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Colin Cantwell, creator of ‘Star Wars’ ships, lands in Las Vegas

By Mat Luschek Las Vegas Review-Journal
Colin Cantwell, left, concept artist and model builder for the original Star Wars movies, takes ...

You may not know his name, but you most likely know his work. Colin Cantwell created and designed many of the iconic ships from “Star Wars,” first seen in the original 1977 “Star Wars” film.

On Wednesday, he stopped by Rogue Toys in Las Vegas to meet fans and sign autographs. Some stormtroopers from the valley’s 501st Legion joined him at the store.

In the 1970s, George Lucas invited Cantwell to work on “Star Wars” after seeing his work in “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Cantwell went to work creating and building physical models for the X-wing fighter, TIE fighter, Death Star, Millennium Falcon and other vehicles and ships.

He built the models using a process called “kitbashing,” which involves taking pieces of other models to create a new one.

While the ships went through some evolution, most stayed true to his designs, except the Millennium Falcon. Cantwell said Lucas thought the Millennium Falcon looked too much like the ship from “Space 1999.” It was deconstructed and reconstructed into its “hunk of junk” form.

In recent years, Cantwell, now in his 80s, has appeared at pop culture conventions across the United States. His next stop is in Ontario, California, for Comic Con Revolusion this weekend.

Learn more about Cantwell at ColinCantwell.com.

Contact Mat Luschek at mluschek@reviewjournal.com. Follow @matluschek on Twitter.

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