Best of 2021 :: Published/Unpublished Media artwork (Music, TV, Movie)

Back to the Future III Poster by Drew Struzan (Feb. 1990) ~ The First Version

Owner: Rabid Ferret
Artist: Drew Struzan (All)

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Artwork Details

Title:	Back to the Future III Poster by Drew Struzan (Feb. 1990) ~ The First Version
Artist:	Drew Struzan (All)
Media Type:	Mixed Media
Art Type:	Illustration
Views:	3,092
Likes on CAF:	34 35
Favorited on CAF:	1
Added to Site:	6/22/2021

Description

This is heavy.

What you're looking at is the first finished painting Drew Struzan submitted for the Back to the Future Part III movie poster. Not a prelim or an alternate, but the finished painting meant to be used in theaters.

Let that sink in. The greatest movie poster artist of all-time, at the peak of his powers, working on the finale of his greatest film series, with one of the most iconic poses in cinema history, and this is what he submitted.

It’s absolutely amazing!!! By every possible level of measurement this is a masterpiece, and it's clear Drew had a lot of fun painting it.

The Bobs (Zemekis and Gale) were undecided and asked for so many changes - day to night, Marty's costume (twice), flame trails - that Drew decided to paint a second piece. That piece added Mary Steenburgen at the last minute and became the poster everyone knows. This version stayed untouched.

And now I own it??

'Surreal' is not a strong enough word.

This is the kinda art that exists beyond reality, like wanting to collect Mount Rushmore or Vermont. The kinda art George Lucas and Steven Spielberg hang at their space ranches.

Like Rockwell in the 40s-50s and Frazetta in the 60s-70s, Drew Struzan was my generation's 80s-90s pop culture god of painting.

Artistically, this is instantly the best thing I own; not by a little, but by a lot.

Words fail at trying to describe seeing this in person, on par with the best things in museums, or even life. This is up there with "I know", 1980s Phoebe Cates, and UUDDLRLRBA.

This is just that good.

Drew listed this decades ago, pricing it to match the three published paintings. Ever so slowly it went from 'ludicrously out-of-reach' to 'tantalizingly out-of-reach' to now, finally, 'Great Scott! It's mine!!' 20 years later.

Like I've always said, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!

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Acrylic & Prisma on Illustration Board, 30" x 40" (22" x 34")

Stamped Feb 5, 1990 on back. (I would have been 13!)
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About the Owner

	Rabid Ferret Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	February 2005
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
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