Posted in: Lucasfilm, Movies, TV | Tagged: george lucas, sdcc

George Lucas Discusses Museum During His First SDCC Panel Appearance

George Lucas appeared at his first official SDCC panel (seriously) to discuss the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will open in 2026.

On Sunday at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, George Lucas made his first official panel appearance at San Diego Comic Con, offering an exclusive look at and new details about the highly anticipated Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in 2026 in Los Angeles. Joined onstage in Hall H by Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and legendary artist and production designer Doug Chiang, and moderated by iconic artist, actress, and producer Queen Latifah, the panel marked one of the most talked about and widely attended sessions in Comic-Con history, drawing over 6,000 on the final day of the convention.

Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will be the world's first institution dedicated to exploring narrative art, celebrating illustrated storytelling across eras and cultures, from ancient cave drawings and children's book illustrations to comic books and digital media. While Star Wars fans keep giving Lucas crap about what's happened to that franchise, the museum is his true statement of intent: a celebration of stories in all their popular forms as a legitimate art form that elevates human experience. You could say Comic Cons are part of that celebration, a declaration that stories are part of what makes life worthwhile.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to Celebrate Stories as an Artform

Opening the panel, Lucas shared his passion for collecting narrative art over five decades: "Society cannot exist without a common belief system. And that's where illustration is vital to show you what that means in everyday life," Lucas stated, emphasizing how the museum "is a temple to the people's art."

Del Toro, a Lucas Museum board member and celebrated champion of visual storytelling, spoke to the emotional depth and social power of narrative art: "Imagine if we only had classical music, and rock-n-roll was never created? This is rock-n-roll and rock-n-roll needs to been shrined," del Toro said, drawing parallels between the museum's eclectic collection and the panel's genre-defying filmography.

Chiang, Lucasfilm's Senior Vice President and Executive Design Director, provided a fascinating testament to the importance of exposing young people to comic art and illustration. Said Chiang, "Comic art and magazine illustration were kind of looked down upon…but it was a way for me to enjoy art, and it invited me to learn more about art. And what I love about what George and Mellody are doing with this museum is they are acknowledging and giving respect to artists who really haven't been highlighted before."

Moderator Queen Latifah expertly navigated the discussion and brought humor, insight, and personal reflection to the panel. With a deep appreciation for comics and visual culture, she linked the panelists' creative journeys to the emotional power of storytelling: "The connection that I hear in our various conversations is emotion—an emotional connection that the art evokes from you. That's one of the most important things to never forget. I think when people step into this museum, they will be emotionally affected by it."

During the panel, Latifah also mentioned some of the other art in the collection, including the first-ever Flash Gordon comic strip, an original splash page from Black Panther (1968), and original Peanuts strips from the 1950s and '60s, among many others. There is no snobbery or divide between "high culture" and "low culture" at the museum. It celebrates popular stories that audiences remember.

The panel ended with a standing ovation, a testament to the audience's anticipation for this first-of-its-kind cultural institution. Perhaps stories are the true religion after all, since stories are how humans make sense of life. Whatever you think of Lucas, he understands this since it's been his entire career.

You can check out the museum's official website here, along with a map of its location in Los Angeles. In advance of the museum's launch, the public is encouraged to sign up to be the first to hear about exclusive opportunities with the Lucas Museum on its website.

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