punchatzed

So how was I to know this thing called Doom would make a jillion smackers?

Illustrator Don Ivan Punchatz, on his decision to accept a flat fee over a royalty for his illustrated cover for the first release of the video game Doom. Cited this morning in his New York Times obituary.

Punchatz, who passed away on 22 October, created book jackets for Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury; magazine covers for Esquire, Playboy, Rolling Stone and National Lampoon; illustrations for National Geographic. He also created the original Star Wars movie poster.

When I saw the Star Wars reference in the obit for the man who peopled my imagination with planets and other far away places (even though I didn't know it was him doing it), I immediately thought of the poster in which Luke raises his light saber overhead and Leia stands all chesty beside him. But Google reveals that that one is not his. Instead, Punchatz armed Leia and set her jaw fiercely as she leans into battle.

Which makes me miss him all the more.