In some very sad news coming out of A Galaxy Far, Far Away today, the poster artist who co-created one of the most iconic images in Star Wars history has passed away at age 85– namely Greg Hildebrandt.
Along with his twin brother Tim (who unfortunately also passed away in 2006), Hildebrandt was responsible for the design and execution of the unforgettable “Style B” UK poster artwork for the original Star Wars film, intentionally mimicking the layout of artist Tom Jung’s “Style A” poster, which was used in the United States. This beyond-famous poster depicts Luke Skywalker wielding his lightsaber up above his head while Princess Leia stands at his side holding a blaster pistol and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO look on from behind them. In the background looms the ominous mask of Darth Vader and the Death Star, while Rebel Alliance X-wing starfighters zoom into action– all against a starfield dotted with hundreds of distant suns. Notably, the original version of the Hildebrandts’ poster (pictured below) did not include the droids, who were added later at the insistence of Star Wars writer/director George Lucas.
Prior to their work on Star Wars, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt were known for Lord of the Rings calendar illustrations, art for both Marvel and DC Comics, and fantasy novel covers. They would later go on to contribute to the Wizards of the Coast game company, creating art for titles in the Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter franchises. In the mid-1990s they were brought back in by Lucasfilm to generate artwork for the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire multimedia project and its tie-in Topps trading card set. Other notable works include the poster for the 1981 mythological fantasy film Clash of the Titans, magazine covers for Omni and Heavy Metal, and numerous genre book covers. After Tim’s death, Greg stepped into the Final Frontier for the very first time, creating covers for IDW’s Star Trek: Year Five comic book. In 2010, he received the prestigious Chesley Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, and he will forever be remembered as one of the first creatives to make an immeasurable visual impact on a generation of Star Wars fans before many of them even had a chance to see the film.
"Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire" artwork by the Brothers Hildebrandt.