The artist reveals new pages from her upcoming book and speaks to StarWars.com!
Star Wars creatures aren't always known for being cute. But thanks to the creative lens of Katie Cook, they soon will be.
Star Wars: Creatures Big & Small, a new book written by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy with art by Cook, arrives Tuesday, October 1, and it gives the galaxy's beasts a healthy dose of adorableness. Cook's unique style manages to make creatures from across the saga look 100 percent cuddly -- even mynocks! -- and with narration by Yoda, Creatures Big & Small emerges as a great introduction to Star Wars animals for your younglings. You can get a first look at entries for three creatures below along with Cook's own commentary, exclusively on StarWars.com. Just remember: no matter how cute they look here, keep your distance from rancors in real life.
Varactyls
"I love these guys! The varactyls are everything I want in a crazy sci-fi creature: bold colors, speed, and you CAN RIDE THEM. They're so weird and cute! I remember seeing them for the first time and thinking, 'Handsome Obi-Wan riding to my defense on a giant lizard bird? I'm all for it.' Coloring the page was fun because so much of Star Wars tends to be, well, brown. The varactyls are a chance to play with color with no limits."
Loth-wolves
"I LOVE LOVE Loth-wolves. (I am a VERY big fan of Star Wars Rebels.) Even though they are something that aren't 'alien,' I think they were given a wonderful story with their connection to the Force. I really wanted to make sure their faces weren't too 'cute' -- a hardship for me! -- because they HAVE to reflect intelligence and strength."
Rancors
"I have a special place in my heart for all the illustrations in this book that are of things that aren't traditionally adorable but I got to make them cute. The rancor is one of them... I mean, look at him! I just want to pinch his cheeks. This is the probably the page I would use as an example of, 'You can make anything weirdly cute if you try hard enough!' I also have a soft spot for the rancor because, spoiler alert, when he dies and his handler is so heartbroken? It gutted me as a kid because I always assumed the rancor was his pet and I thought Luke had basically killed his dog. How DARE you, Luke."
Dan Brooks is Lucasfilm’s senior content strategist of online, the editor of StarWars.com, and a writer. He loves Star Wars, ELO, and the New York Rangers, Jets, and Yankees. Follow him on Twitter @dan_brooks where he rants about all these things.
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