Renowned artist Greg Hildebrandt dies at 85, leaving iconic art legacy
Greg Hildebrandt, a renowned artist known for his work on films such as "Star Wars" and "Clash of the Titans," as well as calendar illustrations based on Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," has died at the age of 85.
Hildebrandt passed away in Denville, New Jersey, after several months battling the side effects of heart medication, his son, Greg Jr., announced online.
Hildebrandt gained fame, among other things, for creating movie posters with his late twin brother, Tim. Together, they created the famous "Style B" poster for the British version of George Lucas's "Star Wars" from 1977.
Greg and Tim were born on January 23, 1939, in Detroit. They developed a passion for drawing at the age of six, encouraged by their mother to stimulate their imagination. They studied art at the Meinzinger School in Detroit and began their careers at the Jam Handy Organization, creating educational and industrial films.
In 1963, they decided to move to New York to work for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, making documentary films about world hunger. The next breakthrough in their career came with the "Lord of the Rings" calendars published between 1976 and 1978 by Ballantine Books.
After the success of "Star Wars" and "Clash of the Titans" (1981), the brothers decided to work separately. Greg created illustrations for children's books and designed covers for "Heavy Metal" magazine.
In the '90s, he began a series of paintings called "American Beauties"—pin-ups styled after the 1940s and '50s. After years, he returned to collaborate with Tim, creating a collection of Marvel Masterpieces trading cards.
Greg Hildebrandt is dead. This is how his family remembers him
Greg Hildebrandt also worked with Marvel Comics, creating images of characters such as Deadpool, Thor, and Captain America. His work attracted the attention of Michael Jackson, who invited him to his Neverland Ranch.
Greg's family remembers him as a man who led a life full of artistic discipline and strove for perfection in every project he undertook.
