Drew Struzan, the legendary movie poster artist behind some of cinema’s most iconic films has died at 78. He had been battling Alzheimer’s disease.
The artist’s death was revealed on Instagram via his official account on Tuesday, October 14th. “It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Drew Struzan has moved on from this world as of yesterday, October 13th,” his brother Greg wrote on Instagram. “I feel it is important that you all know how many times he expressed to me the joy he felt knowing how much you appreciated his art.” See the post below.
The list of memorable posters Struzan created is vast, and includes such popular movies as Blade Runner, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Back to the Future, Risky Business, The Goonies, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and the special edition of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
When asked if he had a favorite poster from his extensive history of work, Struzan was elusive: “If I had a favorite, then I would have already done the best I can do. I’d lose my spark of creativity. My favorite is always the very next one,” he told Los Angeles Magazine in 2014.
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Struzan was a favorite of Steven Spielberg, who once called him “my favorite movie artist,” and later added that “I had to almost live up to the art that we later were going to ask Drew to create for the poster.”
“Very heartbreaking to read this and to wrap my mind around the finality of it all, of an amazing man and the legacy of incredible work,” shared Marvel artist J. Scott Campbell in a tribute via The Hollywood Reporter. “He has left us all with so much beauty to enjoy for generations to come. I know the past few years have been especially difficult and I can only hope that this gives him and all of his loved ones some sense of peace.”
“A giant among giants. His work captured the humanity, power and emotion of his subjects in ways not seen since,” added DC president and Batman artist Jim Lee. “Thank you for bringing to life all the tentpole moments of my childhood and beyond.”
In 2013, Struzan’s work was documented in director Erik Sharkey’s film, Drew: The Man Behind the Poster.