In the history of film poster design, few promotional materials are as legendary as Roger Kastel’s straightforward, yet foreboding, creation for Jaws (the original summer blockbuster directed by Steven Spielberg isnow streaming on Peacock alongside its three sequels).
Fifty years on, the image of a woman swimming, unaware that a hungry great white shark is lurking beneath the ocean’s deepest and darkest waters, continues to be one of the most recognizable scenes in cinematic history — replicated, referenced, and mocked countless times.
Kastel, who died in 2023at 92 years old, drew inspiration from shark models exhibitedat the American Museum of Natural History.
Ironically, the last creature in the artwork was not inspired by a great white shark, but rather a shortfin mako. The unfortunate woman on the surface, on the other hand, was a professional model namedAllison Maher Stern, who emerged as a supporter ofmarine conservationLater on in his life, Stern participated in a New York photoshoot directed by Kastel, who gave instructions related to posing such as “‘Swim faster!’” or “‘Look out, shark!’”
Given the artwork’s revered place in pop culture, it’s no surprise that Funko chose to adapt it intoa brand-new POP! figurein celebration of the film turning 50 this summer. Now available for pre-orderon Amazonprior to its September 30 launch, the screen (priced at $24.99) is included in the wave of retro-inspiredVHS Cover Line Funko introduced in 2022.
You’ll need a larger shelf! Funko is diving deep into the 50th anniversary ofJaws, and I believe it’s fair to say that our creative team has exceeded expectationsthis line“Out of the water,” said Jason Bischoff, Vice President of Licensing and Business Development, in an exclusive statement toWIREBesides new interpretations of Quint, Hooper, and a POP! Super version of the Great White Shark (featuring a shallow water light effect), we’ve also recreatedJawsA terrifying (and iconic) poster in our signature style! It’s all included, with Chrissie floating above and the iconic great white shark hidden below her. Movie magic forever captured as only Funko can.
Check out the latest Funko POP! figure inspired by the famous poster for Steven Spielberg’sJaws
It is important to mention that the whole project would not have come into existence without artist Paul Bacon’s initial cover artwork.for the novel of the same name by Peter Benchley, from which the 1975 film was based.
As reported by The New York Post in 2015, Kastel’s version was commissioned for the paperback edition of the book, although the producers ofJawsThey were permitted to use it for the movie poster, without any cost. When speaking with the outlet at that time, Kastel referenced the initial pages of the book, where Chrissie Watkins is the shark’s first victim, as his primary source of inspiration.
I just thought it was a strong visual,” he remembered. “I quickly sketched it out for [Bantam art director] Len Leones during our conversation, and he approved it. He asked me to make the shark bigger and more lifelike.
All four *Jaws* films are nowstreaming on Peacock. You can also rent and/or buy them fromUniversal Pictures Home Entertainment, along with a unique50th Anniversary edition of Jaws.
