Hey Policrat,Cryo,Tilson,CPi,HpyBtchr
Ascmjk
negleted subject: Star Wars Poster Art.
A few years ago I posted a question regarding the artist responsible for the
original Star Wars poster from 1977. Someone identified the artist as Tom Jung.
Now that I had his name, I was sure there would be all kinds of info about him
on the internet. After all, this was the man who painted the greatest, most
indelible poster in Star Wars history. The poster is arguably the most
recognizable of *all* movie posters. So I wanted to know the story behind the
making of the poster.
Shockingly, there is almost zero info on the web about the artist Tom Jung. No
interviews. He doesn't have his own website, nor are there any websites which
tell anything about him at all (his background, how he was chosen to paint the
poster, etc). Equally shocking, there is zero interest in Tom Jung. Virtually
no discussion of his work on Usenet. No one seems to care who this great artist
is, or care about the story behind his masterpiece.
Because that's what the 1977 Star Wars movie poster is: a masterpiece.
The Force.Net has a small article about the poster and an informative quote by
Jung from an old magazine article. He mentions that Carrie Fischers mom loved
the painting so much, she had him paint a duplicate for her. The original
painting hangs somewhere in the Skywalker Ranch. But apart from this one quote,
I can't find anything else. Any info would be appreciated.
As for the people I mentioned in the subject line, what do you think of the Tom
Jung poster? Is it engrained in your hearts and minds? The definitive abstract
representation of the soul of the film? For me, it is. I'd like your thoughts.
Unfortunately, Jung's other Star Wars art never quite measured up to his
original masterpiece (at least IMO). Some say the same of Lucas himself.
Certainly Jung wasn't hired to do any work at all on the prequels, that I'm
aware of. While Drew Struzan is a fine artist (his personal masterpiece being
the first Back to the Future poster IMO), none of his Star Wars art comes close
to matching the evocative power of the '77 Jung.
Jung, unlike Struzan, wasn't striving for realism. He was making art, not
photographs. I want the story behind the masterpiece. Is Tom Jung still alive?
On a side note, the cover to the original Star Wars novel is also interesting.
Like the Jung Poster (which it predates) it features the Darth Vader head with
Luke standing in the lower righthand corner. It was early conceptual art by
Ralph Mcqaurrie. This is a rare book to find, released a year or so before the
movie-tie in. The title was "Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker".
We all know of course that while Lucas is credited as the author, it was
actually written by Alan Dean Foster.
Steve...@rightbehindyou.com
> As for the people I mentioned in the subject line, what do you think of
> the Tom Jung poster? Is it engrained in your hearts and minds? The
> definitive abstract representation of the soul of the film? For me, it
> is. I'd like your thoughts.
My very first exposure to Star Wars was the TIME magazine cover photo of
C3PO in 1977. Soon after, I saw that poster.
That poster is probably *the* image I best recall from 1977-1978. I was
living in Mexico at the time, but it was all over the place, even there.
It was posted outside dingy theaters showing the film, and there were guys
in the open-air markets wearing the T-shirts.
I was seven. I hadn't heard anything about the plot of the movie, or who
the people were in the picture. I assumed the guy holding the bright
star-like thing was the good guy, and the girl in front of him was his
girlfriend, and that big skull-like face behind them was the bad guy... but
was he a robot? And if he was a robot, were those two robots in the lower
right corner his henchmen? And what was that moon-thing, and those
spaceships on the left? Good guys or bad guys?
But whatever was happening, and whoever these people were, it was obvious
the movie was great, epic, amazing, powerful, and tremendously exciting.
It's still my favorite movie poster of all time. No, Jung's other work
wasn't as good... but then, what could be? (And of course, the prequel
posters, though good, pale in comparison.)
And yes, I'd have to agree it's the definitive abstract expression of the
movie's spirit.
Steve Tilson
--
"How many more, Harry?" said Dumbledore, eyes puddling with tears. "How
many more have to be buried before your thirst for vengeance is satisfied?"
