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Marc Thorpe, Star Wars VFX Maestro and Robot Wars Visionary, Passes Away at 77

Renowned for his groundbreaking visual effects in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Marc Thorpe, succumbed to complications related to Parkinson's disease at the age of 77. By: Wee Yan Ling

The visionary behind the iconic visual effects in Star Wars and the first three Indiana Jones movies, Marc Thorpe, had passed on at a hospice facility in Alamo, California. Thorpe’s daughter, Megan Feffer revealed that he was subjugated to the complications of Parkinson’s disease, since he was diagnosed in 1993.

The VFX Maestro had a career that spanned through the decades as he transitioned from a model maker and animatronic designer to a member of the optical effects unit back in 1980 for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He had also worked for movies such as the Indiana Jones franchise, including Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade.

Thorpe had brought upon the world a groundbreaking invention of Robot Wars, which features radio-controlled gladiators in what he dubbed “festivals of destruction and survival.” His daughter had also shared his struggles with the disease on Facebook and revealed the struggles he had to endure due to the complications of the disease.

“While the disease itself is not technically considered terminal, it does eventually remove crucial functions like movement and swallowing — functions essential for life. To say the last few months, and especially the last few weeks, were challenging for my dad would be an understatement, and I am grateful that he is finally at peace.”

Thorpe contributed to the cinematic scene with his projects in films such as Dragonslayer, Poltergeist, Explorers, Howard the Duck and The Hunt for Red October.

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