John was my husband and my creative partner. Born in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in 1948, he spent more than thirty-five years painting the images that introduced audiences to some of the most beloved films of their time. It began in 1974 with Blazing Saddles. That same year his poster for Phantom of the Paradise was chosen by the Smithsonian and the Museum of Modern Art for "Images of an Era," a collection of posters that toured Europe for the American bicentennial.
The work that followed spans the films of a generation: E.T., Blade Runner, Star Trek, The Lost Boys, Arachnophobia, Gremlins, The Goonies, The Color Purple, Cocoon, The Princess Bride, Willow, and so many more. He was also part of Disney's renaissance, on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He created artwork for the Star Wars saga, including the famed Star Wars Concert Poster.
John loved Spielberg's films, and one image in Close Encounters stayed with him: the light that pours in under the door when the visitors arrive. He called it "heavy light," and he set out to paint it. Eventually a Disney executive gave that effect a name, "Alvin-izing."
Our process was deeply involved. It took in ideation, sketching, consultations with the studio, and compositing. John often hand-lettered the title himself, and sometimes we developed the copy together. John Sabel, a Disney advertising executive, told the Los Angeles Times that the success of The Lion King and Hunchback owed a great deal to the images produced, many of them John's paintings. Hearing that from someone who worked beside him meant a great deal to me.
As the century turned, hand-painted posters gave way to digital design, and John turned more of his attention to cinematic fine art. I later wrote The Art of John Alvin, published by Titan Books in 2014, which includes a foreword by Jeffrey Katzenberg and shares his finished work alongside sketches and paintings the public had never seen. I’m pleased to say the book is in the process of being re-released!
John described his goal simply: "creating the promise of a great experience." He passed away in 2008, but that promise is still there each time one of his images catches the eye.