Born and, with the exception of four years spent in Texas, raised in Pennsylvania, Mark Schneider’s interest in art was evident from a young age.  He started his formal training when he was 16 years old and, a year later, he would win an art contest sponsored by the magazine, Open Road For Boys.  After graduating high school, he moved to New York City and studied at the Art Students League while seeking work as a commercial artist.  He quickly found employment in the growing comic book industry, working on titles like Keen Detective Comics and Detective Eye Comics.

His career was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army, saw combat in Europe and Northern Africa, and served through the entirety of World War II, reaching the rank of sergeant.  After the war, he returned to New York and returned to work as a commercial illustrator.  It was after the war that he painted the pulp covers for which he’s probably best known.  Working for magazines with titles like Sir! For Me, Schneider’s covers often featured manly men and beautiful women in exotic settings or combat scenes.

Here’s a small sampling of his work:

The three Schneider covers below remind me that it’s been a while since I’ve been on a tropical vacation.  Maybe this summer!

Or maybe I’ll just say home.  Those vacations look dangerous.