With all the film campaigns Alvin has contributed to with his art, the Star Wars saga is one of his favorite film series to work with, having been a fan of the films since their initial theatrical release 27 years ago.

"Theater audiences were lining up around the block night after night and Darth Vader appeared on the cover of Time magazine," Alvin recalls. "The impact on my life is reflected in the impact on my art and Star Wars has been a key part of my career since then. It still is and will be for a long time."

Alvin's first Star Wars poster featured the two famous droids C-3PO and R2-D2 as musicians. "The Star Wars Concert poster has become very rare and quite collectable," Alvin says.

Another very collectible and fan-treasured poster was a wide banner-like poster celebrating the 10th anniversary of Star Wars, made available in 1987.

"Using the tagline 'The first ten years' on my Tenth Anniversary Star Wars poster was my idea. It seemed more uplifting and promising to commemorate the first ten as though there would be no future limit and, so far there hasn't been. In the poster, I also wanted to reflect the broad expanse of the widescreen cinematic vision we all saw in a theater," Alvin adds. "As most posters are vertical, I thought the anniversary piece should remind us of the movie experience and hence, the horizontal format. I wanted fans to be carried along again as Luke is compelled by great forces to recognize and embrace his destiny. We see what he sees as though he is saluting the very saga we see displayed within the larger-than-life title."

Alvin has also taken his appreciation of Star Wars into his personal work by developing a series of paintings called "The Force of Influence" wherein each painting depicts a critical relationship between two or more characters.

In "A Destiny Unfolds" Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi looms over a young Luke Skywalker.

"Obi-Wan is the means by which Luke is drawn toward his own destiny and as the Jedi Knight's tale comes to a physical end, he must point 'the new hope' in the right direction if there is ever to be peace in the galaxy," Alvin explains. "He profoundly influences Luke by what he says to him and when he says it. I wanted to show respect for the great character of Obi-Wan and at the same time, pay homage to Sir Alec Guinness who so brilliantly portrayed him.

"Kenobi's presence is grand, full of wisdom and larger than life," Alvin continues. "He dominates the scene and yet he enfolds and cradles the innocent farm boy Luke -- for all intents and purposes, a lost youth with no direction or goal. Yoda's magnificent and enduring influence on Obi-Wan is gently suggested by the ghosted image of the Jedi Master in the sky. I wanted to set a mood of somber purpose and yet one of great affection and regard. Of all my work, this is one of my favorites."

In another poster in Alvin's "The Force of Influence" series -- "Like Father, Like Son" -- the Fett family is the subject of honor.

"I thought that there are few more profound relationships than that of father and son in life and this is especially true of the Star War saga," Alvin explains. "Like any long time fan, I was captivated by Boba Fett and I thought it interesting to pose him at rest and full of potential violence. I like to think that the fire behind him depicts the gruesome end of yet another bounty. Look at the tip of his flame thrower. It's very hot as though he was making good use of it and he has now turned to us and we should be fearful.

"Promoting our fear is the lethal legacy Boba Fett brings with his considerable skills, and this heritage is shown in the proactive and very dangerous posture of his father, the legendary Jango Fett," Alvin continues. "It's as though Boba wants us to know that he is the logical extension of his father and everything we fear about him, we do so with good reason. I wanted to portray the Fett lineage to reflect of the powerful hold these characters have had on all of us from the instant George Lucas put them on screen."

In addition to his Star Wars series, Alvin has also created specialty pieces for the Star Wars Fan Club including the poster art for Star Wars Celebration I.

Alvin confesses that there are still plenty of Star Wars characters he'd like to depict in his artwork, including Queen Amidala and her daughter Princess Leia Organa, as well as many of the Jedi Knights.

"I think all of the principal Jedi Knights are very interesting as are their inter relationships," Alvin says. "I would love to portray Jabba the Hutt and Han Solo with Chewbacca. They worked for Jabba, apparently just before we met them in Episode IV. The characters I would love to portray the most, however, are those most familiar to us as they will mature in Episode III -- Anakin/Darth Vader and (again) Obi-Wan Kenobi and the conflict between them."

When Alvin sits down to begin a new Star Wars project, he finds that his Muse can be accessed easily by taking a brief walk down memory lane.

"When working on any image relative to the Star Wars saga, all I have to remember is how I felt when I first saw the Rebel Blockade Runner overtaken by the Imperial Star Destroyer in the opening of Episode IV," Alvin explains. "From that moment on, I was forever a part of the Star Wars universe. Everyone who has experienced the Saga has some anchor point of attachment to the story and they are all as fine and exhilarating to them as that opening sequence is to me. What I must add to that feeling whenever I'm beginning some new Star Wars art is whatever it takes to be absolutely true to the texture of the story and the enduring nature of the characters that George Lucas has created for us to enjoy. I believe the story is character-driven and that the mythology inherent in such an epic is the predominant feature that binds the story together and must be considered creatively. The hardware, the aliens, the locations all act in support of the core storyline that introduces us to the Skywalker lineage and the destiny of its members."

His limited edition Star Wars art prints "A Destiny Unfolds" and "Like Father, Like Son" are available for purchase at StarWarsShop.com.

For more information on John Alvin's art, visit his section on the Linda Jones Enterprises site here.