

Next to doing concept sketches for the designs of the ships and aliens on Battlestar Galactica 1978, Ralph McQuarrie was also asked to paint 24 color images to be used on the first script of the pilot "Saga of a Star World". This script (of which only 50 were printed) was written to convince the studios to pick up this costly project and the illustrations helped to explain and visualize the story. This gallery shows, for the first time, a complete set of those 24 color images.



Cover initial Battlestar Galactica pilot script "Galactica: Saga of a Star World"



Ralph McQuarrie painting of a Battlestar Galactica Viper There is also a different (earlier) version of the above Battlestar Galactica Viper painting. The painting below shows the exact same background with a Viper that resembles the Star Wars X-Wing fighter, but it is in fact an earlier version of the Viper that was used later as the Fighter in Buck Rogers. This image was not in intial Battlestar Galactica pilot script set of paintings, but was released as a black and white publicity still as well as in color (showing only the Viper detail) in the Dart Flipcards set.



Ralph McQuarrie painting of the earlier Battlestar Galactica Viper (publicity still)



Ralph McQuarrie painting of the earlier Battlestar Galactica Viper (Dart Flipcard) To view a larger version of these images CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW! to open up the gallery browser.