The son of German immigrants, Rudolph Zirm was born in New Jersey. Though he never had any formal artistic training, Zirm pursued a career as a freelance artist after the print shop he worked at closed in 1933. Though he only worked as an artist for 6 years and was never acclaimed during his lifetime, Zirm’s work is now highly praised and sought by collectors.
A sampling of his work can be found below.
Since 1989, Debbie Hughes’ work has appeared in over 150 publications. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across America and can also be purchased from her website. A small sampling of her work can be found below:
Glen Orbik studied art and currently teaches at the California Art Institute. As an artist, he is best known for his fully painted, noir-influenced paperback and comic covers. A small sampling of his work can found below:
Rowena Morrill is considered to be one of the first female artists to have an impact on paperback cover illustration. After receiving a BA from the University of Delaware in 1971, Morrill studied at the Tyler School Of Art. After a period spent working for an ad agency in New York, she designed her first horror cover in 1977. Morrill’s paintings have appeared on hundreds of paperback covers and in magazines like Omni, Playboy, Art Scene International, and Print Magazine.
A small sampling of her work can be found below.
The son of Czech immigrants, Ed Valigursky was born in Pennsylvania and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago on the G.I. Bill and started doing freelance pulp work while he was still a student. Until his retirement in 1990, Valigursky painted hundreds of science fiction-themed images. He also produced several paintings that celebrated the history of aviation.
A small sampling of his work can be found below.
Saul Bass was born in the Bronx, New York and studied part-time at the Art Students League in Manhattan. Though he was best known for designing title sequences like the one for Psycho, he also designed several film posters. His minimalistic style continues to influential today.
The son of German muralist Gustave Gutgemon, Walter Popp was born in New York and studied art at the New York Phoenix School of Design. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Popp launched his career as a freelance illustrator. Popp began as an illustrator for pulp magazines before moving on to painting paperback covers in the 1950s. He remained active, designing the covers for gothic romance novels, into the 1990s.
A small sampling of his work can be found below.
The legend of Ron Burgundy continues in this trailer for Anchorman 2.
Harry Barton was born in Seattle. After graduating from Broadway High, Barton got his first job as a commercial artist working in a sign shop. After studying with Art Students League in New York City, Barton painted covers for Argosy and Exciting Westerns. Through the 1950s and 1960s, Barton painted paperback book covers. From the 1970s until his death, Barton specialized in paintings of the Old West, which he sold through the Smith Gallery in New York.
A selection of his paperback work can be found below:
I can’t wait for Anchorman 2 to be released later this year. Until then, here’s my favorite scene from the first Anchorman. How did Brick manage to get a hand grenade and a trident?
Through the Shattered Lens 