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Who was Drew Struzan? The ‘go-to’ poster artist for Steven Spielberg and George Lucas dies at 78
Artist Drew Struzan died on Monday, aged 78. He was one of the most acclaimed and recognized movie poster artists of all time.
Drew Struzan, the artist known for designing posters for some of the most high-profile Hollywood movies over the years, died on Monday, October 13, at the age of 78. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was a “go-to artist” for Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
He designed posters for hit movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future and The Thing. Spielberg described him as “my favorite movie artist,” adding that “I had to almost live up to the art that we later were going to ask Drew to create for the poster.”
Struzan’s death was announced on his official Instagram account on Tuesday.
“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. 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,” read the post.
Drew Struzan’s life and work
According to Variety, the renowned artist was born in Oregon City and was enrolled at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. His initial work was in Los Angeles as a local artist for the company ‘Pacific Eye & Ear’ under the guidance of Ernie Cefalu.
He designed album covers for bands such as The Beach Boys, Bee Gees and Earth, Wind & Fire. He also illustrated the cover for Alice Cooper’s album, Welcome to My Nightmare. Struzan began working on movie posters in 1975.
After some small-budget movies, his big break came when he was asked to help artist Charles White III paint the poster for the re-release of Star Wars in 1978. Following this assignment, he received other major projects, such as Blade Runner, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Coming to America and The Muppet Movie.
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Retirement and later life
Drew Struzan continued to work into the 2000s before calling it a day in 2008. He was the focus of the 2013 documentary, Drew: The Man Behind the Poster.
In a 2021 interview, he detailed his creative process, saying, “I asked the directors what they’re doing and why they were doing it, (and) I try to find the best in what they are doing, then I paint that way”.
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FAQs:
Who was Drew Struzan?
Drew Struzan was an artist who designed the posters for some of the biggest Hollywood movies.
What movies did Drew Struzan design posters for?
These included Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future, The Thing, Blade Runner, among others.
When did Drew Struzan die?
He died at the age of 78 on October 13.
