Drew Struzan Returns to the Star Wars Universe

I’m slightly behind the curve here — the speed at which “Star Wars” rumors fly ’round the Internet these days would make Doohan drool — but this little one from Fanhattan’s otherwise “Being Human”-themed interview with Drew Struzan is worth the effort.

Who is Struzan, you ask? The artistic mastermind behind the spectacular “Star Wars” posters we all love so well. Yes, I said “all.” I will brook no opposition on this point; they are fantastic. So is his legendary work on “Indiana Jones.” But I digress.

Fanhattan: Last time you and I chatted, you talked about being retired, so I’m thrilled to see new work from you. Are you working on any big new projects.

Drew Struzan: Oh, well, never say never, [laughs] because…in fact, I got a couple calls already this week on Star Wars from Disney.

/Film asks the question of whether a “Star Wars” movie can even exist without a Struzan poster, and The AV Club has a quick analysis on what it portends:

Of course, the promise of the man who helped immortalize the iconic imagery of Star Wars being asked to continue on with the franchise is just that: a promise, and a vague one that Struzan isn’t exactly thrilled about. But it does suggest, again, that Disney is taking the job of preserving the Star Wars legacy very seriously, in case you were maybe concerned that they’d just slap some random lasers and robots on it and call it a day.

As someone whose well-documented nostalgic tendencies are …well…documented, and whose obsessions with all thing Sci-Fi Cinematic will doubtless lead me to expend vast swaths of time and bottomless reserves of emotional capital upon Disney’s upcoming sequels, the chance that its posters may find their way into such capable hands as his is an invaluable one. With Struzan (maybe, safely) in the fold, I can turn my attentions to the next thinly-sourced SW rumor that wafts past. Energy conservation is key; there’s no way I’m making it all the way to 2015 without it.

Also, yes. Struzan’s been making SW posters longer than I’ve been.

Amazing. The Force is surely strong with that one.

Image Credit: Drew Struzan by Drew Struzan