Gallery Launch Gallery Getty/Universal Studios Hollywood/Warner Bros. Studios/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Drew Struzan -- the legendary artist who created hand-illustrated posters for blockbuster film classics like "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter" -- has died at 78.

Moderators of Struzan’s official Instagram posted that he died Monday, adding ... "I feel it is important that you all know how many times he expressed to me the joy he felt knowing how much you appreciated his art."

No official cause of death has been announced, though it was confirmed back in April that Struzan had been battling Alzheimer’s for some time.

Condolences and praise have flooded the comments ... whose big break came when he was commissioned to design a poster for the 1978 re-release of the 1977 film "Star Wars."

From t

See Full Page