Star Wars - Influence of French Comics from the 70s

[simbob4000]

As well as all the other influences that pre-date the French comics. In fact they kind of downplay the French connection
http://kitbashed.com/blog/valerian-and-laureline
They were one influence but the not only one and don't originate everything themselves

Star Wars is famous for its "lived in" universe, a kind of used future. The French did that years before in comics. Have a look at these images again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK8B10_oY5g

Of course, comics like "Valerian" or "The Airtight Garage" weren't created in a vacuum. But still, those resemblances are pretty damned close ... Look at the pose from "The Long Tomorrow" (Moebius) and the "Empire" storyboard (Joe Johnston), or the probe droid in the same panel ...

The Long Tomorrow is a comic Moebius redrew that was written and originally drawn by Dan O'Bannon, (the writer of Alien) while they sitting around waiting for Dune to start. Guess who worked on Star Wars doing FX work?

The used universe also doesn't come from those comics, and in fact Valérian and Laureline doesn't look like a used universe at all. You see the used universe in films before Star Wars, although they doesn't look as used as Star Wars does. John Carpenter's Dark Star does it, and guess who worked on that movie? Dan O'Bannon. Tarkovsky's Solaris does it. Silent Running kind of has it, and that's where the style of robots Star Wars has comes from. But like I said, when it comes to the "used future" look, these movies don't push that style as far as Star Wars does.

[Leo Perutz]

The used universe also doesn't come from those comics ... John Carpenter's Dark Star does it, and guess who worked on that movie? Dan O'Bannon.

Carpenter's "Dark Star" is from 1974. But look at these panels from the comic strip "Blackbeard and the Brain Pirate" by Moebius from 1972:

moebius_alien_brain1.jpg

blackbeard.jpg

That's clearly a used universe.

[simbob4000]

Didn't know Luc Besson was shooting a Valerian movie right now.

[simbob4000]

Carpenter's "Dark Star" is from 1974. But look at these panels from the comic strip "Blackbeard and the Brain Pirate" by Moebius from 1972:

moebius_alien_brain1.jpg

blackbeard.jpg

That's clearly a used universe.

If only you didn't stop reading there.

[RobinFan4880]

Lucas is well known for taking inspiration from everything. Unrepentantly, really.

There's a good quote from Stargate SG-1 that fits this topic:


Vala: Okay, how 'bout this: We're in a cloaked cargoship on a simple 3 hour reconnaissance mission...
Martin Lloyd: Gilligan's Island, right?
Vala: You got that from 3 hour reconnaissance mission?
Martin Lloyd: Here's a advice: if you're gonna rip something off, pick something a bit more obscure.

[Leo Perutz]

If only you didn't stop reading there.

I didn't. I just wanted to point out that Moebius (and other French creators) did the lived-in universe before "Dark Star" came out. BTW, Dan O'Bannon worked on "The Long Tomorrow" in 1975, 3 years after Moebius published "Blackbeard and the Brain Pirate". I haven't seen O'Bannon's sketches for "The Long Tomorrow", but I guess the used future look is mostly Moebius' contribution. But like I said, I haven't seen the original drawings.