sarafina1977
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(8/19/05 6:17 am)
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Star Wars Poster Book Coming Soon To Your Galaxy
from starwars.com
August 16, 2005
Before the internet, the earliest indication that a new Star Wars movie was "Coming Soon to Your Galaxy" was usually trumpeted by the posters pinned up in theater lobbies. Occasionally these early advance posters, or "teasers," used spare graphics -- some even used plain text. The actual release posters, however, were lavish illustrations designed to convey the film's scope, brimming with excitement, adventure, and romance. Though many of these classic posters have since become the most recognized imagery in movie poster history, their histories have seldom been explored.
The Star Wars Poster Book, authored by Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet and Pete Vilmur, is the first major attempt to chronicle the stories behind these movie masterpieces, backed by extensive research and numerous interviews with the original artists, film marketers, and art directors. Here, fans will learn Lucas' directive for the design of the original Star Wars logo; why the image of Luke and Leia appears to be pasted to a wall for the 1978 re-release of Star Wars; why several elements were removed from the original "Gone With The Wind" poster composition used for Empire; how Drew Struzan came up with the concept of a poster triptych for the release of the Star Wars Special Editions; and the marketing mind behind the prequel trilogy print campaign.
An expansive collection of international posters are showcased as well, with some artworks officially featured for the first time since their foreign theater lobby debuts decades ago. Papuzza's comic-like Italian Star Wars illustration is here, as is Noriyoshi Ohrai's stunning Empire composition used throughout many international markets. Jedi posters from Hungary and Poland are on display, as are some of the strangest Russian posters ever composed for a Star Wars film. Even the Ewok movies get a full spread featuring the poster art used to promote the films both domestically and overseas.
Apart from the actual movie releases, this thick tome -- 320 pages with 350 images -- also explores the scores of promotional, event, and commercial posters printed since 1976. Many obscure posters from the early days of the Star Wars phenomenon, as well as some unusual images from international markets, are all featured along with some little-known facts. Did you know the famous Star Wars Concert Poster depicting the droids with musical instruments was never sold at the Hollywood Bowl Star Wars Concert, as common lore holds? Or that the early Star Wars pin-up portraits were shot by the same photographer who'd done album covers for the Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Blind Faith? How about John Alvin's use of 77 elements in his Star Wars 10th anniversary panoramic poster, commemorating the year of the film's release?
Of great interest to poster collectors, of course, is the extensive poster guide included in the back of the book, which lists over 2,200 posters from around the world and its relative desirability among poster collectors. Bootlegs are also discussed, with some telltales to look for when making a Star Wars poster purchase. All in all, this book is by far the most comprehensive guide for people interested in exploring some of the history behind their favorite Star Wars posters, whether they are collectors or not.
StarWarsShop currently has The Star Wars Poster Book available for pre-order, with an exclusive offer to purchase an edition signed by the authors.
(Sarafina's note: I also found it available on amazon for preorder. I am sure it is available just about everywhere.)
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