Oeuvre: Drew Struzan

"Simply put, his art blows me away," exults decorated film director Frank Darabont in reference to Struzan, whose unique artistic vision changed the face of modern cinema. Setting the stage for this magnificent retrospective is George Lucas's glowing foreword, where he writes, "Drew has the talent not only to capture the characters faithfully, but to enrich them with something a little grander, a little more glorious and more romantic." Struzan's humble beginnings failed to suppress his notorious talent as he embraced "the spirit of an artist" and channeled his creativity into commercially viable artworks. In this companion to The Art of Drew Struzan, section introductions by wife Dylan introduce readers to various aspects of Struzan's career, from album artwork for Black Sabbath's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to iconic movie posters for cult classics and blockbusters alike: The Goonies, E.T., Back to the Future, and perhaps most famously, Star Wars. As noted in the general introduction, the gorgeously reproduced images do not comprise Struzan's complete body of work, but they do reflect the wide scope of his talent and interests. Brief forays into publishing and portraiture further highlight the broad appeal of Struzan's art, while the final section of "Personal Works"%E2%80%94comprised of family members and female nudes%E2%80%94reveals a lesser-known though equally appealing segment of his oeuvre. For cinema fans and art collectors, this assortment both sates and whets the appetite for Struzan's iconic art, the last of which is still to come, for "[h]e is, after all, still very much alive." (Oct.)