A great name in the history of cinema is no longer with us...
ADVERTISEMENTAcclaimed illustrator Roger Kastel, the creator of one of some of the most iconic posters in movie history, has died at the age of 92.
He died on Wednesday (15 November) in Worcester County, Massachusetts, according to a statement shared on his official website.
One of the artist’s most famous pieces is the poster for Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, with its bullet-shaped Great White shark.
Born on 11 June 1931, in White Plains, New York, Kastel studied at the Arts Students League in New York City, and became a freelance artist after a stint in the Navy during the Korean War.
He produced over 1,000 illustrations for various publishers and novels - John Steinbeck’s "East of Eden" and W.G Wells’ "The Invisible Man" being two notable examples.
As well as the iconic Jaws poster, he made posters for other famous movies — including Doctor Faustus, The Great Train Robbery, and The Empire Strikes Back.
Movie poster artist Drew Struzan paid tribute to Kastel on X, writing: “We lost another creative brother ... Roger Kastel who gave us the iconic Jaws poster among other wonderful pieces of art.”
Kastel was a longtime member of the Society of Illustrators, and his work was recognized in the books "200 Years of American Illustration" and "The Illustrator in America: 1860-2000".
He is survived by his wife Grace of 66 years, his daughter Beth Krebs and her husband Michael and his son Matthew Kastel and his wife Karen. Kastel was the grandfather of Jessica and Glen Krebs and Luke and Grant Kastel, as well as his great-grandson Liam Kirk-Krebs.
In lieu of flowers, his family has requested donations to The Artists’ Fellowship, Inc., a charitable organization that assists professional artists in times of emergency, disability or bereavement.
