Drew Struzan> is one of pop-culture’s most easily recognizable contemporary illustrators. His childhood was one of poverty. College did not change that cycle. Nevertheless, his talent earned him a full scholarship from Art Center College of Design straight out of high school. Painting for other students earned him occasional meals. After college, Drew accepted a job at a boutique ad agency that specialized in album covers. His work included The Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Roy Orbison, Black Sabbath, Glenn Miller, Bach, Earth, Wind and Fire, Liberace, and (his most famous cover) Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare. The latter seized the attention of the movie industry and, thus, Drew’s career moved in a new direction. In 1977, Struzan was asked to co-create the poster art for the re-release of Star Wars. His co-creator showed him the marvel of the airbrush which Drew used to create a new technique for the high-demand and quick turnover world of movie art. His poster work includes such blockbuster titles as Star Wars (from episode 1 to episode 7), Blade Runner, Police Academy, Back to the Future, the Indiana Jones series, E.T., The Muppet Movie, Coming to America, Risky Business, An American Tail, The Goonies, Hook, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and more. Struzan found success in additional genres of illustration including collectibles, postage stamps, and board games. His most recent project, a collaboration with his wife and author Dylan Struzan, features his illustrations in her book A Bloody Business, published in 2019.
Drew Struzan, Back to the Future I, II & III. Acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board, 1985. (© Copyright Universal Studios 1985-1990)