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Star Wars, Indiana Jones, & Back to the Future movie poster artist Drew Struzan can no longer draw due to Alzheimer's

Along with the above classics, Struzan did the designs for Harry Potter, Blade Runner, The Shawshank Redemption, and many, many more

Drew Struzan Star Wars Posters — Image credit: Drew Struzan, Lucasfilm

News by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Mon Mar 31 2025

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Sad news came out of the film world recently, as it was revealed that Drew Struzan, perhaps the most well-known movie poster artist in the industry, was announced to no longer have the ability to draw. After years of battling Alzheimer's, the artist's coordination has reduced to being unable to design or even sign his work. The news comes from a Facebook post made by his wife, Dylan, on March 26.

You almost certainly have seen Struzan's work, even if you haven't realized it before. His iconic posters for the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Back to the Future franchises are almost as well-known as those films themselves, and his style - that warm, glittering color palette that invokes the magic of cinema - has been ceaselessly replicated across the industry. Besides his work on those three classics of 70's and 80's film, Struzan has designed posters for Harry Potter, The Shawshank Redemption, Blade Runner, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

"I come to you with a heavy heart," Dylan Struzan posted to Drew's Facebook fan page, "[T]he loss of coordination of moving the information from the brain to a functional expression short-changes abilities. Drew can no longer paint or sign things for you. He is not enjoying a well-deserved retirement but rather fighting for his life."

"He hears all the comments you have left here on these pages," she continues, "It encourages him. [...] Drew has left a strong legacy of love and joy in the form of his work. It has always been a love letter of sorts. His aim was to make the earth a better place in which to live by creating something beautiful. But like a flower, his season is ending."

Finally, Dylan appeals to his fans not to stop sharing their appreciation because of his disease. "The love you send is received with appreciation and often tears of joy," she concludes. "Those of you who have been touched by his work are his legacy. Please keep sharing your thoughts and experiences. It keeps him smiling through these difficult days. Keep remembering for him."

We wish Struzan, his wife, and loved ones well.

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. As Popverse's Staff Writer, he criss-crosses the pop culture landscape bringing you the news and opinions about the big things (and the next big things). In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.