Tomorrow is the highly anticipated return of the Mandalorian on Disney+, so we thought we’d take this moment for a little Star Wars geek-out to help put you in the mood. . .
Fans of the Star Wars franchise could feel a little intimidated when meeting an artist who has illustrated some of their favorite Star Wars art. Seeing them at a comic convention or following them on social media may provide a sense of connection; however, meeting one of these artists in person can be a surprise. Fans have discovered that many of them are friendly and enjoy discussing their approach to art. Joe Corroney is one of those individuals.
Based in Ohio, Corroney has used his talents to provide fine art for Disney, Lucasfilm, and Star Trek for CBS Studios since 1997. Although he’s not local to any of the Disney parks, his illustrations were featured in the WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney in Anaheim and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World.
Corroney spent a couple of hours with Micechat via Zoom to discuss his art and a few Walt Disney World anecdotes.
Art Style in the Star Wars Universe
At first glance, Corroney’s work may look like photography. His artwork is a mix of physical drawing and digital painting and is meticulously hand-crafted. “The pieces are sometimes hand-drawn first, which I do with pencil on paper. It really depends on each project. Once I’m satisfied with the composition, I’ll scan it and then paint it digitally on the computer.”
Many pieces are printed onto a canvas, where Corroney will include hand-embellishments and extra flourishes on a limited number of them that make their way to the gallery. “Once that process is completed, I’ll sign them and then roll them up for delivery,” said Corroney. “These are the pieces that are sold exclusively in the Disney parks. As a fan of Star Wars, creating the pieces has been a pleasure!”
Enter the WonderGround Gallery
When asked to describe how he became connected with the Gallery, Corroney said he was very interested in working with them.
“I was very aware of the WonderGround Gallery. I’m a Disney fan and enjoy the distinctive art collections they showcase. Being an artist, I was very interested in participating with them. I was hoping they would do a Star Wars collection that I could be a part of. “Little did I know, they were already considering me to be a featured artist based on Star Wars pieces I had created for Lucasfilm and their licensors and pieces that were on display on the Web. So, they already were considering me when I approached them.”
Around the time that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was released in theaters, WonderGround Gallery asked Corroney if he would create new pieces with the licensed characters.
“When the owners of WonderGround begin planning for an event, what they’ll do is assign a theme to their chosen artists who, in turn, pitch ideas to them. In this case, they wanted artwork from the classic Star Wars trilogy. “So, I came up with two concepts that I thought would showcase the spirit of the films, and, to my surprise, they picked up both concepts. To be more specific, there were three concepts published for The Force Awakens and two for the Classic Trilogy.”
“The same process happened when “Rogue One” was about to be released in theaters,” said Corroney. “I pitched them ideas for that film based on what I saw on screen. They loved the concepts and picked up those concepts too.”
A Round Trip in Orlando
One of Corroney’s more unique experiences was during the 2017 Star Wars Celebration that took place at the Orlando Convention Center. The event coincided with the release of “Rogue One” art he created for the gallery. Located in the Marketplace Co-op next to World of Disney in Disney Springs, the venues were approximately 15 minutes from each other by car.
Due to exclusivity, the pieces were available for purchase only at WonderGround Gallery. However, Corroney could sign them at the convention center if they were purchased prior at the gallery.
“I would begin my day early in the morning to get ready for the opening at the convention center at 9 am each day. I had my booth that included a display of the WonderGround Gallery art so that people could see what I had created. When the doors closed at the end of the day, I’d hop in a car and make my to Disney Springs to do the signing at 7 pm. It made for a hectic weekend, but it was fun! I got to meet fans at both events.”
Corroney also noted that visitors at the convention would return to his booth after making their way back from Walt Disney World. “Many fans had already purchased the artwork at the gallery and came by my booth for my signature. I also encouraged the rest of the fans at Celebration to visit the WonderGround Gallery at the Walt Disney Resort later in the evening, where they could purchase my new exclusive Rogue One art.”
Corroney mentioned that it was thrilling to see his artwork that had already been signed by stars of “Rogue One.” “It was really awesome to see Felicity Jones and Alan Tudyk’s signatures on my pieces!”
For A Limited Time Only
According to Corroney, the WonderGround Gallery at both Orlando and Anaheim would carry artwork for a limited time until it’s either sold out or retired before moving on to the next artist. “If someone is interested in buying a piece after it’s been retired, the best place to locate them (if there are any available) is on Ebay or another online store, as it won’t be available in the Gallery.”
What’s On The Horizon
Currently, Corroney is developing his creator-owned comic book series, “Death Avenger,” and continues to create new Star Wars artwork for Disney and Lucasfilm.
In addition to his current projects, Corroney also creates artwork for other licenses, studios, and professional publishers. Some of his illustrations include Stranger Things for Netflix, Marvel Comics’ Avengers, Spider-Man, X-Men, DC Comics, Green Lantern, Superman, The Jim Henson Company, Indiana Jones, The Walking Dead, X-Files, Doctor Who, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Hasbro, X Box, Sony Pictures, MTV, Becker & Mayer! Books, Boom! Studios, IDG Entertainment, and White Wolf Publishing.
For more updates on Joe Corroney, be sure to visit his official website.
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Let’s Hear From You
It was great to chat with Joe Carroney for a bit. With the temporary layover of WonderGround Gallery into Star Wars Trading Post, will you miss seeing his work and the creative efforts of so many other artists? Did any of the featured images above stand out to you? Let us know in the comments below.
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