Crafting the Galaxy: Lorne Peterson's Model Magic at ILM

Before the stars of Tatooine twinkled on screen or the Millennium Falcon's engines roared to life, there was Lorne Peterson—quiet architect of a universe built one rivet at a time. Born October 20, 1944, in Vancouver, British Columbia, this Canadian visionary joined Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in 1975, just as George Lucas assembled his ragtag crew of effects wizards for Star Wars: A New Hope. As Chief Model Maker, Peterson sculpted the saga's iconic hardware: the battered charm of the Falcon, the lumbering terror of AT-AT walkers on Hoth, the sleek menace of Imperial Star Destroyers, and even the podracer frenzy on Tatooine. Over 33 years and all six Star Wars films—spanning the Original and Prequel Trilogies—he blended artistry with engineering, turning sketches into tangible wonders that fooled audiences into believing in hyperspace. "It was like being part of a mad inventor's workshop," he reflected in a 2023 Adam Savage interview, where tales of late-night glue sessions and innovative rigging techniques revealed the hands-on heart of practical effects magic.

Peterson's legacy isn't confined to Coruscant; his models thundered through Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, clawed across Jurassic Park's Isla Nublar, and earned him an Academy Award for visual effects. Now retired but ever the storyteller, he pens insights for StarWars.com and graces conventions with behind-the-scenes lore, like the Falcon's "lived-in" aesthetic born from deliberate wear and tear. As we hyperspace toward the Imperial Commissary Collectors Convention (ICCC) June 19-21 in Nashville, Lorne's work reminds us: Every epic starts with a blueprint. Secure your spot at icnashville.com and share your favorite ILM model memory below—may the models (and your collection) endure.

Event Details:

Dates: June 19-21, 2026

Location: Embassy Suites and Convention Center Nashville SE 1200 Conference Center Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 37129