Matthew Ferguson

Matthew Ferguson is an artist who has made several anniversary posters for Star Wars films and cover art for Star Wars books. His works include the 40th anniversary posters for Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back in 2020.^[3] Ferguson also created the cover art for Skywalker: A Family at War, a 2021 canon biography of the Skywalker family.^[1] When Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi returned for a limited release in theaters in celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2023, Ferguson created the poster commemorating the occasion.^[4] Again in 2024, Ferguson created a commemorative poster for the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.^[5] With the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith in 2025, Ferguson designed the commemorative posters.^[6]

According to Ferguson, one of the recurring motifs in his anniversary posters is the increasing size of Anakin Skywalker as time passes. In his poster for The Phantom Menace, Anakin is a small silhouette, but by Return of the Jedi, Vader looms large. The size of Anakin reflects his start as a seemingly insignificant boy discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn, and the end of his life as the imposing Darth Vader. The Phantom Menace anniversary poster also intentionally reflected the earth tone color scheme of the film with its reds and golds, and tried to evoke the pre-release buzz surrounding the film.^[7]