Drew Struzan interview - Page 3 of 3 THE CHALLENGE
ES: What would you say has been the most challenging cover you've had to paint?
DS: Well, you know, people always ask that kind of question of an artist. I don't know how other guys answer it (laughing). The challenge isn't like: "Gee, that's hard to do." From an artistic standpoint, I'm an artist. That's just my job. The hard part is in the conception. Thinking up a new design, or a new composition that emits the right kind of emotion and yet isn't redundant from
ES: What
would you say has been the most challenging cover you've had to paint?
DS: Well, you know, people always ask that kind of question of an artist. I don't know how other guys answer it (laughing). The challenge isn't like: "Gee, that's hard to do." From an artistic standpoint, I'm an artist. That's just my job. The hard part is in the conception. Thinking up a new design, or a new composition that emits the right kind of emotion and yet isn't redundant from everything else you've done.
The latest one that was difficult that comes to mind is just this week I've finished doing the third poster for the "Special Edition." I did three posters for each of the movies, but I only had a week apiece to design them and paint them, which is hardly any time at all for such big projects. I mean, here are some paintings that are going to become classical images because they're from the Star Wars: Special Editions, you know? Here's three new paintings that nobody's seen before, and people are telling me that a lot of the movie theaters won't even put them out even though that's what they were designed for because somebody steals them! (Laughing) They're falling victim to fans already.
That was very difficult, because I did it through Hanukah, and Christmas and New Years and I didn't have a day or an evening or a weekend off for a solid month. That's all I did was paint these things to get them out on time, because at the very last minute, after a years worth of people submitting ideas, they didn't do anything George liked. So at the last minute he said; "Forget it, just have Drew paint them!" (Laughing) That's where the only difficult part of my job lies, because art I love. It's too hard a job to do if you didn't love it, and if it was always hard, you'd quit because it would drive you crazy. So the art part is fun, I enjoy it very much. If it makes people happy then it makes me happy.
ES: You stated that you had only a week each to complete the "Special Edition" posters, but how long does it usually take to finish a novel cover?
DS: Well, usually Bantam will give me a month to fit it in to my schedule, so their deadlines aren't really difficult. I juggle a lot of work to keep busy, because I don't have a 9 to 5 job. I have to continuously fill my schedule with things to do, and because it's not like fixing a car, where I know it takes this long to put a muffler on. It's more of a creative endeavor and I'm never quite sure how long it'll take. I'm always juggling jobs, and if they give me a month to get it done I'll try and finish up a couple of jobs and fit it in, then get it done and move on to another job.
ES: What is your favorite cover?
DS: I don't have a favorite piece (laughing). I don't have a favorite child either, you know? (Laughing) I do all I can do on each one and make each one as good as it can be. Each one is a little different. They're kind of like children, you love them all and appreciate them for what they are.
ES: What kinds of things influenced you in your childhood and made you want to become an artist?
DS: Gee, I don't know. It wasn't that I had any encouragement or anything. Probably because, more than anything else, I just had the talent to do it, because it was something I could do. You find something that you like to do, and you can do well, and you pursue that. It was that natural gift that was my greatest encouragement because I came out of poverty and a family that didn't particularly either understand or appreciate the talent. It's not that they cared about it, just that I enjoyed it more than anything else.
ES: Artistically, who are some of the people you look up to as influences on your painting?
DS: Well yeah, about 6000 years of history of great artists (laughing). I think if you want to be good you have to look at the best. From the time I was a child I drew and painted and copied the great masters, which is the classical way of doing it. I spent a lot of time looking at books and going to museums and painting and drawing all my life. From each person you learn something, and all the artists that have come before have changed minds and opened doors to possibilities of communicating and finding new ways of doing art. So the more you know about them, the more you're free to express yourself. You don't have to walk the path that's already been done by somebody else. You can begin where they left off. I look at absolutely everybody. I don't a favorite artist anymore than I have a favorite painting of my own. I like each one of them for what they've brought. I learn from them, because I'm more interested than the normal person.
ES: What's a typical workday like for Drew Struzan?
DS: (Laughing) Once again, there's nothing typical about it because I'm a freelance artist, so everyday brings it's own surprises. I don't really have a job. I don't have a guaranteed income, so I have to advertise and promote, and be seen and heard so that people know I'm alive and looking for work. Phone calls come in from all around the world saying "do you want to do this job?" "Are you available?" "Can we afford you?" (laughing). And my questions are: "when do you need it?" and I have meetings you know, all the fun stuff. I go to movie studios, see films, and talk to directors. I meet with people and talk about their ideas. I do all kinds of jobs.
When I actually work my studio is in my home, actually a building in my back yard. I walk across the lawn and go to work (laughing). All day long I'm talking on the phone, trying to do business, and with the other hand, trying to create paintings. It's varied as far as what I do, from hunting for costumes or mining equipment, to looking for models of spaceships, and trying to meet people who can supply them for me. I do photo sessions of models, and I paint. I just stand in front of an easel, and that will take hours and hours and hours. Because I work at home, I probably work longer than the normal person.
ES: Do you consider yourself a Star Wars fan? Have you read any of the novels you've painted covers for?
DS: No, never read a book (laughing). I don't read. I'll see the movie. I've seen them a lot, but I don't actually read the books.
ES: How do you feel about the changes made to the Star Wars films in the Special Editions?
DS: Umm I don't know, I haven't seen it so it's a little hard to have an opinion. I think we always wanted him (George Lucas) to clean up the special effects so we couldn't see the "traveling mattes" behind the starships (laughing).
ES: Or the "vasoline blobs" under the landspeeder.
DS: (Laughing) Yeah, exactly. So, he supposedly has fixed all that with the better technology, and improved the sound with THX, stuff they just didn't have back in the '70's. I guess the jury's out on the scene changes and the additional stuff. I don't know if you can change a classic, or if people will be accepting of it, but there's obviously a whole new generation of people out there who haven't seen it in the theaters. I think it'll turn out to be a really neat experience.
ES: If Lucasfilm called you tomorrow and asked you to paint the posters for the upcoming Star Wars "Prequels" what would you say?
DS: Sure, of course I would! (laughing)
ES: Have they?
DS: No, no. Like I told you, that's the last thing they do. These films are along way off from even being filmed. I don't even know if they've cast the characters yet.
ES: Finally, where do you see Drew Struzan in 20 years?
DS: (Laughing) I don't know where I'm going to be. I'm always going to be an artist of some kind, and that changes every day too. I'm starting to do a lot of limited edition prints now, and a lot of the Star Wars work is being turned into limited edition art prints. The things are becoming, you know, a real note on our culture. They're very collectible because they speak to our generation. It's what we like. Other generations like the art of their generation and we like the art of our generation. It's not just the subject matter we like, but the way they're painted. It's become the way the way see things, so they're becoming very collectible and very valuable I think. A lot of what I'm going to be doing is making classic pieces of art and reproducing the ones I've already done and making them more available to people.
(Jeff Carter is ECHO STATION's
resident Bounty Hunter/Interviewer, so if you have any professional association with any
aspect of Star Wars, no matter how obscure, expect a call, card or Email soon!)
Fetching Results...
