 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: and it was, you know, this sort of wizzened very 54 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: old Jedi in his mind, he was like a bony, 55 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: crotchety looking creature, and he looks much more severe in 56 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: his images. If you've seen any of his paintings of Yoda, 57 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: you'll see that they look very very different. Um and 58 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: he kind of said, like, well, some of the that 59 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: changes that other concept artists were coming up with things 60 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: that were a little closer to what George wanted. But 61 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: also the puppeteers really like kind of dominated the decision 62 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: process because they knew what the materials could and couldn't 63 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: do it. She's actually going to work and play on 64 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: screen versus like trying to create this weird, bony thing 65 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: that probably wouldn't have had the same level of of 66 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: warmth to it. Um. It's so wonderful because he was 67 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: for the most part when you read interviews with him, 68 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: he was not territorial about his art at all, Like 69 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: he never was like they didn't do I thought was better. 70 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: The only thing I ever saw him mentioned was the 71 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: e Walks. He just like, I really wish they had 72 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: look scarier. Um, you know, man, I was the exact 73 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: age to those Waks. They were adorable meat. I still 74 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 1: love the e Walks. The the animated Ewok Adventures are 75 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: now on Disney Plus, and I'm They're so ridiculous and wonderful, 76 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: and I relish that they turned out so cute that 77 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: now we have adorable animated stuff that we can revisit. I. Um, yeah, 78 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: there were things that I was like, oh, should I 79 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: put this in? I had a whole long description for 80 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: a while of his art of the speeder bike chase, 81 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: which has a lot of a sense of motion to it, 82 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: But it was just like, this is another like five 83 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: D words that is just about this one painting, And 84 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: I don't know that it does anything different from what 85 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: we've already talked about. UM. I mean, I'm happy to 86 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: talk to all these paintings forever and ever and ever, 87 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: but you have to load balance it a little bit. 88 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: It's also in interesting that his work, it appears, was 89 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 1: just universally awe inspiring. Like there are even moments where 90 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: people talk about different collaborators that maybe weren't always great 91 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: at like and at being that sort of non ownership 92 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: approach that he had where they were like, no, I 93 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: want my version, but like everybody would see his work 94 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: and be like, this guy is amazing, and whenever he draws, 95 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: let's put it in the movie, um, which is sort 96 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: of lovely. And I really could watch interviews with him 97 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: forever because he has this very gentle, sweet way about 98 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: him and you just kind of want to like buy 99 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 1: him a coffee and ask him to tell you stories 100 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: about art. Yeah, he's just he was a really, really 101 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: wonderful man, um, you know, and did did some various 102 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: convention appearances before his passing, and and just so beloved 103 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: by everybody. There's just no bad press on the dude. 104 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: But I I there is a mind boggling part of 105 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: it where we talked about how fast he was, like 106 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: he would turn around a concept painting sometimes in two days, 107 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: and they were big paintings with a lot of details. 108 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: But to him and he talks about how well that 109 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: was work, that was my job. But I it's so 110 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: strange to juxtapose his kind of pragmatism about it and 111 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: his lack of like, no, I've passionately fought for it 112 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: to look this way. He doesn't do that. He's very like, well, 113 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: practically speaking, it seemed to make more sense this way, 114 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: so that's what I did. And yet he turned out 115 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: these things that just take people's breath away, which is 116 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: kind of a very different image of an artist than 117 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: what we often get, right right, just a Mr. Equanimity, 118 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: relaxed about everything. Even though the quote that you read 119 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: from him at the very end of the episode kind 120 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: of downplayed the idea of like commercial and technical art 121 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: being art. Um, I feel like a lot of what 122 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: he did just is really evidence that like, yeah, if 123 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: you're doing this for your paycheck and you're doing it 124 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: to the clients spec it's still art. Like even if 125 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: you felt like that wasn't really are it definitely is 126 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: still art. Uh, yeah, yeah, I Uh. There's another