Greg Hildebrandt, born in January 1939 and regarded as one of the greatest entertainment artists of the 20th century, sadly passed away last week. You might not know him by name, but you absolutely know him for his work.
During a decades-long partnership with his twin brother Tim, Greg helped produce famous pieces for everything from Marvel to Lord of the Rings to Dungeons & Dragons to metal album covers.
The Hildebrandts are perhaps best known, though, for their work in movies, and in particular their iconic Star Wars theatrical poster, featuring Luke and Leia in a heroic pose while Vader looms menacingly behind them.
If you've ever thought Leia doesn't look much like Carrie Fisher here, that's because she was never supposed to: Greg's first wife Diana Stankowski was the model for the painting, which the pair produced in a "feverish" 36 hours against a tight deadline.
And if you're thinking this sure looks like that other Star Wars theatrical painting, that's because it’s the second of three "types" of posters commissioned by Lucasfilm for the majority of A New Hope's global releases. It followed Tom Jung's original, and was itself followed by Tom Chantrell's piece (which you might also recognise as the cover art for Super Star Wars on the SNES).
Greg died last week after battling "serious" side effects linked to his heart medication. Tim passed away in June 2006.
