Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, March 26th. The auction will begin at 10:30AM PDT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, March 27th or Friday, March 28th.

A poster comp featuring a montage of characters from Irvin Kershner's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back hand-drawn by fantasy artist Boris Vallejo. In 1980, Vallejo was commissioned by Coca-Cola and 20th Century Fox to illustrate four posters that tied in with the commercial release of Empire Strikes Back and were later given to customers if they purchased Coca-Cola products.

Three posters were offered at select fast-food restaurants; the main one offered only at theaters. This lot was the one offered at theaters. Most notable about this comp sketch is, while the finalized version had Darth Vader crossing two lightsabers, this sketch had Vader holding a lightsaber in one hand and a light shining from around his clenched fist of the other hand. The streak of light follows the same trajectory of the second lightsaber.

This sketch comes from the personal collection of William Plumb. Originating from artist Vallejo, it is rendered in black ink with watercolor washes. It features the principle cast against a backdrop of Darth Vader and iconic scenes from the film. Vallejo's signature is on the bottom right side, along with a copyright for 1980. This artwork comes mounted behind plexiglass in a custom frame. This lot exhibits scuffing on the frame. Dimensions: 15.25" x 20.25" x 0.25" (38.75 cm x 51.5 cm x 0.25 cm)

An example of this final poster is included in the online listing for reference only and is not part of the lot.

Sold without copyright; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Estimate: $15,000 - 30,000