The Star Wars poster most often meant by “the original” is Tom Jung’s 1977 Style A theatrical design: Luke and Leia dominate the foreground, with Darth Vader looming behind them. But another image reached audiences early—the vivid blue campaign artwork by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt. The two posters served different purposes, and their separate timelines explain why memories of the film’s first advertising can point to different images.
Who designed the original Star Wars poster?
Tom Jung designed and painted the image known as the Style A poster for the 1977 theatrical release of Star Wars. Lucasfilm describes it as the famous first theatrical artwork poster, now an icon known around the world. Its central composition places Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in front of a towering Darth Vader. Lucasfilm’s history of the Style A poster identifies Jung as its artist.
“Original poster” can mean either this release design or an earlier campaign image. The distinction matters: Jung’s painting was the design ultimately used as the film’s release poster, but the Hildebrandt brothers’ separate blue artwork appeared widely in early promotion.
Why are there different original Star Wars posters?
| Poster | Purpose | Visual approach | Documented circulation and timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Jung, Style A | The theatrical release poster | Luke and Leia in the foreground, with Vader looming behind them | Lucasfilm’s archive identifies July 27, 1977, as the earliest dated public image it has found of the finished poster. The underlying painting appeared in newspaper advertisements earlier, according to the Associated Press. |
| Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, blue campaign artwork | Early promotional art | A vivid blue, more fanciful illustration | Lucasfilm says it appeared on early campaign materials including T-shirts, buttons, pin-up posters and newspaper ads. The brothers completed it in 36 hours, according to Lucasfilm. |
Lucasfilm’s account says the Hildebrandts had already included R2-D2 and C-3PO in their composition when 20th Century Fox marketers requested the droids for Jung’s artwork. Jung was unavailable, so comic artist Nick Cardy added them before the poster went to press. Lucasfilm’s poster history records the change.
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What do the dates tell us about the poster’s debut?
Three dates describe different milestones, not a single premiere of the finished poster. Lucasfilm gives May 25, 1977, as the film’s release date. The Associated Press reports that Jung’s original painting first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, before the opening. Separately, Lucasfilm’s archive identifies July 27 as the earliest dated public image it has found of the finished Style A poster. Lucasfilm’s author says the finished poster may not have been available on opening day, while noting that the Hildebrandt artwork had appeared in early newspaper ads and retail posters. The Associated Press account and Lucasfilm’s archive history describe these separate uses.
What details did Lucasfilm note in Jung’s artwork?
- Luke wears shin guards that resemble Vader’s boots.
- Leia holds a blaster resembling Han Solo’s DL-44.
- The triangular pose formed by Luke and Leia may have originated in another Jung artwork, created for the program book and half-sheet poster.
- In newspaper advertisements beginning in late August 1977, Leia’s left leg was hidden.
These are details Lucasfilm points out in its article on the Style A poster; they are not evidence that every print or advertisement used an identical image.
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How does the 1978 Circus Poster fit in?
Drew Struzan’s well-known “Circus” poster is a later re-release design from 1978, not Jung’s original 1977 Style A theatrical poster. The distinction is easy to lose when both are described broadly as classic Star Wars posters. Lucasfilm’s history of Struzan’s Star Wars poster art covers his later work. George Lucas praised Struzan’s illustrations for capturing the excitement, tone and spirit of the films they represented; that comment concerns Struzan’s work, not Jung’s 1977 image.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to Jung’s original painting?
The original acrylic-and-airbrush painting sold for $3.875 million in December 2025, according to the Associated Press. The AP attributed the characterization of the sale as a record to Heritage Auctions’ Charles Epting. That figure is the result for this particular original at that auction, not a typical value or current asking price for Star Wars posters. The Associated Press reported the sale and its price.
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