Drew Struzan, the celebrated artist behind iconic movie posters such as Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Back to the Future, passed away on Monday at the age of 78.
The announcement came via a statement posted on Struzan’s official Instagram account by his brother, Greg Struzan, who shared that Drew had expressed great joy knowing how much fans appreciated his art.
Born in Oregon City, Struzan studied at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, where he supported himself through selling artwork and small commissions. Early in his career, he worked for Pacific Eye & Ear in Los Angeles under artist Ernie Cefalu. During this period, Struzan created album covers for prominent musicians including The Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Earth, Wind & Fire, as well as illustrating Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare.
Struzan began his film poster career in 1975 with artwork for lower-budget movies such as Empire of the Ants and Squirm. His breakthrough came in 1978 when he was brought on by Charles White III to help create the re-release poster for Star Wars, painting the human characters while White handled the mechanical elements. This collaboration launched Struzan’s legendary status in the industry.
Over his career, Struzan crafted posters for a wide range of beloved films including Blade Runner, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Coming to America, The Goonies, and The Muppet Movie. In the 2000s, he worked on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull before retiring in 2008. However, he later returned to design posters for projects like Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Batkid Begins, and the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy.
In 2013, Struzan was featured in the documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster, which explored his creative process and career, including interviews with collaborators such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford. In a 2021 interview with Slashfilm, Struzan reflected on his artistic approach, emphasizing his goal to evoke feeling and hope through his work by collaborating closely with filmmakers and focusing on open-ended, evocative designs.
Struzan’s timeless artwork has left a lasting legacy on film history and continues to inspire generations of artists and movie fans worldwide.
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