Frank R. Paul is considered the “Father of Science Fiction Illustrators” and contributed to the success of the first published US magazine devoted entirely to science fiction, Amazing Stories. His inspirational cover illustrations were the epitome of 1920s and 1930s pulp magazine art and defined the look of “the future.”
Paul imagined and drew satellites and rocket ships before real-life technology caught up with him. As this tribute on The Korshak Collection website notes, according to Paul “… in the future we will have bigger and better science fiction with the accent on the science.”
But he is, perhaps, not as well known for his interior illustrations, often created at breakneck speed, up against crushing deadlines. Here, for example, is a wonderful piece of interior art by Frank R. Paul for the July 1939 issue of the SF magazine Startling Stories, illustrating the tale, “The Infinite Brain” by John C. Campbell.
Writing in Infinite Worlds (copies here, AmazonUK Affiliate Link), Hugo Award-winning science fiction illustrator Vincent Di Fate commented: “Frank R. Paul’s interior drawings were often more fluid than his covers.” This piece captured “the charm of his best gadget designs and the magical romance of his finest figurative pieces.”
Frank R. Paul is also known to comic book fans. In 1928, he created the first rendering of Buck Rogers for an Amazing Stories magazine cover and accompanying story “The Skylark of Space”. In 1939, Timely Comics hired him to illustrate the cover of the first issue of Marvel Comics No. 1, featuring the Human Torch. He was paid $25 for his work, more than a man’s weekly wage at the time.
“To my mind, Paul remains the undisputed king of pulp artists,” Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, once observed. “His covers were colorful, imaginative and intelligent.”
“Whenever people ask me who my favourite science fiction artist is, I always say Frank R. Paul,” says SF illustrator Frank Wu, who has compiled an official online gallery of Frank R. Paul’s works. “Most sci-fi art simply washes over me, like so much water in an ocean. But every once in a while, I come across something so marvelous, so different that I have to stop and say, WOW…”
Back in 2013, IDW published Frank R. Paul – The Dean of SciFi Illustration, by Jerry Weist, the noted science fiction historian, scholar, and founding editor of the prestigious EC comic fanzine Squa Tront.
Weist, who also authored Ray Bradbury: An Illustrated Life brought together informative text on Paul and a visual record of nearly every one of his incredible covers, as well as some of his very best, and rarely seen, pen and ink interior illustrations. Well worth tracking down, but it isn’t cheap!
Further Reading…
• The Korshak Collection: Frank R. Paul
• A terrific gallery and guide to Frank R. Paul’s work here, compiled by acclaimed SF artist Frank Wu
• Frank R. Paul – The Dean of SciFi Illustration (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Books, downthetubes News, Magazines, Other Worlds, Science Fiction