Greg Hildebrandt (1939–2024), iconic fantasy artist
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3 min readGreg Hildebrandt was an artist best known for his works of fantasy and science fiction set in the worlds of Middle-earth, plus “Star Wars” and Magic: The Gathering, often created in partnership with his late twin brother, Tim Hildebrandt.
- Died: October 31, 2024 (Who else died on October 31?)
- Details of death: Died in Denville, New Jersey at the age of 85.
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Greg Hildebrandt’s legacy
Anyone who loves stories set in fantastical realms has likely seen art by the Brothers Hildebrandt, Greg and Tim. With a portfolio of illustration spanning the universes of “Star Wars,” J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, Marvel and DC superheroes, the Magic: The Gathering game, and others, the Hildebrandts became all but ubiquitous in the wide world of far-out storytelling.
Educated at the Meinzinger Art School, the pair began to create together under the moniker the Brothers Hildebrandt in 1959. Their rise to prominence came in the 1970s, when they began making art for the official J.R.R. Tolkien calendars, their illustrations beautifying the 1976, ’77, and ’78 releases. At the same time, they were drafted to craft a revised version of a poster that has since become iconic in fandom: the famous white-bordered “Star Wars” poster featuring Luke Skywalker holding a lightsaber aloft, with Princess Leia at his feet and Darth Vader menacing in the background. It has since become one of the most recognizable images in history.
The siblings stopped working together in 1981, each pursuing their own corner of the fantasy art world. Greg’s paintings were often seen on the covers of magazines like Heavy Metal and Omni, and his illustrations enlivened editions of classic books such as “Alice in Wonderland” and “Peter Pan.” The brothers reunited in the early 1990s, doing art for Marvel, including a line of trading cards as well as several special books and graphic novels. In 1995, the Hildebrants were awarded the Inkpot Award, among the honors bestowed to them over the years.
When Tim passed away in 2006, Greg kept working, doing art for Star Trek comics, launching his own American Beauties pin-up series, and more. He won the Chesley Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists in 2010.
On painting the iconic poster for ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’
“They said, you guys gotta help us out. We got a film here coming out in a week. And the director’s not satisfied with his poster. I said, what is it? And he said, it’s some kind of a science fiction movie. These guys hadn’t seen it. So Tim and I jumped on a train, went in, and it was Star Wars.” — interview with MakersPlace, 2022
Tributes to Greg Hildebrandt
Full obituary: Bleeding Cool
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