How Roger Kastel’s “Jaws” Artwork Became One Of Cinema’s Most Famous Images

Roger Kastel, the artist behind some of the most iconic movie posters in history, left an indelible mark on the world of illustration and cinema. His artwork for Jaws became a defining image of the film, shaping how audiences perceived the story before even stepping into the theatre.

A master of dramatic composition and evocative imagery, Kastel’s career spanned decades, encompassing not only film posters but also bestselling book covers and magazine illustrations.

Born on June 11, 1931, in White Plains, New York, Kastel displayed artistic talent from a young age. His first professional job came at just 15 years old when he was hired to create a comic book to teach industrial workers their trade.

His passion for art led him to the prestigious Art Students League of New York, where he studied under influential instructors such as Sidney E. Dickinson, Edwin Dickinson, Robert Beverly Hale, and Frank Reilly.

His education was briefly interrupted by military service in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, but upon his return, he resumed his studies and embarked on a professional illustration career.

Throughout the 1960s, Kastel illustrated western paperbacks and worked with Argosy Magazine before securing an exclusive contract with Bantam Books in 1967. This partnership would lead to some of his most memorable works, including the paperback cover for Peter Benchley’s Jaws, which later became one of the most famous movie posters in history courtesy of Steven Spielberg’s film.

The creation of the Jaws poster

Roger Kastel’s original pencil sketch for the iconic Jaws novel artwork which later appeared on the film poster.

When Bantam Books commissioned Kastel to create the Jaws paperback cover, he drew inspiration from the original hardcover design by Paul Bacon but made the shark more terrifying and prominent. To achieve this, he visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York to photograph real specimens. “I said, ‘Do you have a shark exhibit in the building?’ [The employee] said, ‘Yes we do,’ but they were all down. They were refurbishing, cleaning them,” Kastel recalled in the documentary The Shark Is Still Working. “All the sharks were laying on easels. And so I had my camera with me. I knew what position I wanted the shark in, and there was this great white that they had laying on an easel; I guess they were dusting it. And that’s what I worked from.”

Roger Kastel, Jaws poster artist, stands next to the film’s poster.

For the female swimmer in the image, Kastel recruited a model he was photographing for Good Housekeeping. He had her approximate a front crawl while perched on a stool. In a bold move, he also removed the bathing suit that was featured in the hardcover version, a decision that led to the book being banned in several cities.

The impact of Kastel’s Jaws artwork was immediate and far-reaching. According to a 2012 article in Empire Magazine, Bantam chief Oscar Dystel later gave the image to Universal Studios for free, “losing out on millions of dollars — and it quickly became iconic, riffed on by cartoonists to represent USSR-USA relations, the presidential elections (Gerald Ford vs. Ronald Reagan), rising inflation, and the energy crisis.”

Roger Kastel’s Jaws poster, originally created for the paperback cover, became one of the most iconic images in film history, shaping the movie’s identity.
His illustration process involved extensive research, including photographing real shark specimens and using a live model for the swimmer.
Beyond Jaws, Kastel’s work on The Empire Strikes Back and bestselling book covers cemented his legacy as a master of visual storytelling.

The Empire Strikes Back and beyond

Following the success of Jaws, Kastel was commissioned to create the poster for The Empire Strikes Back. Inspired by the romance and adventure of Gone with the Wind, his design emphasised the relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia while capturing the grandeur of the Star Wars saga. This poster became one of the most beloved in the franchise’s history.

In addition to Jaws and The Empire Strikes Back, Kastel worked on posters for Doctor Faustus (1967), The Great Train Robbery (1978), and Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975). His talent also extended to book covers for bestselling novels such as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974), The Great Santini (1976), and several works by Jackie Collins.

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