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One Sheet original
"Style D" theatrical poster for the 1977 release of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. It is widely known among collectors as the "Circus" poster because of its unique "wild-posted" design, made to look like it was pasted onto a plywood wall alongside other torn posters.
Poster History & Design
Release: It was created for the summer 1978 re-release of the film to "refresh" the marketing campaign while the movie was still in its initial long theatrical run.
The Artists: The poster was a collaboration between legendary illustrator Drew Struzan and airbrush artist Charles White III. Struzan painted the character portraits, while White handled the ships, droids, and background.
Accidental Style: The "circus" aesthetic was actually a "lucky accident". After completing the main artwork, the artists realized there wasn't enough room for the billing block (the credits at the bottom). To fix this, they expanded the canvas and painted the edges to look like a weathered, peeling poster on a wall to create more space.
Director's Favorite: This specific design is famously one of George Lucas's favorite Star Wars posters. |
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