Legendary movie poster artist Drew Struzan has died at age 78. The news was posted on Struzan's Instagram with a brief message. No cause of death has yet been announced, but Struzan's wife Dylan Struzan previously disclosed that the artist was suffering from Alzheimer's disease..
The announcement is credited simply to "Greg," likely Greg Boas, producer of a 2013 documentary on Struzan's life titled Drew: The Man Behind the Poster.
"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," reads the simple statement. "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."
Struzan is well-known for his many movie posters, especially thanks to his knack for balancing realism and fantasy elements and his collage-like compositions that captured the essence of the films he was illustrating.
Struzan's most famous works include posters for the first four Indiana Jones movies, multiple Star Wars films, and numerous other beloved films including ET: The Extra Terrestrial, Blade Runner, Back the Future, The Muppet Movie, Coming to America, The Goonies, The Thing, and many, many more. He also illustrated several comic book covers over the years, notably for 2003's landmark Superman issue Action Comics #800.
For moviegoers who grew up in the '70s, '80s, and '90s, Struzan's iconic posters represented the best of the best, the most prestigious blockbuster films being made. Though he retired in 2008, Struzan's work has remained the definitive movie poster style, influencing countless other artists and posters over the years.
