For over half a century, the artistic brilliance of Renato Casaro and Drew Struzan has painted our collective memories of blockbuster cinema. Their combined portfolios read like a definitive list of iconic films: from the epic sagas of ‘Star Wars’ and Indiana Jones to the gritty world of Rambo, the fantastical adventures of Harry Potter, the sci-fi thrillers of the Terminator, and the heartwarming charm of the Muppets. Their illustrations weren’t just advertisements; they were the very visual essence of these movies, often more memorable than the film scenes themselves.
Think of Marty McFly’s stunned disbelief at the DeLorean’s door in Struzan’s ‘Back to the Future’ poster, or Casaro’s powerful depiction of ‘Conan the Barbarian’ with his sword raised high. Recall the daring chain of youngsters dangling from precarious heights in Struzan’s ‘The Goonies’ art, or the dramatic heroes and villains gracing Casaro’s ‘Flash Gordon’ posters. These are the images that became our intrinsic understanding of these films and their legendary stars.
While their names might not be as universally known as the actors or directors they celebrated, for countless moviegoers, Struzan and Casaro’s posters are the enduring symbols of heroism, grand adventure, and quintessential Americana, forever woven into the fabric of our cinematic history.
[Image: Drew Struzan’s design for the 1985 adventure comedy ‘The Goonies’ shows a group of children hanging onto each other in a chain, dangling from rocks in a cave.]
The recent passing of Struzan on October 13th, closely followed by Casaro’s on September 30th, delivered a profound double blow to the world of hand-drawn movie poster design. In an era increasingly dominated by portrait photography, digital manipulation, and even artificial intelligence, these two masters steadfastly relied on traditional paints and brushes. They crafted canvases that transcended mere advertising, becoming works of art that defined the very essence of the movies they promoted.
Their genius lay in their ability to strike a delicate balance. Both artists skillfully merged realistic, almost photographic portrayals of marquee stars with a larger-than-life, awe-inspiring iconography. This unique blend made their work perfect for the specialized craft of movie poster illustration.
[Image: A vibrant illustrated movie poster for ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,’ featuring Indiana Jones in a fedora, a woman, a boy, skulls, flames, and action scenes.]
For instance, Struzan’s iconic posters for the Indiana Jones series perfectly captured Harrison Ford’s distinctive look and the recognizable details of Dr. Indiana Jones – the iconic fedora, the worn jacket, the ever-present bullwhip. Yet, Struzan elevated these elements with the elaborate, expressive flourishes characteristic of an Impressionist painter.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a frequent muse for Casaro, who not only designed the ‘Conan’ posters but also created artwork for ‘Red Sonja,’ ‘The Running Man,’ and ‘Terminator 2.’ Casaro masterfully rendered Schwarzenegger’s meticulously sculpted physique, presenting him almost as a Greek deity. As Casaro himself once shared with The Guardian in 2022, “Schwarzenegger was the perfect man to paint. He had a tough expression. His face was like a sculpture.”
Despite their shared impact, their styles and influences stemmed from distinct backgrounds. Casaro, an Italian born in Treviso in 1935, flourished professionally during Italy’s golden age of cinema. His images were pivotal in defining this era, from his unforgettable posters for Sergio Leone’s groundbreaking ‘spaghetti westerns’ like ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ and ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,’ to striking art for genre films such as Mario Bava’s ‘Danger: Diabolik.’ Hollywood soon recognized his talent, commissioning him for projects like John Huston’s ‘The Bible: In the Beginning’ in 1966. The bold imagery and clean lines from these early works remained a cornerstone of his artistic approach.
Struzan, an Oregon City native, brought an ‘American-as-apple-pie’ sensibility to his art. Crucially, his entry into illustration wasn’t through movie posters but through album covers—a field demanding the encapsulation of an entire artistic work into a single, compelling visual. His iconic album art for legends like Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Earth, Wind & Fire eventually led him to film. He started with low-budget B-movies like ‘Empire of the Ants’ before a collaboration with fellow poster artist Charles White III on the 1978 rerelease of ‘Star Wars’ (dubbed the ‘Circus’ poster by collectors) catapulted him into the realm of blockbusters, including ‘The Muppet Movie,’ ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘E.T.,’ and the subsequent ‘Star Wars’ films.
[Image: Movie poster for ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ showing three armed men. The title and actors’ names are prominent, with a Civil War scene above.]
Their contrasting styles are perhaps best exemplified by their interpretations of the same character. Struzan’s poster for ‘First Blood,’ the initial entry in Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo series, presented a somber image of a desperate man in a grim situation, perfectly capturing the film’s raw grittiness and sense of dread. When Stallone transformed Rambo into an unstoppable superhero for the 1985 sequel, ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II,’ Casaro took the reins. He exaggerated Stallone’s musculature, firepower, and, most importantly, his fierce determination, elevating the character (much like the movie did) from a hunted man to a mythical warrior.
[Image: Struzan’s design for ‘First Blood,’ depicting a muscular man with a headband holding a large gun against a forest backdrop.]
[Image: Casaro’s design for ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II,’ showing a shirtless Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, holding a large weapon.]
Struzan excelled at orchestrating large ensembles of diverse characters. Whether it was a massive production like ‘Harry Potter’ or a lighthearted comedy such as the ‘Cannonball Run’ or ‘Police Academy’ series, he masterfully arranged all the elements without overwhelming the viewer. Casaro, too, could conjure entire worlds within a single frame, as seen in his distinctive posters for David Lynch’s ‘Dune’ and the James Bond film ‘Octopussy.’
Yet, both artists also demonstrated remarkable versatility, capable of stripping away complexity to create images of striking simplicity and profound beauty. Examples include Casaro’s starkly beautiful art for Bernardo Bertolucci’s ‘The Sheltering Sky,’ or Struzan’s brilliant interplay of dark shadows and explosive light in his unforgettable poster for John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing.’ Their talent was matched only by their adaptability.
[Image: Casaro’s poster for Bernardo Bertolucci’s ‘The Sheltering Sky,’ showing a woman alone on a sand dune under a vast sky.]
To declare the movie poster ‘dead’ might be an oversimplification. However, in our current streaming landscape, where promotional art often appears as a small thumbnail on a crowded screen, the movie poster has evolved into a niche art form. It now caters less to mass audiences and more to dedicated cinephiles and serious collectors. For these enthusiasts, the works of Drew Struzan and Renato Casaro will undoubtedly continue to be cherished as distinctive and everlasting masterpieces.