Fans of the comic book renditions of Star Wars will have something to look forward to this October.

The far-reaching influence of Star Wars in pop culture of our time cannot be denied. Apart from the tremendous impact made by the original trilogy (screw the prequel one), we have a seen an ever-growing media franchise consisting of TV series, books, video games, and comic books. With the release of Star Wars Art: Comics, fans of the numerous variation of the Star Wars comic books will get to take a trip down memory lane with works from the first Star Wars adaptations published in 1977 by Marvel till today. A collaboration between LucasFilm and Abrams Books, Star Wars Art: Comics collects artwork from "the entire history of Star Wars comics publishing" from the likes of renowned artists such as Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Dorman, and Howard Chaykin, as well as newly commissioned art by 20 creators, including John Cassady, Sam Kieth, Mike Mignola, Paul Pope, Frank Quitely, Jim Steranko, and J.H. Williams III.

In J.H. Williams III's own words...

Some time ago, I was contacted by the book publishing branch of LucasFilm. That they were planning a very special art book based on Star Wars with Abrams Books. This book was going to focus on the art of Star Wars comics, and asked if I’d like to participate, presenting a newer image for them. I was excited to be involved. So I came up with an idea that could feel like a snippet of a comics story, an untold tale, and the page would be like we’re getting to see only one key moment of the story. And this scene would be a widescreen fold out. They liked the idea. I wanted something that was a new character of my creation. I had been told that George was a longtime comics fan. So I also wanted to go for this classic giant monster versus hero idea, like stuff you might see in old Kirby comics, but here it needed to be a mechanical weapon that looked like a creature, giving a sense of story beyond fighting a giant monster. This gives more weight for the snippet of a bigger unseen plot idea. And the scene had to have a strong design sense to it, so it could have a signature look that could be identified with my sensibilities, but still felt like Star Wars when you look at it. I think it was successful. It was a lot of fun to do. The image was done using all simple line and tonal work, then coloring was done using photoshop. The effect I wanted was something that seemed like a meld of line work and paint work, but still had a bit of a graphic punch to it. Here is a preview of the image…

Here's the official press release on the book, courtesy of Abrams Books:

Star Wars and sequential art share a long history: Star Wars debuted on the comic-book page in 1977, when Marvel Comics began publishing a six-part adaptation of the first film, which morphed into a monthly comic book. Now, more than three decades later, new series by Dark Horse Comics continue to expand the Star Wars galaxy.

The second book in the Star Wars Art series, Star Wars Art: Comics brings together the very best artwork from the entire history of Star Wars comics publishing, showcasing original art from the top comics artists working in the industry. Hand-selected and curated by George Lucas, the art featured in this volume includes interior pages and fully painted covers from artists such as Al Williamson, Howard Chaykin, Adam Hughes, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Dorman, and many more—as well as new work created exclusively for this book by over 20 renowned artists, including John Cassaday, Sam Kieth, Mike Mignola, Paul Pope, Frank Quitely, Jim Steranko, and other comics superstars. Star Wars Art: Comics is a tribute to sequential storytelling, a worthy and justly celebrated art form.

The second book in Abrams’ Star Wars Art series, Star Wars Art: Comics comes with an introduction by Virginia Mecklenburg, a foreword by Dennis O’Neil, and a preface by Douglas Wolk. The above image is the cover to book by Dave Dorman. Star Wars Art: Comics is set to be published in October, and is available at Amazon.