June is Star Wars Artist Month, where we appreciate the magic that artists bring into our lives. You’ve seen the movies and the scenes are ingrained in our minds. But these maestros take those images and transform them into all new interpretations and let us see that galaxy far, far away with new eyes. Each day we will cover a new artist and learn more about their works and their craft.
Today we learn all about Lee Kohse! Lee Kohse was born to a family of chupacabra herders in California and as a child learned to draw in the dirt while mining dust for spaghetti western films. While serving in the Marine Corps, he started doing art for underground comics and indie rock magazines. After being medically discharged due to injuries, he decided he preferred drawing instead of getting shot at as a way to pay the bills.
Lee works as a freelance artist providing art for clients including Lucasfilm, DreamWorks, Marvel, Disney, and has served as Creative Director of Speed Racer. Currently, Lee is working on his silly Webcomic, Kindergoth, as well as painting a horror graphic novel called Nocturnity, written by Michael Plumides. You can find Lee creating art, telling stories, and giving tips about the art industry, several times a week on his live art stream at www.twitch.tv/kohseart.
About Star Wars, he says “I was always drawn to Star Wars as a subject matter because it looked real and used, sometimes barely functional. The hero ship is even referred to as ‘A hunk of junk’. Star Trek, in comparison, everything was always perfect and shiny. Star Wars also had an amazing range of subject matters. Monsters, aliens, high tech spaceships, back alleys, the fringes of society, epic cities that cover entire planets, iconic villains, strong female characters, and swashbuckling heroes. Beyond just the visual appeal and story, George Lucas had a love of Narrative Art and allowed artists to flex their creativity in ways most companies never would. We got to treat Star Wars like we were illustrating classic mythology, not just a licensed product. I think that freedom is what made much of the art from Star Wars just as at home on the walls of a fancy art gallery as it was sitting in on a shelf in a comic shop.”
“I grew up on Star Wars. Working on it is like a dream come true. It’s like having your mom stick your artwork on the front door of the most epic refrigerator ever. Every project I do for Lucasfilm, I turn into a little kid again. Star Wars has reached mythic levels and to be able to say I had a part in it, however small it may be, is an honor.”
“The biggest highlights for me so far are having George Lucas buying my original paintings and being able to deliver them to Skywalker Ranch. Other than doing it again, I don’t think anything can top that. But second, would be when Episode IX came out, suddenly my Apprentice Leia painting from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim was being used everywhere concerning Leia training as a Jedi. I don’t think its my best piece but it was very special to me and it was nice to see it being used so much by fans and media.”
Check out more on Lee and his works and where to buy them legitimately:
www.kohse.com
twitch.tv/kohseart
instagram.com/leekohse
www.facebook.com/leekohseart
twitter.com/kindergoth
kohse.storenvy.com/
Many thanks to our partners at Jedi News, Fantha Tracks, Rebel Scum, Force.Net, and Bantha Bricks for supporting SWAM 2020 and sharing our posts. What a great way to share the magic of the art community! Check them out and see just how big the galaxy really is!
