Greg Hildebrandt
We learned that yesterday, October 31st, the great fantasy artist Greg Hildebrandt passed away at the age of 85. His wife Jean announced his death yesterday afternoon, describing him as “the sweetest man I ever knew”.
Along with his twin brother Tim, who passed away in 2006, Hildebrandt was one of the most influential twentieth-century fantasy and science-fiction artists. Known collectively as the Brothers Hildebrandt, the twins originally aspired to work for Disney but made a name for themselves through their work for both DC and Marvel Comics. Their most iconic work was probably in 1977 when they designed the iconic poster for Star Wars. Before Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world to life through his film trilogy, the Brothers Hildebrandt’s Lord of the Rings illustrations, most notably their calendars, were some of the best-known artistic representations of Middle Earth and its characters. Later, in 1994, the brothers designed the third series of the Marvel Masterpieces trading cards, something that Julie Bell and David Palumbo, artists Rehs Contemporary has been working with for over a decade, would later do in 1996 and 2020, respectively. While the brothers collaborated extensively, they also worked as independent artists. Some of Greg’s best-known solo artworks were the cover art for Black Sabbath’s Mob Rules and the art and illustrations for several of IDW’s Star Trek comics. Greg continued to produce original art in his later years, with Rehs Contemporary having the opportunity to exhibit some of his work through the Art Renewal Center Select show in April 2024.
Paul Levitz, the president of DC Comics, paid tribute to Hildebrandt: “If Jack Kirby gave the world the visual dynamic of action, Greg Hildebrandt and his brother Tim gave it the rich decor of the imagination.” Greg Hildebrandt not only brought light and life into our own world but did the same to countless characters and stories that may have remained confined to the pages of books. He had a hand in shaping the image and trajectory of some of the most influential fantasy and science-fiction franchises today. He will be dearly missed.