Artist Interview: Wolfgang LeBlanc’s Andor Art Print

Can you feel the flames of Rebellion catching? Star Wars: Andor™ captured Star Wars™ fans with its gripping tales of the earliest days of the Rebel Alliance. Following Cassian Andor, Mon Mothma, and a whole cast of compelling Rebels and Empire followers, the TV series is brought to life in Wolfgang LeBlanc’s breathtaking Andor Art Print.

Join us in the interview below as we learn more about LeBlanc’s Star Wars fandom, his artistic process, and how his style changes from project to project.

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Wolfgang LeBlanc Artist Interview

Hello there! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. You previously shared with us that Star Wars is your favorite pop culture IP of all time. When did you first become a fan, and what do you love most about Star Wars?

Thank you for the opportunity! Yes, that is correct. I’ve been a Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember. I was fortunate to be in the right age group to experience the prequels when they were being released so I was introduced to the “Galaxy Far, Far Away” at a very early time of my life. Also, the complementary pop culture material during those years played a huge role as well, video games and toys especially.

I’d say what I love most about Star Wars is that blurred and mystical line that makes things feel like they really happened a long, long time ago whilst also making them feel part of our modern days. To me it feels like we’re experiencing and piecing together an ancient myth on the screen. It’s an intoxicating feeling, not sure how to describe it any better than that.

Tell us about your experience of watching Andor. As a fan of the overall franchise, how did you feel following these specific stories? Do you have a favorite character or moment?

It’s interesting to think about this because prior to Andor, I must admit I was heavily questioning the quality of the storytelling we were getting from the franchise, especially on TV. So, I went into Andor when it started back in September of 2022 with rather low expectations … and to my surprise, those first 3 episodes were so inspiring that I just got hyperfixated with the series instantly.

The intricacy of the writing combined with its slower pace made each moment, scene, and interaction feel so important and relevant. It’s something that as an adult I always wondered if it was possible to accomplish within the IP. Now Andor is the prime example that you can tell stories in this galaxy without having to compromise in that eternal debate between style/spectacle vs substance. Both can be achieved if the creative team behind the project has something to actually say and explore with care and passion.

I came out of that first season having a deep curiosity and fascination with the character of Luthen Rael the most, because of how morally and ethically contradicting he was in his actions and approach about being a necessary tool of violence and sacrifice for the nascent Rebel Alliance. After having watched the whole series, he definitely became one of my favorite characters in all of Star Wars, but Kleya and Mon Mothma are also in that pantheon for me. Such rich and beautifully crafted characters all around.

Speaking of characters and moments — how did you conceptualize the composition for the Andor Fine Art Print, a piece with so many faces, locations, and textual elements to incorporate?

I wish I had an interesting answer for this question but the truth is that my process when designing a poster (or any composition) is based off a vague sense of shapes. I mostly start sketching portraits and character poses from references I gather and combine them as I go along until something reveals itself to me.

For this Andor piece, I just know I wanted to portray several strong emotional visuals of the characters to do justice to a season full of brilliantly written moments and sequences. Ultimately, you could say I throw a lot of stuff to the wall until one of those “shapes” not only sticks, but feels right for the emotion I want to get out of the piece.

Are there any specific details you’d like to point to in the Andor Fine Art Print, perhaps any Easter eggs included for die-hard fans such as yourself?

I myself would say no. But then again, I know this series like the back of my hand after having spent so much time gathering references and watching each episode several times looking for “that” perfect frame. Perhaps someone who’s new to this show won’t be able to recognize every character or moment displayed in it, but every element that I included in this piece was meant to be recognizable by people who had watched the series at some point.

Your portfolio includes many television and movie posters. Does your art style or approach change at all between your portraits versus your film and TV illustrations?

Art style, from time to time. Approach, not at all. Whenever I tackle a poster for a project, I try to be mindful of the mood, aesthetics, and inspirations of said film/TV show so that I can apply it to my process and make it distinct. So yes, my art style can vary if the situation requires for it.

However, my approach does not change. I try to the best of my ability to extract a couple of resonant emotional beats from the source material and build around that, whether that might be an actual visual or a theme that’s being explored in the story.

Besides Star Wars, what are a few of your biggest fandoms?

In western media, not many unfortunately. That doesn’t mean I’m not a fan of other properties and creatives sandboxes, just not to the extent I am of Star Wars. I’m a fan of other singular creative minds though; modern filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve, Robert Eggers, Mike Flanagan, Christopher Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson, and your usual legends like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, or James Cameron.

However, I do consider myself a big fan of Japanese animation and its culture because I grew up with many of those stories shaping my childhood. Me and my siblings would watch shows like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Samurai X, or Gundam Wing during the early Toonami days. But if there’s one fandom that rivals Star Wars for me, it’s without a doubt Evangelion by Hideaki Anno. I discovered that series in my preteen years and to this day it remains a cornerstone of the type of stories I gravitate towards to and am incredibly inspired by.

What do you hope viewers take away from seeing your artwork, whether in the realm of Star Wars artwork or beyond?

I just hope my poster is able to reach people who have been on the fence about giving Andor a shot and encourage them to at least be curious to check out the first couple of episodes.

There are bubbles within the Star Wars community that feel the franchise has been on shaky ground for the past few years, so they haven’t given the recent stuff an opportunity. I truly believe that Andor, above all else, is the singular creative endeavor that will make the biggest cultural impact as time goes by, and I mean that outside of Star Wars as well for how important, relevant, and timeless its sociopolitical commentary and themes are.

Finally, just for fun, which Star Wars planet would you most like to visit, and why?

Interestingly enough, I would’ve said Coruscant at any point during my childhood and throughout my teens. Now, I probably would choose Naboo or Chandrila. That perfect balance between traditional “European” architecture and their futuristic sci-fi details is something that appeals more in this stage of life for me. The places where those sequences were filmed are on my bucket list for sure!

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Don’t let the Rebellion pass you by! Pre-order Wolfgang LeBlanc’s Andor Art Print now.

What’s your favorite detail in this Star Wars: Andor print? Join the conversation with other Star Wars art fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!