CLASSIC INDY: 'TRUST HIM!'

UK quad poster art, possibly incorporating art by Tom Jung.

No matter how tight the spot, no matter how much danger he and Marion Ravenwood find themselves in whilst fighting the dreaded Nazis over the Lost Ark of the Covenant, you can always rely on the courageous and inspirational hero that is Indiana Jones to save the day. And if there's some fortune and glory to be had along the way, then so much the better!

Happy Forty-Fifth Anniversary this year to Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark!

CLASSIC ART: CLASHING 'SABERS!

The lightsabers used by the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic may have passed into history by the time of the original Star Wars' story showcasing Rebellion vs Empire, but the emergence of Jedi-to-be Luke Skywalker, and his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi's duel with his former pupil Darth Vader, soon make the weapons iconic and a perfect representation of good vs evil for this unused American poster concept art from 1976/77. 

If anyone knows the artist (I assume it's Tom Jung), please get on touch...  

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: THE POWER OF POSTER ART!

Amidst the terrifying visage of the returned Darth Vader, technological action is another standout part of this classic early movie poster conceptual piece by the famous illustrator Tom Jung, of which the might of the Imperial AT-AT's against our Rebel heroes proves formidable, and truly showcasing how an Empire will strikes back! 

CLASSIC ART: 'STAR WARS' BEGINS...

The classic Hildebrandt Brothers poster that debuted in the UK at the end of 1977/early 1978.

As a rare and pristine condition British release print of the original 1977 version of Star Wars makes for a special screening (originally housed by Rank back in 1979, and later donated), for the first time in decades in the UK, launching this year's BFI Film on Film festival in London (12th to 15th June, 2025), here's a look back to that time when George Lucas's (at first one-off) film launched across the world in 1977 and 1978, promoted via these gorgeous adventure-fuelled posters that soon captured our hearts, minds and imaginations like never before...

Early US teaser poster with the original SW logo before the 'W' was changed.

US teaser poster.

American release poster.

Tom Jung's early poster, at first primarily used for the US, then appearing in various merchandising.

Tom Jung's version of the Hildebrandt original.

Some international posters mixed the Tom Jung art with the Hildebrandts.

Three Japanese posters from 1977/78.

Photo montage mixed with the Hildebrandt art.

Other Japanese rarities.

Italian art my Michelangelo Papuzza.

The 'Dirty Dozen' poster art for the UK and US from 1978, by Tom Chantrell.

Australian 'Daybill' poster. 

Hong Kong release poster - 1978.

'VADER WEEK': DAY 3 - A DARK LORD'S DOMINANCE!

Despite looming large in all of the original Star Wars publicity and merchandise of 1977/78, Darth Vader had spent a lot of time in the original first film operating his evil-dom alongside that of another notable villain, Grand Moff Tarkin, as played so effectively by Peter Cushing. But with Tarkin's demise on the Death Star, The Empire Strikes Back would go on to solidify Vader's superstar icon platform as the central antagonist chasing the ongoing rebellion (as captured in this great unused concept poster art from film industry legend Tom Jung), and most notably its top Jedi-to-be hero, Luke Skywalker. 

This search by the Dark Lord for the young hero would soon become an obsession, the reason for which would soon be shockingly revealed by Empire's grim conclusion...

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: INTRODUCING THE TIE BOMBER!

Joe Johnston conceptual art of the TIE Bomber, with TIE Fighter escort, unused from the original Star Wars. 

Determined to flush out the hidden Millennium Falcon, Imperial TIE Bombers start unleashing their payloads on the largest asteroids in the field. The debut of the bomber was an intriguing addition to the Imperial fighter fleet, alongside the standard TIE and Vader's personal craft previously seen in the original Star Wars.

Two bombers start strafing the largest asteroid in an effects sequence moved to a later part of the film's story than was originally scripted.

Storyboard for an additional shot added to the film by ILM later in post production.

Ken Ralston takes some kind of cinecam footage of the model on one of the ILM stages, perhaps part of an animatic prior to filming of the bombardment sequence?

