On Sunday, Comic-Con attendees brandished their lightsabers to greet “Star Wars” creator George Lucas for the first time at the prestigious pop culture convention.
On the last day of the festival, fans waited for hours to get a seat inside the 6,500-seat arena in San Diego, California, where the renowned director of the “Indiana Jones” franchise would be speaking.
With an estimated 130,000 participants, Comic-Con has grown to be a significant venue for film companies and their actors to present the newest films and TV shows, particularly those with a niche audience.
“We’ve been waiting fifty years for this!” exclaimed Queen Latifah, the panel moderator who facilitated the conversation between Lucas and other directors.
Instead of discussing his film works, however, Lucas graced the convention to preview the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art — opening in Los Angeles in 2026 — which the director co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson.
“I’ve been collecting art since I was in college,” Lucas, 81, told the crowd, adding that he has amassed tens of thousands of pieces in his collection.
“I’ve been doing this for 50 years now, and then it occurred to me that what am I going to do with it all because I, I refuse to sell it.
“I could never do that, it’s just, it’s not what I think art is — I think it’s more about an emotional connection,” the director said.
In his description of the museum, Lucas said the institution will feature a blend of works.
They include illustrations by Normal Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and N.C. Wyeth; artworks by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Robert Colescott; and pieces by cartoonists and artists like Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby.
“This is sort of a temple to the people’s art,” he said in summation.
The museum, housed in a sleek, curved building, will also feature items from Lucas’s films and other exclusive pieces.
For the “Star Wars” mastermind, the museum aims to be a tribute to the importance of narrative art.
“When you’re born, the baseline is fear. And as you go through life, you’re curious about things, but you’re especially curious about things you don’t understand, and therefore that’s a threat to you.
“And as a result, you make up stories to make it feel good,” he continued.
“Science fiction is a myth… but we’ve made it real because of science fiction books and art.”
