Star Wars Posters

When it comes to sheer fandom, there might not be a more rabid lot than Star Wars fans. There are thousands of books, millions of games and toys, and dozens and dozens of fully realized costumes clambering for consumers' attention. Perhaps the most sophisticated and inexpensive way to declare one's love for all things Star Wars is to hang a Star Wars posters on the wall.

There are Star Wars posters for each of the six movies and tie-in series. All Star Wars posters can be found at fairly inexpensive prices from major online and in-store retailers. Perhaps the most popular Star Wars movie posters are the reprints of the 1977 posters for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. There are many variations, but the most famous is probably the image of Luke Skywalker holding his light saber to the sky, while Princess Leia lays prostrate at his feet with Darth Vader and the Death Star looming in the background. Copies of this Star Wars poster are sold for as little as $16, or cheaper. The original versions of the classic Star Wars posters runs as high as $1,500.

Originally released in 1980, The Empire Strikes Back is a favorite among die-hard Star Wars fans. The Star Wars posters for the film reflect this in their extreme variety. For the fans of the dark side, many feature imposing Star Destroyers, the popular bounty hunter Boba Fett, or the omnipresent Darth Vader. However, real collectors will want to seek out the official poster, which features Han Solo and Princess Leia locked in an embrace, Luke riding his TaunTaun in the foreground, and Darth Vader's head in the starfield behind them. These Star Wars posters also sell for around $16,while rare versions of the original prints can sell for as much as $500.

Return of the Jedi is probably the least favorite film for fans of the original trilogy, but that doesn't mean it lacks variety in Star Wars posters. There are two original posters of the film. The first features portraits of the main characters from series in front of an exploding Death Star. The second, more popular version features the same portraits with a more action posed Luke Skywalker and the addition of Jabba the Hutt. Other posters with Darth Vader's mask silhouetted in red or the famous painting of Luke Skywalker's light saber shooting upward illuminating the Death Star round out a real collector's options. The copies usually cost $16, while the originals can cost as high as $300.

There is a small quirk to the Return of the Jedi poster that all Star Wars posters collectors should know about. The originally movie poster featured a red silhouetted Darth Vader helmet and was titled Revenge of the Jedi. However, Star Wars creator,George Lucas, deemed the title inappropriate and the marketing campaign was axed. While no official copies of the Revenge of the Jedi poster are currently being produced, the original Star Wars movie posters can be purchased online for $750-$2,000, a steal for true Star Wars posters collectors who want to add to their collection.

Less popular Star Wars posters include the prequel trilogy The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. While popular characters like Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Obi Won Kenobi, Yoda, Mace Windu, and Jar Jar Binks sell fairly well, the Star Wars posters for these more recent films don't have the same classic appeal as the original trilogy. As a result, they usually sell for as little as $10 a piece.

Many popular characters in the film series have spawned their own Star Wars posters. Popular character posters feature famous characters including the lovable Wookie Chewbacca, wise master Yoda, the evil Darth Vader, and the deadly Boba Fett. While these characters may not have had movies of their own, they've endeared themselves to generations of Star Wars fans, and all have popular Star Wars posters of their own. Character posters can range from humorous to highly artistic to simple blown up cells from the films themselves,. Character posters usually cost around $10 each.

For Star Wars fans who don't want to delve into the worlds of the books or get hung up on perfecting a costume, Star Wars posters are the perfect way to show their devotion. Unless the fan is a collector obsessed with owning the original versions of every poster, Star Wars posters are also a inexpensive and fun decorating item. It certainly could be said that the Force is with them.


Sources:
Star Wars Posters. MoviePosters.com. 1997-2006. 25 Jan. 2007 .
Star Wars Posters. AllPosters.com. 1998-2007. 25 Jan. 2007. .
Star Wars Posters. RottenTomatoes.com. 1998-2007. IGN Entertainment, Inc. 25 Jan. 2007 .
Star Wars Movie Poster Collection. TheForce.net. 2007. TF.N, LLC. 25 Jan. 2007. .