Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (TCF, 1977), Historic Half Sheet Key Poster Artwork by Tom Jung....

Description

The First Widely Published Promotional Artwork for Star Wars

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (TCF, 1977), Historic Half Sheet Key Poster Artwork by Tom Jung. Heritage Auctions is proud to present, directly from the family of Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz, Tom Jung's original painting for the Star Wars half sheet poster. This remarkable artwork has never been publicly offered and holds a position as one of the most significant Star Wars pieces ever to come to auction. In addition to its usage on the half sheet, this art was also featured on the front cover of the film's original theatrical program, the 24-sheet billboard, and in numerous magazine and newspaper advertisements throughout May and June 1977. Serving as the key art for the film's theatrical release on May 25, 1977, this painting remains one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable pieces of imagery in popular culture.
There is a certain romanticism to the analog heart of Star Wars. Much has been written about the film's groundbreaking special effects, from the smear of grease on the camera lens that blurred the underside of Luke's landspeeder to the revolutionary dogfight finale that redefined cinematic spectacle. This same handmade spirit runs through every creative aspect of the film: Ben Burtt's inventive sound design, John Williams' majestic orchestral score, and Tom Jung's masterful poster artwork.
At a time of rapid technological change in both image and sound, Star Wars could easily have embraced a sleek, futuristic aesthetic; a photographic poster or an electronic score might have seemed more in step with the moment. But therein lies the enduring magic of Star Wars: it was never purely science fiction, but a space fantasy, a space opera, a space western. Introducing the public to this epic with such a complex painting, harkening back to movie posters of decades past, was a bold stylistic gamble, and one that paid off spectacularly.
Though the Frank Frazetta-inspired pairing of Luke and Leia dominates Jung's one sheet artwork, in this horizontal format he opens the Star Wars saga to the viewer in its entirety, reinforcing the multifaceted layers of the story. The heroes, Luke and Leia, are confined to the leftmost edge of the composition, commanding only about a fifth of the image, while the rest of the canvas bursts with energy and drama. The X-wings, mere specks in the one sheet, here roar to life in detailed flight. Darth Vader looms larger and more menacing than ever, and the Death Star is replaced by a searing explosion that lights the composition with thrilling urgency.
Beneath this tableau, Jung adds three cinematic vignettes that deepen the narrative. R2-D2 and C-3PO, consigned to the shadows of the one sheet, now take their rightful place as the audience's eyes and ears. Beside them, Alec Guinness's stoic Ben Kenobi gazes toward the stars alongside a young Luke Skywalker, still the naïve farmboy from Tatooine, as unexpected bands of yellow, brown, and tan subtly evoke the sandy ground of his homeland. And in a bold and unconventional move, Jung includes the triumphant medal ceremony from Yavin IV, the film's closing scene. Far from a spoiler, it is a promise of mythic resolution, an image of triumph that encapsulates the spirit of Star Wars.
While most collectors know this composition simply as the half sheet poster, it was in fact the first widely published promotional artwork for Star Wars. It debuted in newspaper advertisements across the country on Friday, May 13, 1977, and reappeared as a two-page spread on Sunday, May 15. For many Americans, this painting was their very first glimpse of Star Wars, their ambassador to a galaxy far, far away.
So early in the evolution of Star Wars branding were these ads produced that they lacked C-3PO and R2-D2 in the lower right corner. At the request of 20th Century Fox, the droids were later added to both Tom Jung's one sheet and half sheet artwork. Jung, unavailable at the time, did not revise the one sheet; instead, comic book artist Nick Cardy painted the droids in the style of the Hildebrandt Brothers. For the half sheet, however, Jung completed the additions himself, resulting in a stylistically unified and artistically complete composition.
The droid-less version appeared in full color on the front cover of the original Star Wars theatrical program, available to moviegoers during the film's original run. The program featured character and actor profiles, production stills, and behind-the-scenes articles that offered audiences a deeper look into the making of the film.
When the art was finalized for poster creation, it not only became the half sheet, it also graced what is arguably the most spectacular Star Wars poster ever produced: the original-release 24-sheet billboard. With only a handful of surviving examples, it stands among the most coveted movie posters from the franchise. When encountered in person, its scale, nearly twenty feet wide, transforms Jung's painting into something monumental. It is easy to imagine the awe it inspired when it first appeared in the spring of 1977, heralding not just a movie but the beginning of a cultural phenomenon.
