Indiana Jones and The Secret of the Sphinx by Drew Struzan (March 1997)
Artist: Drew Struzan (All)
31 Comments - 7,270 Views - 23 Likes
Additional Images:
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Indy Closeup
Sallah and Brody Closeups
Sallah Close-Up!
Printed Cover
Artwork Details
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DescriptionI knew Drew Struzan's name before any comic book artist.For decades he was on my want list. His art was largely unavailable and incredibly expensive. Then one day, an opportunity presented itself. I could work a three-way trade. I reached out to The Struzans and we chatted. His movie posters were a bit pricey, but there was a great tier below it that still hit the sweet spot - book covers. In the 1990s, Drew did 40 covers for Star Wars novels and 12 for Indiana Jones. George Lucas picked through the SW covers, many of them now visible in documentaries hanging around his offices, but strangely the Indiana Jones covers still sat complete, all 12 of them, 20+ years after they were painted. I had first pick. I pinched myself. For my money Star Wars and Indiana Jones are running a three-way dead heat with Back to the Future for "most iconic Drew Struzan work", and since there is no chance of ever acquiring any of those original posters, this seemed an ideal compromise and a dream come true! I dove deep into the dozen Indiana Jones book covers and gave every piece a fresh look. In the end, it was easy:) The Secret of the Sphinx, the final book in the series, was a Drew Struzan masterpiece that checked every box I'd ever wanted, standing head and shoulders above the rest. It was an Indiana Jones movie I'd somehow missed in the theater. A concerned Indy looks off (a la Temple of Doom), while inset images of Sallah and Brody frame him (a la Last Crusade), the digging scene from Raiders and a gesso sunset balancing the back side. The rendering was off the charts, very tight and detailed, a thousand billion tiny lines to carve out a perfect likeness. It even shared the warm color palette I loved in Drew's work. Knowing what's locked away, I doubt I could find anything cooler if I looked for a lifetime:) SIZE: The book covers are painted on full 30" x 40" board, the same size as movie posters, but with a smaller active area of 23" x 17". Eleven of the covers were wraparound and landscape. DREW'S COMMENTS: "With the Indy series it was with Bantam that I created the covers. They would provide me with the manuscript or a synopsis and I would come up with the images and composition. There was an enormous amount of freedom as compared to movie work. When I did the first book I wanted to make the covers echo the look of the pulp covers from the type adventure books, magazines and the serialized films that Indy was based on. I wanted to include Indy of course, the object of his search and the setting for the adventure on each of the covers." Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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E DLS 
Member Since 2005
Posted on 9/26/2017
I can't imagine going wrong with any of the 12, but I must say this is an excellent choice. Absolutely stunning! You must've been smiling so long that your face hurt. Congratulations!
Rabid Ferret
Member Since 2005
Posted on 9/26/2017
E DLS wrote:
I can't imagine going wrong with any of the 12, but I must say this is an excellent choice. Absolutely stunning! You must've been smiling so long that your face hurt. Congratulations!I've looked like the Joker nonstop since it arrived:)
Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator
Posted on 9/26/2017
Congrats! I does look like a movie poster! It's a wonderful find.
D C
Member Since 2005
Posted on 9/26/2017
There's just so much talent on display, in this spectacular piece!
Dave Kopecki
Member Since 2008
Posted on 9/26/2017
Insanely awesome! I have long coveted a Struzan myself and this is a beauty! Huge congrats!
Dan F
Member Since 2004
Posted on 9/27/2017
Wow! Awesome piece! Getting a Struzan is certainly nailing down a piece of our culture.
Eurion Kemish
Member Since 2012
Posted on 9/27/2017
A fantastic piece and a fantastic story! Thanks for sharing :D
Peter P
Member Since 2009
Posted on 9/27/2017
Struzan rocks!! So many congratulations, that's one beautiful piece, love the colour palette!
Matt E.
Member Since 2004
Posted on 9/28/2017
Congrats on getting such a fine example from the movie poster master!!
Jimmy Cawley
Member Since 2015
Posted on 10/1/2017
I love when the back story mirrors the beauty of the piece itself. bravo
marc sans
Member Since 2013
Posted on 10/5/2017
Congrats, this is awesome! I don't know if there's any story behind this, but Indy's face is really similar to the one you can see on the cover art for Lucasfilm's "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis" game (horizontally flipped though). In any case, this is super awesome!
Rabid Ferret
Member Since 2005
Posted on 10/5/2017
marc sans wrote:
Congrats, this is awesome! I don't know if there's any story behind this, but Indy's face is really similar to the one you can see on the cover art for Lucasfilm's "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis" game (horizontally flipped though). In any case, this is super awesome!Good catch. Most likely the same photo reference. There seem to be a limited number of photos used by artists in the 80s and 90s.
Kyle K
Member Since 2012
Posted on 10/5/2017
Wow, insane. The undisputed master of movie posters...if only one-sheets today were like this!
Yoann B.
Member Since 2013
Posted on 11/18/2017
A real gem, indeed! Congrats! I "only" have a few prelims by Struzan, and I already consider myself lucky... So, owning such a marvelous painting and admiring it in person must be amazing!
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