hroughout Phase 1 of The High Republic, iconic moments were brought to life by the artists of the comics. In addition to the worlds created by the five-story architects, characters and settings were brought to life before our eyes through comic pages, variant covers, and concept art. Phase II is set to continue what Phase I did, only this time going 150 years before Light of the Jedi. There are more comic stories than ever for this Phase, meaning so much art with Phase 1 artists returning and new artists coming into the mix.
The High Republic continues to be unconventional, with The Art of Star Wars: The High Republic set to be released this Phase. This will give us even more concept art for the characters and settings we have grown to love. Generally speaking, it’s not normal for a book series to get this treatment, but it shows just how special this initiative is. Only a few of the concept artists were spotlighted in the preview, but when the book releases on November 8th, we are sure to find out about more artists.
If you are new to The High Republic, all of this can feel extremely daunting. We at Youtini understand that and want to help with our The High Republic HQ, filled with guides, reviews, and so much more. We want you to be able to enjoy this as much and as easily as possible.
Let’s get to know the returning and new artists for Phase II of The High Republic.
Returning Artists
Ario Anindito
Ario Anindito returns to The High Republic after having done art for The High Republic (2021) and the cover for The High Republic: Out of the Shadows. He was also involved with Star Wars Annual (2015) and has done variant covers for Crimson Reign and Obi-Wan. For Phase II, Anindito is set to illustrate The High Republic (2022). We had the opportunity to interview Ario, which you can check out here as well as a spotlight video diving into his work.
Toni Bruno
Toni Bruno illustrated The High Republic Adventures (2021), where he created the first design for fan favorites Lula Talisola and Buckets of Blood. In Phase II, he will illustrate The High Republic Adventures (2022). Bruno also illustrated The High Republic Adventures: The Galactic Bake-Off Spectacular.
New Artists
Marco Castiello
Marc Castiello might be new to The High Republic but not to the Star Wars universe. Previously he has illustrated Star Wars: Knight Errant: Escape, Purge- The Tyrant’s Fist, Rebel Heist, and Star wars (2020). He is set to illustrate The High Republic: The Blade miniseries, which will be written by Charles Soule. Castiello will be tasked with bringing the tragic backstory of Porter Engle to life that will be sure to leave us in our feelings through his art.
Eduardo Mello
Eduardo Mello is joining Phase II to Illustrate The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror miniseries, which will hopefully shed some light on the horrifying monsters featured so predominantly in Phase I. This series will be written by George Mann, who recently made his High Republic debut with Quest for the Hidden City, and will begin 2023 with The Battle of Jedha.
Fico Ossio
Fico Ossio previously illustrated covers for Star Wars Adventures and is set to illustrate the one-shot comic The High Republic: Quest of the Jedi. This one-shot will showcase Claudia Gray’s full-length comics debut in The High Republic and feature a Jedi she has mentioned who shares a very similar personality to Qui-Gon Jinn.
Concept Artists
Ryan Church
Ryan Church is known for his work in the Prequels and, more recently, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett. Some of his most recognizable contributions are the AT-TE, Mygeeto, Felucia, and Buzz Droid, just to name a few. He contributed to concept art for The High Republic and will be featured in The Art of The High Republic Vol. 1.
Iain McCaig
Iain McCaig was a storyboard and concept artist for the Prequels and The Force Awakens. He famously designed Darth Maul and Queen Amidala, amongst numerous other legendary figures. He also contributed to the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge comic series. He was brought into The High Republic to sketch characters and will also be featured in The Art of The High Republic Vol. 1.
Phil Noto
Phil Noto has contributed to Star Wars comics, specifically illustrating variant covers for Star Wars, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, and Kanan. He also illustrated the Chewbacca miniseries and Poe Dameron. His contributions to The High Republic will be explored more in The Art of The High Republic Vol. 1.
Conclusion
With plenty of comics and The Art of The High Republic Vol. 1, High Republic fans are going to get the opportunity to visually see this era come to life as no other book series has before. All of the artists discussed so far have immense amounts of experience that allow us to be excited to see what they will bring to Phase II of The High Republic. Our The High Republic HQ contains useful information as you navigate The High Republic and specifically check out our Phase I Comics Guide, specifically helping you get started with the first comics of The High Republic.
