Drew Struzan Biography

Drew Struzan (born 1947) is an American artist known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include all the films in the Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and Star Wars film series. He has also painted album covers, collectibles, and book covers.
Drew Struzan was born in Oregon City, Oregon.[1] In 1965, at age 18, he enrolled at the Art Center College of Design then located in West Los Angeles, California.

"The first thing the counselor asked me was 'what do you want to major in,' so I asked what the choices were." He was informed that he had two choices: fine art or illustration. The counselor went on to describe the two careers, telling Struzan that as a fine artist he could paint what he wanted, but as an illustrator he could paint for money. It didn't take him too long to choose his course of study. "I'll be an illustrator," he announced. "I need to eat." In his first year, he married and became the father of a son, Christian.

Working his way through school by selling his artwork and accepting small commissions, Struzan graduated five years later with honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree. He would also complete two years of graduate studies and eventually return to the school in later years (the campus relocated to Pasadena, California) to teach for a short time.

In the 1990s, with the advent of computers and digital manipulation of images utilized to create poster art, Struzan was affected by the decline of traditionally illustrated poster art. While continuing to create artwork for such 1990s and 2000s films as Hook, Hellboy and the American poster for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, he started exploring other outlets for his work, including comic books, limited-edition art, and the collectible market. As such, his work has been featured on such diverse items as Franklin Mint collectible plates, including a twelve-piece set commemorating the life of Princess Diana, the 1996 cover for Milton Bradley's board game Clue, and U.S. postage stamps.