- www.pointlesswasteoftime.com
C'Pi
Ditto.
(not really, but my name was mentioned and I felt I needed to say something)
--
C'Pi
Political power grows out of a barrel of monkeys.
Simon Lee
out:
> I wanted to get the opinions of the oldtimers/regulars of this group
> on a negleted subject: Star Wars Poster Art.
Wow, I sense on-topicness :)
> A few years ago I posted a question regarding the artist responsible
> for the original Star Wars poster from 1977. Someone identified the
> artist as Tom Jung. Now that I had his name, I was sure there would be
> all kinds of info about him on the internet. After all, this was the
> man who painted the greatest, most indelible poster in Star Wars
> history. The poster is arguably the most recognizable of *all* movie
> posters. So I wanted to know the story behind the making of the
> poster.
>
> Shockingly, there is almost zero info on the web about the artist Tom
> Jung. No interviews. He doesn't have his own website, nor are there
> any websites which tell anything about him at all (his background, how
> he was chosen to paint the poster, etc). Equally shocking, there is
> zero interest in Tom Jung. Virtually no discussion of his work on
> Usenet. No one seems to care who this great artist is, or care about
> the story behind his masterpiece.
Google finds a few other poster credits for him. As far as the
rest of Tom Jung's life and career is concerned, having made what might
be the most famous movie poster of all time doesn't mean he has to have a
website...
> Because that's what the 1977 Star Wars movie poster is: a masterpiece.
>
> The Force.Net has a small article about the poster and an informative
> quote by Jung from an old magazine article. He mentions that Carrie
> Fischers mom loved the painting so much, she had him paint a duplicate
> for her. The original painting hangs somewhere in the Skywalker Ranch.
> But apart from this one quote, I can't find anything else. Any info
> would be appreciated.
>
> As for the people I mentioned in the subject line, what do you think
> of the Tom Jung poster? Is it engrained in your hearts and minds? The
> definitive abstract representation of the soul of the film? For me, it
> is. I'd like your thoughts.
I think it's a very good poster compositionally and is nicely
symbolic of the movie. It's not as tied in with the movie for me as I
was but a wee tyke in the late '70s and early '80s; the posters I saw
tended to be more of the regular-merchandise stuff. I also like
Chantrell's campy but also eye-catching offering and Struzan's re-release
poster (Style D).
> Unfortunately, Jung's other Star Wars art never quite measured up to
> his original masterpiece (at least IMO). Some say the same of Lucas
> himself. Certainly Jung wasn't hired to do any work at all on the
> prequels, that I'm aware of.
The covers for the Heir to the Empire trilogy aren't that exciting,
no.
> While Drew Struzan is a fine artist (his
> personal masterpiece being the first Back to the Future poster IMO),
> none of his Star Wars art comes close to matching the evocative power
> of the '77 Jung.
...or most of the OT poster art, really. Though at least LFL
encourages a decent effort and doesn't produce the bland stuff that most
contemporary movie posters are made of.
> Jung, unlike Struzan, wasn't striving for realism. He was making art,
> not photographs. I want the story behind the masterpiece. Is Tom Jung
> still alive?
Last web reference is for the '93 cover of The Last Command...
> On a side note, the cover to the original Star Wars novel is also
> interesting. Like the Jung Poster (which it predates) it features the
> Darth Vader head with Luke standing in the lower righthand corner. It
> was early conceptual art by Ralph Mcqaurrie. This is a rare book to
> find, released a year or so before the movie-tie in. The title was
> "Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker". We all know of
> course that while Lucas is credited as the author, it was actually
> written by Alan Dean Foster.
--
__ A L L D O N E! B Y E B Y E!
(__ * _ _ _ _
__)|| | |(_)| \ "...and then, the squirrels attacked."
Cryofax
news:bobbhd$1cnlf7$1...@ID-111793.news.uni-berlin.de...
