ILM and Lucasfilm: Don Bies – Stories you’ve never heard

May 27, 2026

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Find a comfy seat and settle in for a fascinating chat between Adam Savage and Don Bies as the ILM veteran remembers his time with the company, and shares some amazing stories from back in the day, many of which we guarantee you won’t have heard before.

In 2023, Adam Savage inherited racks and racks of model-making bits and bobs from the former ILM model shop, and since then, many former colleagues have stopped by to tour or use the hardware inside. Don Bies, former ILM model supervisor and LucasFilm archivist, is the latest guest, marveling over the racks he knew so well, sharing stories from his many years at ILM and Lucasfilm, and reminiscing with Adam about their shared tenure at the infamous model shop!

Check out our two interviews with Don back in 2005 and 2007 here.

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Mark Newbold

Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in '81 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He currently contributes to ILM.com and SkywalkerSound.com, having previously written for Star Wars Insider, StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Starburst Magazine, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia and Model and Collectors Mart. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host (the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since it began in 2015), the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.

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Counting Down To:

September 2026

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Event Details

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art celebrates the power of visual storytelling. Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum explores how images move us and shape our collective memory. From Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait to Norman Rockwell’s scenes of everyday life to Charles White’s portraits of dignity. Each invites reflection. Each tells a story.

Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD, the Lucas Museum is located in Exposition Park in the South Los Angeles region. The museum’s campus includes new green space designed by Mia Lehrer and her team at Studio-MLA. Inside the building, our galleries explore timeless themes—family, love, work, play, fantasy, and more. Additional spaces include two state-of-the-art cinematic theaters and dedicated areas for learning, dining, retail, and events.

George Lucas and Mellody Hobson share a conviction that illustrated stories connect people across cultures and generations. Their decades of collecting span iconic American painting and popular illustration, comics, and cinematic art.

Lucas, creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, and founder of the George Lucas Educational Foundation began collecting in college, when the only art he could afford was original comic art for $30. Over 50 years, that collection has grown to more than 40,000 works. “I could never sell my art,” Lucas says. “It just is not what I think art is. I think it’s more about an emotional connection with the work, not how much it cost.”

Hobson, in addition to managing Ariel Investments, is the former chair of Starbucks Corporation and serves as a director of JPMorganChase.

In 2010, Hobson and Lucas signed the Giving Pledge, a campaign and public promise by some of the world’s wealthiest philanthropists to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes. The pair is committed to improving education, particularly through the arts. “We’ve always said we’re holding society’s money, which we fully intend to give back,” Hobson says. “This is how we’re doing it.”

Time

September 22, 2026 12:01 AM - 11:59 PM(GMT-07:00)

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February 2027

fri19feb12:01 AM11:59 PMStar Wars 50th Anniversary releaseEvent starts in

Interviews News

ILM and Lucasfilm: Don Bies – Stories you’ve never heard

By Mark Newbold

May 27, 2026

- Advertisement -

In 2023, Adam Savage inherited racks and racks of model-making bits and bobs from the former ILM model shop, and since then, many former colleagues have stopped by to tour or use the hardware inside. Don Bies, former ILM model supervisor and LucasFilm archivist, is the latest guest, marveling over the racks he knew so well, sharing stories from his many years at ILM and Lucasfilm, and reminiscing with Adam about their shared tenure at the infamous model shop!

Check out our two interviews with Don back in 2005 and 2007 here.