Drew Struzan — the artist who defined the throwback, glamorous style of movie posters for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the Muppets — died after a long illness with Alzheimer’s. He was 78. According to his social media, Struzan died October 13. “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,” is Instagram manager wrote.
Even if you’ve never heard of Drew Struzan, you instinctively recognize his work. He made posters for everything from The Thing to Harry Potter. Struzan defined the look of a blockbuster movie. His smooth, radiant paintings seemed to glow from within and signaled magic at Da Movies. They promised capers, characters, and big budget production values. They also connected the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg joints to a grander tradition of the Golden Age of Hollywood. His Indiana Jones posters, in particular, signaled to the viewer that The Movies Were So Back. Gone was the grit of New Hollywood; now it’s time for glossy posters and a John Williams score.
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Struzan painted the posters for four Muppet movies, from The Muppet Movie through Muppet Treasure Island. “Legendary artist Drew Struzan was truly one of a kind. He created the instantly iconic posters for some of the most beloved films of all time,” the Muppets wrote in an official statement. “Thanks for sharing your incredible talent with us, Drew.”
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A post shared by Drew Struzan (@drewstruzanart)
