20. Joe Johnston
Before becoming a well-respected director/filmmaker, Joe Johnston was a conceptional artist for George Lucas on the Star Wars original trilogy. He designed everything from the AT-AT in the Empire Strikes Back to the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. However, his most enduring contribution is perhaps that of being the one that visualized the look of Star Wars most popular bounty hunter, Boba Fett.
Outside of his duties as a concept artist, Joe Johnston published several sketchbooks showcasing his illustrations from the original trilogy and an Ewok children’s book that he both wrote and illustrated.
The children’s book titiled, The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense (1984), follows the Ewok, Teebo, who sets out to rescue his wokling sister, Malani, who was supposedly kidnapped by a giant creature called a Grudakk.
It later turns out that this was a diversion purported by a band of Duloks so that they could raid the sparsely protected Ewok village and capture their woklings to be eaten. Teebo’s adventure serves as a rite of passage for the young Ewok, and during his journey, he is captured and later aided by an unexpected ally. In the end, the woklings are freed, and Teebo not only earns the respect of his tribe but is also rewarded with an apprenticeship to Logray, the village shaman.