RIP Illustrator Roger Kastel

Farewell To A Movie Poster Original

The news has reached us that illustrator Roger Kastel, who created the Jaws poster and the poster for Empire Strikes Back, has just passed away…

Here’s a tribute from retired legendary fellow poster artist Drew Struzan

We lost another creative brother … Roger Kastel who gave us the iconic “Jaws” poster among other wonderful pieces of art. It saddens me. Could the lesson be to appreciate all the more our living creatives? pic.twitter.com/I2p4lk5unP

— Drew Struzan 🎨 (@DrewStruzan) November 15, 2023

Here’s his biography:

While still a student Roger had his first paperback book cover published in the 1960’s by Pocket Books (Simon Schuster). All told, Roger estimates that he has done over a 1,000 illustrations for various publishers. Also in the 1960’s, a painting of Roger’s won first prize from the National Fire Underwriters. This painting was made into a fire safety poster that was used for many years and had high visibility.

By the 1970s Roger Kastel hit full stride as an artist, becoming one of the most well respected illustrators in the business, working for every major publishing house in New York.

If his work was not yet recognised globally that was about to change in a big way when he accepted the challenge of illustrating the paperback cover of Peter Benchley’s bestselling classic JAWS for Bantam Books. Universal Studios, so impressed by the work, purchased the right to use this image as the poster for the movie. This was the first time that a poster image became a merchandising product in itself. Forty years later Roger’s illustration is still as instantly recognized throughout the world as when it first exploded onto the scene.

Roger’s reputation as a top flight illustrator now made its way to Hollywood, and he was asked to paint the movie poster for George Lucas’ highly anticipated sequel to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. This poster also became an instant classic and is considered one of the most influential movie posters every produced.

Roger Kastel next to his Jaws poster