The graphic designer and illustrator Greg Martin who was responsible for a wide range of classic game covers in the 80s and 90s, including Sonic The Hedgehog, has died.
His box art for the US release of Sonic The Hedgehog on the Sega Mega Drive was arguably one of the most widely-seen pieces of iconic work. Other popular design was his Game Boy version of Adventure Island, via Taz-Mania on the Mega Drive and Speedy Gonzales: Los Gatos Bandidos on the Super Nintendo. His cover for DuckTales 2 on the NES and his designs for the Pac-Man games were also highly rated.
He began his career at Hanna Barbera, where he worked on cartoons such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Yogi Bear but is best known for his videogame art eye for composition which encapsulated the golden era of console gaming. Greg Martin’s art had a prolific presence in early 90’s video game box art, spanning dozens of franchises. Though most Sonic fans may never have heard of him they will surely recognize his work: he was the man behind every piece of Sonic box art in the early 90s. His work came to define Sonic’s appearance in America and Europe, appearing not just in video game box art but also in all advertising mediums.
Photo: Creative Commons 2011 Pop Culture Geek taken by Doug Kline