LEGENDARY Star Wars aircraft creator Colin Cantwell has died at the age of 90
The artist’s partner Sierra Dall revealed that he passed away on Saturday in Colorado.
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Cantwell, of San Francisco, was best known for creating the X-Wing, TIE fighter, Star Destroyer, and Death Star spacecraft for Star Wars.
He had battled tuberculosis and suffered a partial retinal detachment when he was young, the Hollywood Reporter revealed.
Cantwell said in a 2016 interview that his cure was to be put in a dark room and revealed that he had a heavy vest strapped across his chest that would stop him from having fits.
He added: “I spent nearly two years of my childhood immobilized in this dark room.
“Suffice to say, nothing else could slow me down after that.”
Dozens of tributes have poured in for Cantwell.
One fan said: “RIP to the great Colin Cantwell: the original designer of starships, a Star Wars legend, and a good man.”
Another commented: Today we lost an absolute legend in the design world.
“Colin Cantwell was instrumental in crafting the look and feel of classic Star Wars designs, and his work has served as the foundation of Star Wars design language ever since. RIP Colin Cantwell.”
Mourners said Star Wars would not be what it is today without Cantwell’s work.
Cantwell worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA during the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1960s.
He worked with the space agency where he provided updates to the legendary journalist Walter Cronkite during the famous 1969 space landing.
Cantwell has written two science fiction books CoreFires 1 and CoreFires 2.
He’s survived by Dall, his long-term partner of 24 years.
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