Despite only a few fleeting appearances in the final film, the TIE Bomber nonetheless made for a key visual selling point in signifying the onscreen might of the Empire, prominently used in Tom Jung's exciting original release poster for Empire in May 1980, where a legion of bombers fly upwards from within Vader's outstretched cloak.

CLASSIC INDY: THAT SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE!

It beats going to work, even if you do end up pretty bruised and battered by the end of it! Indiana Jones' high-octane, world-travelled adventure linked to the mystery and power of the lost Ark of the Covenant is warmly rendered by Tom Jung in this great unused poster art for Raiders of the Lost Ark, that also showcases both his former love and a key Nazi enemy.

CLASSIC ART: THE 'NEW HOPE' RISES!

The power of the Force, via the mystery and magic of the Jedi lightsaber, is used to striking effect in this great conceptual movie poster art by Tom Jung for Return of the Jedi, and a visual idea/motif that eventually came to fruition promoting the upcoming mystery of the film, and Luke Skywalker's ultimate destiny, come May 1983.

HAPPY THIRTY-SIXTH ANNIVERSARY TO 'RETURN OF THE JEDI'!

CLASSIC ART: 'THE HERO'S JOURNEY' CONTINUES...

There's still a lot of A New Hope's aura to this mid 1979 poster concept art for The Empire Strikes Back by Tom Jung, with reference to Bob Seidemann's photography of Mark Hamill as Luke from two years previously particularly noticeable. There's great poses for Han and Leia, and even TIE fighters that look like a mixture of the first original design for Vader's craft mixed with a TIE Bomber (a vehicle also originally conceived for the 1977 film by Joe Johnston).

HAPPY FORTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY TO THE ORIGINAL 'STAR WARS'!

One of the early US adverts for Star Wars cinema release- art by Tom Jung. Note the original logo with the 'W'.

It was an undiminished joy watching multiple times the original Star Wars in the cinemas on its barnstorming release from 1977/78, and it continues to be an undiminished joy for millions and generations to watch and adore either via VHS, laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats, even with the many controversial changes/additions made to it. It's timeless, it's iconic, it's magical, it's unforgettable, remaining unbeaten as the legacy launch point to so, so much in our modern world of entertainment.

HAPPY FORTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY! to the original STAR WARS! 

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY, 'STAR WARS'!

The Tom Jung adaptation of the Hildebrandt Brothers concept/early teaser poster art appears in international form for this 1977/78 international release art for the original STAR WARS. The boy, the girl, and a universe captured in all-time classic artistic form.


HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY to STAR WARS on May 25th, 2017

The legend continues...

http://www.starwars.com/news/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-original-star-wars-poster

http://www.starwars.com/news/40-years-of-star-wars-anniversary-posters

http://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-original-reviews-1977

CLASSIC ART: IMPERIAL PUPPETEER!

Mastermind of evil: Grand Admiral Thrawn. Art by Steve Argyle.

Quite likely the greatest war tactician in the Empire after the Emperor and Darth Vader, the enigmatic and truly alien humanoid Grand Admiral Thrawn soon proved himself the most dangerous threat yet to the fledgling New Republic after the destruction of the second Death Star at Endor. Making the most of a small but powerful Star Destroyer fleet with skilled efficiency and clarity of purpose, getting to know the enemy he would attack specifically and uniquely through their art, and finding a new threat to the powers of the Jedi Knights and the Force with the Ysalamir creatures of the planet Myrkr, Thrawn's plans to reestablish the vision and glory of the Empire were very nearly successful, as revealed in the epic first trilogy that restarted the STAR WARS Expanded Universe of books, on this day (confirmed by the official SW site) celebrating the 25th Anniversary of popular sci-fi author Timothy Zahn's supreme Heir to the Empire, part of The Thrawn Trilogy- a superb adventure series that, for the most part, still hasn't been surpassed and also remains the author's best work within this franchise, with Thrawn going on to make a tremendous mark and impression on STAR WARS fans, and its fiction history, in the year's ahead.

