Legendary conceptual designer and artist Ralph McQuarrie, best known for his work on the original Star Wars trilogy, passed away today at age 82.  His vision was fundamental in the creation of many characters and worlds in popular films, and is greatly respected in the industry and by fans.  Having passed today, a number of sentiments are being expressed on the Internet as news spreads.  As a huge fan of Star Wars myself, I truly appreciate his significant contributions to the works and his contributions to other important films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. [Read more…]