by Daniel Stephens

Created on: January 05, 2011

Movie Poster Artist: The Work of Drew Struzan

When I look over some of my favourite movie posters of all time I notice that I delight in one sheets for films from all genres, from different decades, and various countries. But when I start to pick out just a few that simply have to be placed proudly on the wall, there is one notable commonality. Of those picked to be framed and mounted are all the work of ace poster maker Drew Struzan.

Undoubtedly, you would have come across Struzan’s work even if you don’t recognise the name. He’s the man who designed the iconic posters for such celebrated and widely loved films as Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Back To The Future. His unmistakable style mastered the use of the airbrush to create film imagery that was realistic and detailed but had a distinctive painted look. This style was perfect for the genres he began to work frequently in. After Star Wars he was regularly involved with action-adventure, fantasy, science-fiction, comedy, and horror movies. These were the type of Hollywood productions, especially throughout the 1980s, that relied on the audience’s suspension of disbelief. They were tales of magic, heroes, far away planets and battles between good and evil both on earth and off it. Struzan’s wonderfully imaginative creations, that felt drawn from fantasy and a sense of adventure, were the perfect marketing tool to these exceptionally popular films.

Struzan was born in Oregon City, Oregon in 1947. He went to the Art Center College of Design after relocating to Los Angeles at age 18 where he decided to major in illustration. Throughout school he sold his artwork to make extra money and accepted a few commissions, graduating with honours and a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Struzan says, “After achieving an education I tried to go to work but me and my family went years under the poverty level. I was working but it made little to no income. Eventually I landed a studio position as an illustrator. It proved to be just the thing. I worked every day making pictures but the difference was that my work was being seen, printed and distributed. The movie studios somehow caught wind of my work and when they began to call for me was when I began to get into the movie poster field.

Struzan says it wasn’t quite the big break he was looking for. That came seven years later when George Lucas began working on Star Wars. “That proved to be the landing of a big job. Not in pay, not in recognition,

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