A salute to an artistic superstar — who has died at the age of 78…
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UPDATED 10/14/25: Word came Tuesday that the great illustrator Drew Struzan died Monday at the age of 78. Jim Beard wrote a terrific piece spotlighting 13 BRILLIANT MOVIE POSTERS by the artist, which you should check out here. But it’s also the perfect time to reprint this March 2022 piece about my own favorite Struzan work. — Dan
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One of my most treasured Batman collectibles growing up was Thought Factory’s 1977 Batman poster. I don’t recall exactly where I first saw it, but I do remember being absolutely knocked out by it — and desperate to have it on my wall.
“This,” I said to myself, “is what Batman would look like if he really existed.”
It took awhile to get my hands on one, but once I did, the poster hung on my bedroom wall for years. I didn’t know it at the time but the artist was the great Drew Struzan, best known for his fabulous one-sheets for little flicks like, oh, Star Wars, Blade Runner, E.T., two Indiana Jones installments and many, many more. (He also did a bunch of other superhero posters for Thought Factory.)
Anyway, Struzan was born 75 years ago on March 18, 1947, and as I was rooting around for a birthday tribute, I happened upon a preliminary sketch for that gorgeous Batman poster. It was sold at auction back in 2017 via ComicLink and you can click here for the groovy details.
But what you really want to see is the sketch itself, right? Right.
Feast your eyes on this:
The most interesting change between the two versions is the bottom panel: The sketch features a reversed image from 1969’s Detective Comics #395, presumably traced by Struzan. The final version is a variation on the concept. Adams has long been credited as the panel’s artist, but I’m not entirely clear whether he redrew it or what.
If any of you eagle-eyed Batfans have the lowdown, add it in the comments!
Far out.
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MORE
— 13 BRILLIANT MOVIE POSTERS: A DREW STRUZAN Birthday Celebration. Click here.
— A BATMAN THANKSGIVING: A Poster, a Costume and a Brother’s Love. Click here.
March 18, 2022
I have that poster somewhere too. It looks like he increased the length of the Bat ears between the sketch and the painting. Great choice!
March 18, 2022
Amazing Batman artwork! whoever this artist was, he sure knew his stuff, and I also owned this poster back in 1979, and I lost it, but I’m thinking about rebuying it back into my special collection, but unquestionably superior artwork of THE BATMAN!
March 19, 2022
I loved those posters. As a kid, I saw several of them in a store somewhere and wanted all of them. I didn’t know Struzan, a really cool movie poster artist, was behind them.
March 19, 2022
The bottom panel is a montage of Adams’ figures from different comics except for one figure that is not his. It may be Irv Novick’s. I don’t recall. Sadly, when Neal is asked to autograph this poster, he often signs it over Stuzan’s panel rather than his own. Pretty tacky on Neal’s part. Struzan did a very Leyendeckeresque painting of Superman for this poster series, but it was greatly reworked by another artist. He did a sketch for the Spider-Man poster that wasn’t used. The Batman poster was the only one that used Struzan’s original art. Even it was later edited with the ears on the cowl shortened and a ray of light added to turn the Batman logo into the Bat Signal. The logo was altered as well.
March 19, 2022
Thanks, Chris!
March 19, 2022
I definitely remember seeing a Capt. Marvel/Shazam one as a kid and I think there was a Superman one also. Some Marvel characters too (Hulk & Capt. America).
March 20, 2022
Happy belated birthday to Mr. Struzan. That “Batman” piece he did is pretty astounding.
March 18, 2023
Uhmmmmm, how did I live through the entire 70s (and beyond) and not know about this poster????
March 20, 2023
I own a reprint this poster. The original I purchased in the seventies is lost to time. To me, this is a canon Batman piece of art. An essential must-have.
March 20, 2023
Absolutely, Rick. 100 percent.
October 15, 2025
I think the Batman figure in the bottom panel of the final poster was taken from DETECTIVE COMICS #402 page 8. The other figures look familiar, but I can’t quite place them.
October 16, 2025
Agreed. The figure on the right with the flashlight is from the same issue, top of page 2.
October 17, 2025
I remember seeing this poster as a kid. I was visiting the Paramus Mall in Paramus, New Jersey. I remember just being stunned. I must’ve been about 10 years old. I never wanted a poster more than I wanted that one. I thought it was just gorgeous.
Now I look at it and think how Drew Struzan set events in motion so we could have Alex Ross!