Roger Kastel is a brilliant example of an artist being less famous than the image he created. Plenty of people who have never heard his name could draw the basic idea of Jaws from memory.
Kastel originally painted the shark rising towards a swimmer for the paperback edition of Peter Benchley’s Jaws. Universal liked the image enough to acquire the right to use it for Steven Spielberg’s film campaign, and it became one of the most recognisable pieces of movie advertising ever made. It is brutally simple: water, swimmer, shark, title. Nothing is wasted.
From Jaws to Empire
Five years later he created another collector favourite for The Empire Strikes Back. Usually referred to as the ‘Gone With the Wind’ style, the composition gave Star Wars a sweeping romantic quality while still feeling unmistakably like the darker second film. For somebody associated with only a handful of truly famous movie campaigns, having Jaws and Empire on the same CV is fairly ridiculous.
We particularly like Kastel because his work leads straight into the details that make movie-poster collecting interesting. The same Jaws artwork appears across different countries and formats; Empire has several theatrical designs and issues; and a familiar image is not enough to identify a poster.
His wider career included book-cover and commercial illustration, with more than a thousand illustrations estimated across his working life. But for poster collectors, two paintings are enough to make his name permanent.
Poster Spotlight
Jaws
The image that needs no introduction — swimmer, shark and title, painted for the paperback before Universal acquired it for the film.
Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back
The 'Gone With the Wind' style Kastel composition, giving Empire a sweeping, romantic quality distinct from the original Star Wars campaign.
A Note for Collectors
Jaws and The Empire Strikes Back are heavily reproduced. Compare the exact country, dimensions, release, printer/distributor information and known issue characteristics rather than authenticating from the artwork alone.
Common formats to expect
Both titles were released internationally in multiple formats and countries, sometimes with different artwork entirely. See our Poster Sizes & Formats guide for how US, UK and continental European formats differ.
Explore More
Browse our Movie Posters collection, or continue with Tom Jung, another artist behind the original Star Wars campaigns.
Original Posters by Roger Kastel
A live look at Roger Kastel posters currently in the Printed Originals collection.
