Drew STRUZAN makes movies magic

Before I knew the name of any comic book artist, I knew the name Drew Struzan. He illustrated my childhood.

Every movie I remember loving had a Drew Struzan poster - Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Police Academy, The Muppets, Goonies, Hook, and a dozen other icons. He was producing his best work when I was my most formative. We were also witnessing the final pinnacle of the great movie poster artists, as the dawn of the digital age swept in.

His work embodies everything that makes movies, movies. The emotions, the characters, the energy. He does it in a way that pulls you in like a hug and leaves you wanting more. If the movie can match the poster we'll walk away happy.

Drew seemed to exhibit the best the medium ever had to offer, as if he was the culmination of a 100-year experiment to produce the perfect Movie Poster Artist.

Prints and photos do no justice to what it's like to see a Struzan in person. What Drew does to your eye is awe-inspiring, like lingering too long in a lion's gaze. You can't look away, yet you know it's going to devour you.

For decades I dreamed of getting a finished Drew Struzan painting. The idea of a movie poster was a fantasy. Somehow, I got lucky with some trades and now my walls reek of elegance.

My mind is blown daily.