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Scientifictionist, v. 1, issue 5, June-July 1946

Page 5

MY FAVORITE FANTASY ARTISTS
by E. Everett Evans

To one who has no artistic ability, and no training in artistic appreciation, trying to form a logical decision as to which of the many artists who have illustrated fantasy, weird and science fiction stories is an almost impossible task. I shall have to fall back upon the "but I know what I like" criterion.

To begin with, there are so many different types of drawings for so many different types of stories, that it seems to me absolutely incorrect to pick out merely one artist, and say, "He is the best". Best in what medium; best for what type of tale; best in conception or in execution? These are some of the questions, it seems to me, that should be asked.

For instance, in the wacky-fantastic type of stories that were printed so often in Unknown, Cartier stood head and shoulders above the rest of the illustrators, in my opinion. Yet I understand he is classed as a "caricaturist". It is certain you cannot, then, ask him to compete for top honors with such an artist as Hubert Rogers when the latter starts doing color covers. Yet in his way, and for the purpose for which he drew, I should want to give Cartier at least as high a place as I would Rogers in HIS field.

When it comes to drawing gigantic and other-world machinery, I feel there is no one to compare with Paul, for his year in and year out excellence. Nor does that detract at all from Morey, Dold, Wesso, and others. For Paul has one grievous fault -- his humans. Ouch!

To me the top "general" artist of scientifiction -- one who can draw figures, human and otherwise, machines, scenery, and apparently whatever is necessary, and do what seems to me to be a superlative job of it all, is Schneeman. I think he must most certainly be counted among the top-ranking artists of fantasy.

In the weird-fantasy field, Hannes Bok seems to me to hold a unique place of his own, yet I would not rate him top artist. His distorted figures give a certain outre feeling that does wonders in adding to one's appreciation of a certain type of tale. The same with Magarians and Dolgov.

One also has to give McCauley credit for his "Mac Girl", although I think she is highly out of place on the covers of a stf mag, in her diaphanous undress under the most unusual circumstances (such as alongside the hero who is in full spacesuit regalia because they are on an airless asteroid), merely to get eye-appealing near-nude figure on the cover for sales appeal. But I do think the man can draw and paint.

St. John has come closer to catching what I feel to be the true spirit of Burroughs, than any other artist who has illustrated him, even Burroughs' own sons. He certainly must be counted among our top men.

But, taking them by and large, covering all types of work with the emphasis of the fantasy idea, I find now that there are two men who seem to me to embody the highest type of that art. Remember, I am going by the "what pleases me" method, and you artists may entirely disagree with me.

Lawerence has done some perfectly magnificent work in FFM. The big picture which Wiedenbeck has, of the "King Fight" among the sub-men, has, to me, all the earmarks of a magnificent piece of etching, so clearly detailed is it all. And that wonderful specimen of scratch-board work which I have on my walls, of the priest before the giant idol in the old temple, is as fine a piece of black and white as I have ever seen.

But even higher than Lawerence, one man stands out supreme in his fantasy field, especially in the use of color. I am now speaking, reverently, of course, of Virgil Finlay! What a grand series of covers he has given us for the Merritt and other stories. And what fine black and whites he does, as well. In my opinion, the most beautiful magazine cover ever to be printed in our field, is that superlatively beautiful Snake Mother. When I first bought that magazine, I sat for over an hour

(continued on page 8)

page 5

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MY FAVORITE FANTASY ARTISTS by E. Everett Evans To one who has no artistic ability, and no training in artistic appreciation, trying to form a logical decision as to which of the many artists who have illustrated fantasy, weird and science fiction stories is an almost impossible task. I shall have to fall back upon the "but I know what I like" criterion. To begin with, there are so many different types of drawings for so many different types of stories, that it seems to me absolutely incorrect to pick out merely one artist, and say, "He is the best". Best in what medium; best for what type of tale; best in conception or in execution? These are some of the questions, it seems to me, that should be asked. For instance, in the wacky-fantastic type of stories that were printed so often in Unknown, Cartier stood head and shoulders above the rest of the illustrators, in my opinion. Yet I understand he is classed as a "caricaturist". It is certain you cannot, then, ask him to compete for top honors with such an artist as Hubert Rogers when the latter starts doing color covers. Yet in his way, and for the purpose for which he drew, I should want to give Cartier at least as high a place as I would Rogers in HIS field. When it comes to drawing gigantic and other-world machinery, I feel there is no one to compare with Paul, for his year in and year out excellence. Nor does that detract at all from Morey, Dold, Wesso, and others. For Paul has one grievous fault -- his humans. Ouch! To me the top "general" artist of scientifiction -- one who can draw figures, human and otherwise, machines, scenery, and apparently whatever is necessary, and do what seems to me to be a superlative job of it all, is Schneeman. I think he must most certainly be counted among the top-ranking artists of fantasy. In the weird-fantasy field, Hannes Bok seems to me to hold a unique place of his own, yet I would not rate him top artist. His distorted figures give a certain outre feeling that does wonders in adding to one's appreciation of a certain type of tale. The same with Magarians and Dolgov. One also has to give McCauley credit for his "Mac Girl", although I think she is highly out of place on the covers of a stf mag, in her diaphanous undress under the most unusual circumstances (such as alongside the hero who is in full spacesuit regalia because they are on an airless asteroid), merely to get eye-appealing near-nude figure on the cover for sales appeal. But I do think the man can draw and paint. St. John has come closer to catching what I feel to be the true spirit of Burroughs, than any other artist who has illustrated him, even Burroughs' own sons. He certainly must be counted among our top men. But, taking them by and large, covering all types of work with the emphasis of the fantasy idea, I find now that there are two men who seem to me to embody the highest type of that art. Remember, I am going by the "what pleases me" method, and you artists may entirely disagree with me. Lawerence has done some perfectly magnificent work in FFM. The big picture which Wiedenbeck has, of the "King Fight" among the sub-men, has, to me, all the earmarks of a magnificent piece of etching, so clearly detailed is it all. And that wonderful specimen of scratch-board work which I have on my walls, of the priest before the giant idol in the old temple, is as fine a piece of black and white as I have ever seen. But even higher than Lawerence, one man stands out supreme in his fantasy field, especially in the use of color. I am now speaking, reverently, of course, of Virgil Finlay! What a grand series of covers he has given us for the Merritt and other stories. And what fine black and whites he does, as well. In my opinion, the most beautiful magazine cover ever to be printed in our field, is that superlatively beautiful Snake Mother. When I first bought that magazine, I sat for over an hour (continued on page 8) page 5