While the logo was custom-drawn by Ralph McQuarrie in a blocky sans serif mimicking the perspective of the opening crawl, the tagline and credits were set in ITC Serif Gothic. Those famous words also found their way on the poster for the original 1977 movie (which revisionist young punks insist on calling Episode IV – A New Hope) with classic artwork by Tom Jung.
The sight of the yellow text – set in the Trade Gothic® typeface – disappearing into the far reaches of space is guaranteed to send shivers along the spine of any self-respecting sci fi aficionado (unless they’re a Trekkie of course). It precedes the iconic opening crawl at the beginning of the epic space opera: an introduction that sets the story for each film. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” This line – one of the most well-known sentences in pop culture – has left an indelible mark in our collective consciousness.
