George Lucas Attends Comic-Con for the First Time, Reflects on the Meaning of ‘Art’
According to CinemaDrame news agency, George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars universe, made his first-ever appearance on stage at Comic-Con this Sunday, joining fans in a conversation alongside Guillermo del Toro and Oscar-winning production designer Doug Chiang. During the event, Lucas announced plans to launch the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Discussing the museum—designed by Ma Yansong and set to open next year near the University of Southern California—Lucas described it as “a temple for human art.” He shared that he has been collecting art since childhood, starting with comic books, and added, “I’m not willing to sell them.”
Lucas also spoke about the meaning of art: “To me, what matters most is your connection to the work—not how much it costs, or which celebrity made it. It’s a personal matter… If you have an emotional connection to a piece, that’s art.”
Del Toro, who serves on the museum’s board of directors, revealed that after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, he plans to house his art collection in the new museum.
The museum will display iconic Star Wars props such as the original Landspeeder from the first film, Anakin Skywalker’s ship from The Phantom Menace, and concept art by Ralph McQuarrie in one of its galleries. Works by Frida Kahlo and Norman Rockwell, comic books by R. Crumb and Jack Kirby, the first concept sketch of “Flash Gordon” from 1934, and the earliest drawing of “Black Panther” from 1968 will also be exhibited.
During the panel, del Toro commented on propaganda: “We know that stories shape the world. One narrative form that’s been ruthlessly imposed on us is propaganda. Art celebrates the work of remarkable individuals, but it also celebrates what belongs to all of us: myth, which unites us. Propaganda, on the other hand, belongs to a very small group. Myth brings us together, while propaganda divides us.”
The Frankenstein director also reiterated his stance against artificial intelligence, saying that this technology cannot create true art. When del Toro declared that “art isn’t created in a damn app,” the audience erupted in applause.
