Drew Struzan, poster artist for ‘Star Wars,’ dead…
Drew Struzan, the enduring artist behind the film posters for “Star Wars,” “Back to the Future” and so many more, has handed away. He was 78.
The famend illustrator’s longtime collaborator, Greg Aronowitz, announced the devastating news in a message shared to Struzan’s Instagram account on Tuesday. No trigger of death was given.
“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,” Aronowitz wrote. “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.”
Drew Struzan at the eightieth Academy Awards poster signing in Hollywood, California, on February 22, 2008. WireImage
Drew Struzan in a still from the 2013 documentary about his life and work, “Drew: The Man Behind the Poster.” ©Kino International / Everett Collection
Fans of the late artist rushed to the feedback part to keep in mind Struzan in the wake of his passing, while film industry heavyweights like Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro spoke out to pay tribute.
“Drew made event art,” Spielberg wrote, per The Hollywood Reporter. “His posters made many of our movies into destinations … and the memory of those movies and the age we were when we saw them always comes flashing back just by glancing at his iconic photorealistic imagery.”
“In his own invented style, nobody drew like Drew,” the “Indiana Jones” director added.
The film poster Drew Struzan designed for the re-release of “Star Wars” in 1978. twentieth Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection
The “Risky Business” film poster designed by Drew Struzan in 1983. ©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
Drew Struzan designed this iconic poster for “Back to the Future” upon its release in 1985. ©Universal/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection
“The world lost a genial man, a genius communicator and supreme artist,” del Toro shared. “I lost a friend — beloved Drew.”
Born in Oregon City, Oregon, in 1947, Struzan later enrolled at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, where he bought his art work and other small commissions to pay tuition, according to Variety.
Struzan in the end discovered a job in Los Angeles as a local artist for Pacific Eye & Ear, where he labored under artist Ernie Cefalu.
The iconic “Goonies” poster designed by Drew Struzan for its 1985 release. ©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
Drew Struzan went on to design many traditional film posters, including the hand-printed poster for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 2001. ©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
After designing album covers for musical artists like The Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Earth, Wind & Fire for between $150 and $250 per drawing, Struzan started working on promo film posters in 1975.
However, it wasn’t until 1978 that Struzan was approached by fellow artist Charles White III, who himself had been employed by twentieth Century Fox, to help create a new poster for the re-release of “Star Wars” that 12 months.
While White targeted on the mechanical particulars of the poster, Struzan reportedly painted the human characters in oil.
Drew Struzan at the eightieth Academy Awards poster signing in Hollywood, California, on February 22, 2008. WireImage
Drew Struzan in a scene from “Drew: The Man Behind the Poster.” ©Kino International / Everett Collection
Following his work on “Star Wars,” Struzan went on to illustrate posters for other classics like “Blade Runner,” “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and “The Goonies.”
Although he announced his retirement in 2008 shortly after designing the poster for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” Struzan often stepped out of retirement to help design posters for motion pictures like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015 and Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” two years later.
Struzan was also the subject of Erik Sharkey’s 2013 documentary “Drew: The Man Behind The Poster,” which examined the enduring artist’s work and life.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 26, 2025. Getty Images
Drew Struzan in a scene from the 2013 documentary about his life and work, “Drew: The Man Behind the Poster.” ©Kino International / Everett Collection
The project included interviews with many of the administrators and film stars Struzan collaborated with, including George Lucas, Spielberg and Harrison Ford.
“I felt that art was more than just telling the story,” the late illustrator told Slashfilm during a 2021 interview. “I’m looking to give a person a feeling about something they could hope for.”
“I asked the directors what they’re doing and why they were doing it,” he continued 4 years before his passing. “I try to find the best in what they are doing, then I paint that way.”
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