Well, kind of a bummer of a “first post” but Wednesday, movie poster artist John Alvin passed away at the age of 59.

Movie poster artists are, like many voice actors, unsung heroes. Their work is often instantly recognizable, yet most people never know their names or faces. I myself had never heard of John Alvin’s name until I read this story, but I certainly knew his work, which included posters for films such as Blade Runner, Gremlins, Blazing Saddles, The Color Purple, Young Frankenstien, Arachnophobia, Cocoon, E.T., The Lost Boys, The Princess Bride, Willow, InnerSpace, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and many, many others.

In addition to his huge success as a movie poster artist, Alvin also created many original artworks based on popular pop culture properties such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

You can learn more about Alvin and his legacy of artwork at the following sites:

The John Alvin Fan Site
Official John Alvin Site
John Alvin’s Wikipedia Entry