John Alvin - Legends of Movie Poster Art vol.4

A tribute to one of the great movie poster artists.

John Alvin was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts in 1948. As a child Alvin would always be staring at movie posters in newspapers and billboards, fascinated by the imagery.

After graduating from the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design he found jobs working as a freelance artist.

In 1974 while working at an animation studio a friend asked if he wanted to work on a movie poster for a new Mel Brooks comedy titled Blazing Saddles.

Alvin designed a striking, colourful poster for the film which pleased Mel Brooks and he was asked to design the poster for his next comedy Young Frankenstein.

More poster work was to come, including Blade Runner, Gremlins, Cocoon, Star Trek VI, Willow, Empire of the Sun, Batman Returns, The Princess Bride and Always.

One of Alvin's iconic posters was for Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extraterrestrial featuring a riff on the famous Michelangelo painting of God and Adam, the poster shows ET and Elliot’s fingers coming together glowing at the touch.

The poster won a Saturn award for Best Poster art in 1983.

Poster art became a full time job for Alvin, he was also hired by Disney studios and provided poster artwork for Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Mulan, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King, Enchanted and many more.

Over three decades Alvin designed posters for more than 130 movies. His work has been displayed in several art galleries around the U.S.

Sadly John Alvin suffered a fatal heart attack in February 2008, he was 59. He is survived by his wife Andrea and daughter Farah.

Selected poster filmography –

1974 – Blazing Saddles
1974 – Young Frankenstein
1974 – Phantom of the Paradise
1976 – Silent Movie
1977 – High Anxiety
1977 – Star Wars (10th Anniversary)
1979 – Alien (15th Anniversary)
1979 – 10

1980 – Star Wars V The Empire Strikes Back
1981 – History of the World p.1
1982 – My Favourite Year
1982 – The Verdict
1982 – ET The Extraterrestrial
1982 – Blade Runner
1982 – Victor Victoria
1983 – Deal of the Century
1983 – Star Wars VI Return of the Jedi
1984 – Red Dawn
1984 - Gremlins
1985 – Cocoon
1985 – Legend
1985 – The Goonies
1985 – The Color Purple
1985 – Spies Like Us
1986 – Short Circuit
1986 – The Golden Child
1986 – Running Scared
1986 – Cobra
1986 – Raw Deal
1987 – Spaceballs
1987 – The Princess Bride
1987 – Project X
1987 - InnerSpace
1987 – The Lost Boys
1987 – Empire of the Sun
1988 – Willow
1989 – Always
1989 – Leviathan
1989 – The Little Mermaid

1990 – Darkman
1990 - Flatliners
1990 – Joe vs The Volcano
1990 – Arachnophobia
1990 – Rescuers Down Under
1991 – Cape Fear
1991 – City Slickers
1991 – Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country
1991 – Hook
1991 – Beauty and the Beast
1992 - Aladdin
1992 – Batman Returns
1992 - Newsies
1992 – Christopher Columbus the Discovery
1993 – The Three Musketeers
1994 – The Lion King
1995 – Batman Forever
1996 – Hunchback of Notre Dame
1997 – Hercules
1998 - Mulan
2007 - Enchanted