The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Season One) - Book Review

The Mandalorian has reached the hearts of the Star Wars community and beyond with new, instantly iconic characters set in the familiarity of the beloved galaxy far, far away. So far, some of the magic behind the Emmy award winning TV series has been revealed in the Disney+ documentary Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian through interviews, never-before-seen footage, and roundtable discussions. However, the documentary was merely an appetizer of the behind-the-scenes of the show. The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Season One) is the main course and dessert—featuring exclusive concept art, character and costume sketches, and vehicle and creature designs. Written by Phil Szostak, the book delves into the creative development process of the first season—from Jon Favreau’s story pitch to covering each of the eight chapters through the stunning work of the Lucasfilm Art Department.

“… the key to successful Star Wars design is restraint,” Doug Chiang said in the book’s foreword. This quote encompasses the creative direction for The Mandalorian. The advent of new technology allows the movie industry to push the boundaries of visuals, often leading to a far departure from the core of the original idea. Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and the Lucasfilm Art Department’s goal for Star Wars’ very first live-action TV series was to ground it in the simplicity of George Lucas’ vision—focusing on practicality for design and going back to the sources that inspired the creation of Star Wars in the first place. The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian is proof of this—taking the reader on a creative journey that started with a simple idea that bloomed through the harmonious collaboration of numerous artists. Starting with The Pitch, the book reveals new details about the inspiration behind The Mandalorian. Szostak shines the light about the many creative connections between The Mandalorian and other Star Wars projects in production at the time of the interviews—from Lucas’ cancelled live-action series to Rebels and The Clone Wars, from the sequel trilogy to even EA’s video game Jedi: Fallen Order and the Star Wars Holiday Special. But most importantly, Szostak centers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s main source of inspiration (besides the Western genre and the various films that previously influenced Lucas for the original trilogy) to the 1970’s manga series Lone Wolf and Cub.

From a simple sketch by Dave Filoni depicting the Mandalorian and the Child in the pram floating a ball between them, the essence of their story came to life—jumpstarting the creative engines of the Lucasfilm Art Department. One concept artist in particular was responsible for most of (if not all of) the character designs for the show—his creative process showcased in The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian. Among Brian Matyas’ many art pieces for the show, the design development for the Mandalorian’s armor was without a doubt the most fascinating.

Szostak perfectly lays out the progression of the protagonist’s memorable look—enlightening the curious readers with the creative decisions behind it, starting with Boba Fett’s recognizable silhouette and ending with a unique design that has now taken its rightful place into Star Wars and the larger pop culture.

The Mandalorian would not be the same without everyone’s favorite child: Baby Yoda. The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian showcases the group efforts of many talented artists—from Doug Chiang to Christian Alzmann—to bring the iconic character to life.

The book explains the challenges of creating a character that was reminiscent of Yoda while being his own persona and how, through Jon’s guidance, the team was able to achieve practicality through the design (drawing inspiration from Gremlins and Dark Crystal to name a few) that would eventually be translated into a live-action puppet.

The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian goes above and beyond—revealing moments that never made it to the screen (including a new table game that was later substituted with wrestling in Chapter 4: Sanctuary) and also delving into Dave Filoni’s transition from animation to live-action. Do you want to uncover the secrets of the first season of The Mandalorian? Then make sure to grab a copy of The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Season One) today for yourself or maybe as a Christmas gift for your friends and family, and don’t forget to share your favorite behind-the-scenes moment with a comment below or on our social media outlets.