Drew Struzan, the artist whose hand-painted posters gave life to some of cinema’s greatest adventures, has passed away at 78 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. Known for his unforgettable work on Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blade Runner, Back to the Future, and E.T., Struzan’s art helped define what movie magic looked like for generations.

Born in 1947, Struzan studied at the ArtCenter College of Design before beginning his career at the Los Angeles design studio Pacific Eye & Ear, where he worked on album covers for The Beach Boys, Bee Gees, and Black Sabbath. But his big break came in the late 1970s, when he was asked to design a poster for the re-release of Star Wars. That project launched him into Hollywood’s spotlight, and soon his style—realistic yet dreamlike—became the gold standard for movie posters.

Over the next three decades, Struzan created iconic imagery for The Goonies, First Blood, The Muppet Movie, and Coming to America. His detailed, painterly style captured emotion and adventure in a way no digital design could. Even as Hollywood moved toward Photoshop collages, Struzan’s hand-painted work remained timeless—rich with color, depth, and storytelling.

He officially retired in 2008 after finishing the poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, though he occasionally returned for special projects, like an alternate Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster in 2015.

Fans and filmmakers alike are mourning his loss, celebrating a legacy that transformed not just movie marketing, but the art of visual storytelling itself. As film historian Leonard Maltin once said, “A Drew Struzan poster wasn’t just an ad—it was an invitation to a world of wonder.”