Legendary Poster Artist Drew Struzan Dies at 78: Icon Behind ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Blade Runner’ Passes Away

Drew Struzan, the celebrated artist famed for his iconic movie posters such as “Star Wars,” “Back to the Future,” and “Blade Runner,” passed away on Monday at the age of 78.

The announcement of Struzan’s passing was made on his Instagram account. “With profound sadness, I inform you that Drew Struzan left us on October 13th. It’s crucial for everyone to know how much he appreciated your admiration for his art,” stated the message from his longtime associate, Greg Aronowitz.

“Drew created art that defined events,” remarked Steven Spielberg, a frequent collaborator. “His posters transformed many of our films into memorable experiences… The iconic, photorealistic images he crafted bring back vivid memories of the films and the times in our lives when we first saw them. Drew had a unique style that was all his own,” Spielberg added.

Born in Oregon City, Struzan attended the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, where he supported his studies by selling his artwork and taking on small commissions. While residing in Los Angeles, he secured a position as a local artist at Pacific Eye & Ear, working under the guidance of artist Ernie Cefalu.

Throughout his early career, Struzan created album covers for several high-profile musicians, including The Beach Boys, Bee Gees, and Earth, Wind & Fire. He also crafted the album cover for Alice Cooper’s “Welcome to My Nightmare,” charging between $150 and $250 per piece. His venture into the movie industry began in 1975 at Pacific Eye & Ear, where he started with promotional posters for lower-budget movies like “Empire of the Ants” and “Squirm.”

In 1978, Struzan was approached by artist Charles White III, who was commissioned by David Weitzner, the Vice President of Advertising at 20th Century Fox, to design a new poster for the re-release of “Star Wars.” White enlisted Struzan to paint the human characters in oil, while he focused on the mechanical details and spacecraft.

Following his work on “Star Wars,” Struzan went on to illustrate posters for various significant films including “Blade Runner,” “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “Coming to America,” “The Goonies,” and “The Muppet Movie.”

In the 2000s, Struzan worked on “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” for Spielberg, before he announced his retirement in 2008. However, he later came out of retirement to collaborate on projects like Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around The World,” and the “How To Train Your Dragon” trilogy.

In 2013, Struzan was featured in Erik Sharkey’s documentary “Drew: The Man Behind The Poster,” which explored his career and creative process, and included interviews with notable collaborators such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford.

In a 2021 interview with Slashfilm, Struzan shared insights into his artistic approach and the impact of his work. “I believe that art transcends mere storytelling. It’s about evoking feelings and possibilities,” Struzan explained. “I engage with directors to understand their vision and essence, seeking the best aspects of their work to portray. I select the most expressive images of actors and scenes, choosing a color palette that complements my composition, which I design to be open to interpretation rather than prescriptive. When I achieve this, I feel my work is successful,” he concluded.