Original collected cover art by Tom Jung.

Echo Station: Interview With Tim Zahn
How Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire Turned Star Wars into Science Fiction | Tor.com
Who Is Thrawn? | StarWars.com

CLASSIC ART: STAR WARRIORS ASSEMBLE!

Looking like they've come off the cover of one of MARVEL's THE AVENGERS comics, our Star Warriors rush towards unknown conflict in this lovely unused poster concept art for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK by Tom Jung, from 1979. Its nice to see Lando Calrissian amongst the group, though Jung clearly had no idea yet what costume Leia would be wearing in the upcoming film- giving her a slinky one piece number and cape that wouldn't look out of place on a superheroine of the day.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 35: OF FUTURES AND FIREPOWER!

An EPISODE IV young and (so far) unafraid Luke Skywalker stands ready, lightsaber activated, for the onslaught of Darth Vader and his Imperial legions, in this very cool unused poster art concept by Tom Jung for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, sometime from late 1979. Note the early idea of wedged-winged TIE fighters (later becoming the familiar TIE Bombers eventually seen on Jung's classic 1980 poster)- a visual idea metamorphose into the TIE Interceptors that'd appear in their multitudes by RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Welcome to the first entry of AFICIONADO's 35th Anniversary celebrations for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

CLASSIC ART: AWAITING A VHS 'EMPIRE'!

Here's a fun rarity on Ebay I'd never seen before. A FOX US reservation order form/brochure for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK when its eventually made its way onto VHS in 1984, featuring a mixture of Tom Jung's classic poster art for the movie and, on the inside, for the original STAR WARS.

ROTJ AT 30: ONE LAST TIME...

The last, of its time, movie poster for the original Classic Trilogy comes in March 1985, alongside its also final full theatrical release in the US and Canada. RETURN OF THE JEDI's curtain call, courtesy of pleasing character art from the legendary Tom Jung.

'Return of the Jedi': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Original 'Star Wars' Trilogy Finale - The Moviefone Blog

CLASSIC ART: DARK SIDE RISING...

Darth Vader makes his formidable presence felt, backed up by shockwaves of Stormtroopers and TIE bombers, in Tom Jung's cleverly constructed, and now iconic, poster work for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK in 1980.

In his The Making of The Empire Strikes Back book, author J.W. Rinzler, states that it would be several months before this poster mades its debut in cinemas, after the Gone with the Wind style poster handled by Roger Kastel. That is actually incorrect in relation to the UK. At its London Royal Premiere in May,  the Jung poster art was used as the focal image atop the ODEON Leicester Square cinema building (I saw the film there in its opening week), and the poster could also be found in select London Underground stations (I also recall varying versions of Kastel's poster appearing at Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road, in particular).

With thanks to Steve McGarrigle: The Empire Strikes Back Premier - Odeon Leicester Sq 1980 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

CLASSIC ART: TOM JUNG's ALTERNATE ORIGINAL TRILOGY POSTERS

After the Hildebrandt Brothers, Tom Jung is probably the most recognised movie poster artist of the Classic STAR WARS Trilogy, most notably for his work on the first two films. Here are some unused concept pieces of his for STAR WARS and THE EMPIRE STRKES BACK that recently went under the auction hammer, and I think they're rather fabulous...

Vader concept art for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Early pencil work for one of the eventually approved posters.

STAR WARS : A NEW VARIATION

This is a very unusual and kinda quirky interpretation of the Tom Jung/ Hildebrandt Brothers STAR WARS poster. It has a very basic but interesting retro simplicity about it, almost like one of those young teenage girl pop art posters from the seventies. I'm assuming its linked to a European release (like Poland or the former Yugoslavia, perhaps?) from the same period, or some kind of merchandising linked poster for something STAR WARS related somewhere across the world.

With so many different posters and variations over the years, does anyone out there have any more info on it-who it was by and which country it was originally used in?