Kitbashed has done it again with a flash of brilliance in demonstrating how (for this author) one of the coolest things in The Empire Strikes Back came to be in the film.
I'm talking about the Imperial Probe Droid that finds the Rebel Base on Hoth. Some keen folk call it the Viper droid or Probot.
So every usually goes on about how Ralph McQuarrie or Joe Johnston had the most artistic sway over how the Star Wars universe looked and felt. And this is true, but on this occasion, another very famous person contributed in the most minor way but that contribution left a pretty cool mark on Empire.
Mobieus draw a very small robot in the corner of a frame in what became a well known piece of science fiction called The Long Tomorrow:
"The story supposedly goes (which is my way of saying that I’ve heard, but have so far found no evidence of) that the production team received permission from Mœbius to use his design. That may be true, after all Mœbius did himself go on to produce a number of drawings in the Star Wars universe, and Dan O'Bannon had worked with him, etc. But given how most of the other inspirational borrowings for Star Wars have gone down, I see little reason to believe that this one would be any different."
So there we have it. Another example of Star Wars taking an idea from another piece of media and making something awesome.
Extra for Experts:
Leigh Bracket, who is credited on Empire also wrote a story called The Long Tomorrow, her story was different in nature being set in a post apocalyptic America. It was published in 1955.