Although most people don’t know him by name, John Alvin’s art is familiar to moviegoers worldwide. Alvin created a series of iconic movie posters, starting with the Blazing Saddles poster in 1974 and including major movies including (in chronological order):

Young Frankenstein
Blade Runner
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Gremlins
The Color Purple
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
Short Circuit
Empire of the Sun
Predator
The Princess Bride
Joe Versus the Volcano
Cape Fear
Aladdin
Jurassic Park
Scent of a Woman
The Lion King
Waterworld

…And that’s just a few. In total, Alvin created art for more than 135 films, many of them A-list titles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He also worked on art for major franchises including Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter films. When Alvin died in February, the web lit up with remembrances, leaving many surprised that a single artist was behind so many iconic images. Here are a few favorites:

Check out a gallery of his work, his Wikipedia page, and a New York Times remembrance for more on this unknown/well-known artist.