Lucasfilm creative art manager Phil Szostak continues his excellent run of books taking us behind the scenes of the on-screen world of Star Wars with The Art of The Mandalorian (Abrams Books). Just like his previous tomes which gave fans fascinating glimpses into the making of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, this latest Art Of book takes us on a riveting tour of the live-action Star Wars TV spin-off starring Pedro Pascal.
If you enjoyed watching the Disney+ show’s end credits which regularly showcased some of the concept art behind each episode, then you’ll absolutely love this book which features over 250 pages of amazing concept art, sketches, and storyboards, with 300 colour illustrations. On top of that, there’s lots of insight into the art provided by The Mandalorian’s creators and crew including Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Doug Chiang. All of which means there’s so many hours and hours of fun to be had poring over the countless details about the various characters and their costumes, weapons, and vehicles, as well as the locations, that it’ll blow your mind!
The Art of the Mandalorian kicks off with the pitch for the series, giving us a peek at some of the very first sketches, such as the child in his pram floating a ball in front of his new helmeted guardian; and some of the earliest takes on the Mandalorian himself which were heavily influenced by Boba Fett as, according to Filoni, at that stage they were still working out how to distinguish their creation from the popular OG character. And throughout the book, which covers the show’s entire first season, you’ll also find plenty of gorgeous double-page art spreads, from an early Western Sunset by Jama Jurabaev and Chiang, to Baby Gobble by Christian Alzmann, to a helmetless Mando Wounded by Brian Matyas.
Final words: Positively brimming with stunning artwork, this is another first-rate companion to the Star Wars universe and a must-have for any fan of the world of The Mandalorian. Fingers crossed we get another impressively produced volume for Season 2.
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