quote 127 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: I didn't include from him, but it was very um, 128 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: I don't know if I would call it self critical, 129 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: but it was very humble where he was talking about like, 130 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: you know, beautiful, perfect art incorporates like he he would 131 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: see that like commercial art could beautiful, and he be like, 132 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: but it incorporates like this sense of just uh, you know, 133 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: effortlessness and beauty and it all comes together and my 134 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: art just isn't quite there. And I'm like, what, Yeah, yeah, 135 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: I know, I know a lot of people whose job 136 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: involves making art who are incredibly hard on themselves when 137 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: they see their finished art that they have made for work. 138 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: And I mean, I know all of us who do 139 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: something creative can be really hard our on our own 140 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: creative work. But like there, it's it's a similar vibe 141 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: and in how people have talked about the flaws they 142 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: have seen in their own visual art that they did 143 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: for their job. Yeah, it's astonishing. I mean again, I'm 144 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: like you, I get it, but it's so mismatched to 145 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: what we're actually looking at when we look at his 146 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 1: paintings that I'm like, wow, who did not have a 147 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: really strong grasp on reality? Of my friend. Um, I 148 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: will tell you, researching for this one may have also, 149 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: uh you know, resulted in another tattoo plan nice, So 150 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: if that happens, I'll be sure to share it on 151 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: social It's the not one of his more detailed things, 152 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: but one of his sketches that I just kind of 153 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: fell in love with and kept going back to. I 154 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: uh yeah, I uh those ice spiders, love them. I 155 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 1: love them. I may be the only one who was 156 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,079 Speaker 1: like clapping and squealing with joy through that episode the 157 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: first time I saw it, because I like spiders anyway, 158 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: while my poor husband was like wadded up in a 159 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: ball at the end of the couch or I'm like, 160 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: are you a Katie's like not really, and I'm like, 161 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: well sorry, um uh yeah, but it's beautiful. I encourage 162 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: anybody if you haven't spent time looking at his work, 163 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,959 Speaker 1: particularly if you've seen maybe his more famous work but 164 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: not some of his lesser known pieces, it's worth just 165 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: doing a search on the internet and kind of getting 166 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: lost for a little while. Maybe why you have your 167 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: coffee or something or a little break in your day, 168 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: because it's it is just it's refreshingly beautiful, Like I 169 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: think there is something so special about his work because 170 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: he does bring that technical expertise that he got working 171 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: in aerospace, but elevates it in a way that is 172 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: completely sublime and beautiful. UM And I obviously have like 173 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: fangirl rabies over his work in particular, but I think 174 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: most people that look at it can appreciate that it 175 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: is really quite spectacular. If you can find a picture 176 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: of UM, particularly those Matt paintings that he did for 177 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: the landing platform scene that we talked about in Empire 178 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 1: Strikes Back, and also the scene where the big showdown 179 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: between Luke and Vader happens in that shaft like where 180 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: they're just surrounded by open space and black walls full 181 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: of light. He painted that um that background and then 182 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: had to go in and it got filmed, and then 183 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: he did some retouching to fill in some spaces, and 184 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: it's just it's really a testament to like an incredible 185 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: level of skill. UM that will forever blew my mind. 186 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: So I hope everybody enjoyed it and found this fun 187 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: and was okay with indulging me in my Star Wars 188 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: rabies or two full episodes. UM. Also, we hope that 189 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: you have a great weekend to head. If you have 190 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: time off, I hope you spend it doing things that 191 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: are joyous and RESTful. Not making art for other people, 192 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: but maybe for yourself. Follow Ralph's lead, just lie down 193 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: and see what happens. Um If you do have to work, 194 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: I hope that you can also find your your moments 195 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: of inspiration or beauty, and that everybody is super cool 196 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 1: to you. We will see you here tomorrow with a 197 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: classic and next week with new episodes. Stuff you Missed 198 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: in History Class is a production of I heart Radio. 199 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 200 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 201 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.