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Printed Matter Posters Lithographs

Limited Edition Hildebrandt Lithograph Print

Manufacturer: Lucasfilm Release Date: 13 Sep 2005 Property: Episode IV MSRP: 69.99 USD Country: United States

Description: For the first time ever, the iconic original Star Wars poster artwork by famed fantasy illustrators Greg and Tim Hildebrandt is available as a limited edition print! But wait, wasn't this artwork available on a retail poster back in 1977, you might ask? You're probably thinking of the poster printed by Factors, Etc., which was widely available to fans right after the release of A New Hope in the summer of '77. But look closely at this artwork -- notice something missing? That's right, R2-D2 and C-3PO are nowhere to be found, because this is how the original artwork appeared before the brothers added in the droids. As recounted by Greg Hildebrandt in the upcoming Star Wars Poster Book (also available for purchase here), the droids were added to the artwork after it was felt the composition needed some visual interest to the right of Luke and Leia. With the illustration needing to be shipped immediately from their ad agency's office, the Hildebrandts could only scramble for a few acrylics purchased from a nearby art store and add the droids right there on the spot. Sharp-eyed fans may also recognize the Hildebrandt signature is a bit smaller on this first version -- Fox also asked them to enlarge it in the revision. This rare image, which captures a rare moment in the creation of this historical artwork, is now available in a limited quantity as a shared exclusive. Because the droids were painted onto the original artwork, there is no way to re-photograph the original in this state of its development. Only 1,977 prints have been made, with each signed by both Hildebrandt brothers.

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