Overview

• Joe Caroff died on August 17, 2025, in hospice care at his Manhattan home, one day before his 104th birthday, according to his sons.
• In 1962, at United Artists’ request, he devised the 007 gun logo for Dr. No by extending the stem of the “7” into a pistol, a design he sold for a one-time fee of $300 with no credit or royalties.
• Over a career spanning more than four decades, Caroff produced over 300 film campaigns, creating iconic posters and opening title sequences for West Side Story, A Hard Day’s Night, Last Tango in Paris, Manhattan and Rollerball.
• Mid-century work-for-hire practices left him with flat fees and no residuals or on-screen credit despite the global ubiquity of his designs.
• In his later years he was the subject of the 2022 documentary By Design: The Joe Caroff Story and received an Omega “007” watch from Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson and EON Productions for his 100th birthday.