In a small, home-run video rental store in Abaco, Bahamas, a young Haitian boy would lose himself in a world of wonder. The shelves were lined with VHS tapes, each a portal to another reality. But before the movie even began, the magic started with the cover art. For this boy, and for millions like him around the world, the art of Drew Struzan was the key that unlocked the door to imagination.

Drew Struzan, the master illustrator who passed away on October 13, 2025, was more than just a movie poster artist. He was a storyteller, a dream-weaver, a man who could capture the entire emotional arc of a film in a single, breathtaking image. His work, which graced the posters of over 150 films, including the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Back to the Future franchises, was a beacon of anxious anticipation for anyone who ever felt the pull of the silver screen.

While there is little in the public record about Drew Struzan's personal views on race and diversity, the universal appeal of his work speaks volumes. His art transcended cultural and racial boundaries, speaking a language that everyone, from a boy in the Bahamas to a girl in Beijing, could understand. It was a language of heroism, of adventure, of the eternal struggle between light and dark. It was the language of dreams.

Struzan's genius lay in his ability to distill the essence of a film into a single, emotionally charged image. He famously said, "I wasn't looking to tell a story. I'm looking to give a person a feeling about something they could hope for." This philosophy of creating "openended" compositions allowed viewers to project their own hopes and dreams onto his
work. His posters were not just advertisements; they were invitations. They invited us to become part of the story, to see ourselves in the heroes he so masterfully rendered.

For the young Haitian boy in Abaco, Struzan's posters were a window into a world of possibilities. In a place where his own reality was often constrained, these images offered a glimpse of something more. The heroic visage of Indiana Jones, the futuristic gleam of the DeLorean, the epic sweep of the Star Wars saga – these were not just pictures on a video box. They were promises of adventure, of courage, of a universe where anything was possible.

Struzan's art was a testament to the power of visual storytelling. He understood that the most powerful stories are the ones that tap into our shared humanity. His characters, whether they were adventuring archaeologists, time-traveling teenagers, or Jedi knights, were always imbued with a sense of vulnerability and determination that made them relatable to all. He captured the humanity in the superhuman, the ordinary in the extraordinary.

In a world that is often divided by lines of race, culture, and creed, Drew Struzan's work stands as a powerful reminder of what unites us. His art is a celebration of the human spirit, of our capacity for wonder, and of our timeless fascination with stories. He may have left this world, but the dreams he painted will live on forever, inspiring new generations of dreamers in every corner of the globe.

So, the next time you see a classic movie poster, take a closer look. You might just see more than just a piece of marketing. You might see a masterpiece of storytelling. You might see the work of a man who, with a stroke of his brush, could paint our dreams.

In memory of Drew Struzan (1947-2025), whose art touched hearts across every boundary and continues to inspire wonder in all who encounter it.