The fact that this painting appeared both on the cover of the Star Wars theatrical program, measuring just 9 by 12 inches, and on the massive 24-sheet billboard, more than 240 times larger, speaks to its remarkable versatility. Jung's composition loses none of its impact when scaled down to the intimacy of a handheld program, nor when expanded to monumental proportions. That the image succeeds equally well in all contexts is a testament to Jung's mastery of balance and proportion. It mirrors the essence of Star Wars itself, a grand, sweeping epic that remains deeply human and emotionally accessible.
As for the half sheet itself, the exact date it first appeared in theater lobbies remains unknown. While it is generally believed that the Style A one sheet featuring Jung's artwork was not available until July 1977, evidence from a Bay Area transit poster indicates that the revised half sheet artwork, featuring the added droids, was already in use before June 15. Interestingly, the Star Wars pressbook, produced sometime after the Hildebrandt Brothers completed their Jung-inspired painting in April 1977, depicts the half sheet without the droids.
The lore surrounding Tom Jung's Star Wars painting-which he created from reference photos and before screening the film-is as rich as the universe it depicts. Close study reveals a host of fascinating details: Luke Skywalker is shown wearing Darth Vader's shin guards, Princess Leia carries Han Solo's blaster, and her likeness is markedly less sexualized than in Jung's original concept drawings. It is fitting that, in a cinematic galaxy where even characters with seconds of screen time have full-fledged backstories, this poster too has inspired decades of analysis, speculation, and admiration.
According to several accounts, including statements from the artist himself, this horizontal composition actually predates the one sheet design. The now-iconic triangular arrangement of Luke and Leia, with Luke's lightsaber raised triumphantly, originated here. So powerful was this image that 20th Century Fox's marketing team asked Jung to adapt the concept for the primary theatrical poster. What's offered here, then, is not merely a promotional painting, but the origin point of one of the most enduring visual motifs in cinema history, a Rosetta Stone for every Star Wars poster and illustration that followed.
Following the film's release, this painting hung in producer Gary Kurtz's San Rafael office. While he had many examples of Star Wars merchandise on display in his workspace at Elstree Studios in London, Kurtz chose to feature in his California office only a select few posters and toys, personal reminders of his role in shaping one of the greatest science fiction epics of all time. After leaving the Bay Area in the early 1980s, the painting moved to the Kurtz family residence, where it has remained ever since.
Reflecting on the painting, Gary's daughter Melissa Kurtz shared, "It has been an honor to have this wonderful painting with us all these years. It serves as a warm reminder of that incredible experience, being part of the making of a film that has touched so many lives." She added that she and her sister are "deeply grateful that the movie our father helped bring to life has had such a profound and lasting impact on people all around the world."
This artwork is painted edge to edge on a board measuring 21 by 34 inches. Executed in acrylic and airbrush, this historic piece tells the story of its unique creation process through its very execution. The composition was built in layers, with the deep, dark background of space and the looming head of Vader painted directly on the board, while many of the narrative elements were rendered individually and then meticulously added to the base layer. This gave Jung the opportunity to explore the precise positioning of the various vignettes, creating the dynamic angles that make the storytelling within the poster so effective.
Leia faces the viewer as Luke's lightsaber extends straight upward, precisely toward the space where the words "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." would eventually appear. The gesture becomes a visual cue to enter the narrative, while the sweeping formation of X-wings draws the eye toward the white-hot explosion that anchors the entire composition. Each layer is fully painted and seamlessly blended together by the artist, creating an impasto effect visible even in the published half sheet. The work is signed "Tom Jung" in the lower right, beneath the droids. Having remained in the collection of Gary Kurtz and his family since its creation, this piece comes to market completely untouched. There is minor edge and corner wear, as well as some scattered spots of paint loss and craquelure. Due to its unusual creation process, there are also some areas of lifting along the edges of the board and collaged elements. The bottom edge of the painting has paint loss with the paint chip included separately.
For additional photographs and condition details, please contact Charles Epting (CharlesE@HA.com) or Sarahjane Blum (SarahjaneB@HA.com).

Heritage Auctions provides as much information as possible but strongly encourages in-person inspection. Condition statements are offered as general guidance only, not as complete representations of fact, and do not constitute a warranty or assumption of liability by Heritage. Some condition issues may not be noted but may be visible in the photos, which are considered part of the condition report. Lots estimated at $1,000 or less are not de-framed for inspection, and we may be unable to provide additional details for lots valued under $500. Heritage does not guarantee the condition of frames and is not liable for damage to frames, glass/acrylic coverings, original boxes, display accessories, or artwork that has shifted in the frame. All lots are sold "AS IS" under our Terms & Conditions of Auction.