Star Wars Day "May the Fourth Be With You!"

Episode IV Decade III

John Alvin, legendary cinema campaign artist did amazing work for Lucasfilm and the Star Wars phenomenon, including the above limited edition fine art print celebrating Episode IV of the Star Wars saga. When he passed away last year at the age of 59, the tributes flowed in from around the world. One of the most poignant and heartfelt came from George Lucas and was published on February 13, 2008 on the Star Wars website.

Thirty years ago, John
Alvin created one of the most memorable – and whimsical – illustrations ever to
grace a Star Wars poster. In the years since, he has become one of the
finest illustrators in his trade, flourishing in a field that is quickly
becoming a lost art. We are so fortunate
to count John’s talent among the treasures of the saga’s legacy, and will
deeply miss him and the passion for Star Wars he so successfully expressed through his art. – George Lucas

(A portion of the rest of the Star Wars tribute to John Alvin follows.)

“It was John’s stirring poster depiction of Luke beneath a
twilight Tatooine sky that instantly captiveated fans at last year’s
Celebration events held in Los Angeles and London. The scene from A New Hope which he selected – Luke looking toward the twin suns,
and his dual destinies – resonates more powerfully than any moment in the saga,
and was the perfect choice to celebrate Star
Wars’ 30^th anniversary.
John had captured the true spirit of the saga, displaying a deep
understanding of the hero’s journey and a fierce passion for the Star Wars mythos.”

“John was there for Star Wars’ 10^th
anniversary in 1987, creating a stunning Tatooine panoramic that trumpeted “The
First Ten Years.” He was also the artist
of choice for 1995’s international video campaign, which utilized new classic
trilogy artwork he’d composed for cassette sleeves and posters. Throughout the rest of the ‘90s, John
illustrated several books in the Jedi Academy and Jedi Readers series, closing
out the decade with an illustration that launched the first Star Wars Celebration convention.”