Double Ditto... Seems we were all living in Mexico at this time...
- Cryo
Steve...@rightbehindyou.com
But I recall
All of them nights down in Mexico
One place I may never go
In my life again
Was I off somewhere
Or maybe just to high
But I can't remember
If we said good-bye
I don't know if Steve Earle ever recorded that song, but I love Emmy Lou
Harris's version.
HppyButchr
claims very little fame. ( i say this not to belittle him, but rather to mock
such living famour artists who's "art" is nothing more than cheap tricks, or
eye popping stunts: Cristo, I'm looking your way) At most, he probably has a
gallery somewhere, and a rather modest life, and is pleased or displeased with
his one -major- mainstream achievment.
Keep in mind when that art was commisioned, Star Wars was nothing, it was a
gamble turned down by almost every major studio of the day. Jung was probably
a friend of a friend on the project (one would assume of McQuarrie's) and as
such was commisioned.
It is deffinitly among the most iconic images in all of film pop art, aa is
evident simply by how many times its been parodied.
Theres my two cents, sorry if I insulted any starving artists out there, but my
bellies just recently stopped rumbling, so let me enjoy my success :)
~Jeremy
The Happy Butcher
Bill Anderson
> my
> bellies just recently stopped rumbling,
I hesitate to ask, but ... how many do you have?
--
Bill Anderson
I am the Mighty Favog
David B.
It's all about you C'Pi, ain't it?
C'Pi
Of course. Who else could it possibly be about?
Lefty Skywalker
> Is Tom Jung still alive?
A quick Google shows he did a cover for a Star Wars RPG expansion in 1996.
I'd argue that the movie being sold by the poster isn't exactly the
movie we got.
--
Daniel O. Miller
"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the
fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true
science. Whosoever does not know it and can no longer marvel, is as good
as dead, and his eyes are dimmed." - Albert Einstein
WWYD?
(hotmail addy is a red herring; I'm at em see aych ess aye)
Bill Anderson
> Ascmjk wrote:
>
>> Is Tom Jung still alive?
>
>
> A quick Google shows he did a cover for a Star Wars RPG expansion in 1996.
>
> I'd argue that the movie being sold by the poster isn't exactly the
> movie we got.
>
I knew you must be talking about Leia's thighs, cause I remembered that
part, but just to be sure I Googled the poster and had a look. Leia was
pretty much as I remembered her, but I'd forgotten Mark Hamill had the
torso of a governor. I'd also forgotten (or never noticed) his left
leg. What's the deal with his robot leg and platform shoe?
http://tinylink.com/?DL8u3bkSUT
Lefty Skywalker
It's a leftover from the stormtrooper armor, like the belt. I don't
remember whether he was still wearing it in the movie...
Notice that the people portrayed are Luke and Leia, but not
necessarially Mark and Carrie...
HppyButchr
>
>--
>Bill Anderson
Several Bill. Several.
~Jeremy
The Happy Butcher
(and only three are animatronic)
David B.
Not Fritzy.
C'Pi
No. Not Fritzy.
David B.
What about Sandman?
C'Pi
I think it's all about the Benjamin's.
David B.
Ben Dover?
C'Pi
Cheeky. And yet quite profound.
David B.
*blush*
The Emperor's Middle Finger
wrote:
Skywalker's shiny disco pants have no place in this galaxy. The Princess however
was better off wearing boots.
Policrat
asc...@aol.com wrote on 5/11/03 4:23 pm:
> I wanted to get the opinions of the oldtimers/regulars of this group on a
> negleted subject: Star Wars Poster Art.
Yep, the Jung poster is iconic, IMHO. Partially *because* it came so early
in the production, and looks so *different* in many ways from the film
itself, while capturing its spirit perfectly. And there's something about
his Thrawn Trilogy stuff, too, IMHO... even if they look as though they were
painted at that size...
Drew Struzan I don't mind as a SW novel cover artist... but for big posters,
hmm...
Pol'