In the Beginning... (August 11, 2010)

[Bandit LOAF]

Video game anthropologists take note, this may be Wing Commander's cave drawing! Here we have the earliest known piece of Wing Commander artwork: an action mock-up used at COMDEX which would eventually go on to become the basis for the game's box art.

The most obvious difference is Spirit, sans helmet and labeled "Lt. Sakara"--but the rest is actually very different as well. The hand is different and the entire cockpit is parallel to the viewer instead of angled. It lacks cross-hairs and laser fire, the Kilrathi ships sport different markings... well, see for yourself:

​

--
Original update published on August 11, 2010

 

[Wedge009]

There's that mysterious FF Pike again.

It looks like they just used the Hornet cockpit straight from the game and angled the cockpit later, to add the feeling of movement in the final box image.