Does anyone know who did that wonderful artwork on the back of all the Bantam paperbacks of Ray's books and stories in the sixties and seventies? You know, its the one with the volcano and lava, and a T-Rex, and a giant bat, and a rocket, Mars of course, seems like there is a fish and a weird bug too. Any help would be appreciated.

The exact edition that got me hooked as a 9th grader...just a few years ago!

Good question Rock, though my 1967 edition (3rd printing) gives no reference to the artist of the original classic dark brown, gold, and yellow montage.

The later 1970's copy (13 printing - red cover) was a part of the similar cover design series that included a RB facial sketch superimposed in the foreground (also for Medicine of the Melancholy - yellowish, Martian Chroicles - orange, and Timeless Stories S.S. - green).

No artist cited in the credits that I can find. Anyone else have a lead? Philnic, are you there!?

That's it fjp! I have always been intrigued with that montage ever since I was a kid. Also not long ago in geologic time...

After some heavy googling, I found out who did the artwork. Someone on here somewhere was asking about the Illustrated Man artwork and it is Dean Ellison I believe. He did the same art for the Bantam paperback art including the one with Bradbury's face montage. It looks very similar in composition to Illustrated Man in that the lines are soft and the hues and shading are painted very gradually making for a very pleasing rich picture to the eye, creepy subject matter aside. If I get any more info, I will post, if anyone else knows anything including if you can order a print, let me know.

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Rocky,
I had commented that I found the IM cover intriguing and one of my favorite RBbook pics. I indicated that the artist was anonymous at best. I am now interested in more info on Mr. Ellison.
Thanks.

I'm going on a google run now. Of course after an initial baby step run I've discovered that there is also a motorcycle racer from Great Britain of the same name, brb....

fjp, I think I wrote the name down wrong. It appears to be Ellis, gotta re-google....

Yes that is it, Dean Ellis. I couldn't find out a whole lot yet because there isn't a lot out there. I think he did a lot of stamp designs later after doing sci-fi fantasy. I'm getting tired so I'll look tomorrow. You might try to google him on images, more seemed to come up including a few short bios.

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I know the covers of which you speak, but I didn't know anything about the artist. Like rocket, I Googled some. Assuming it's the same guy (and the style looks similar), there's a brief biography here.

A Google image search reveals this collection of pics, many of which of course have nothing to do with the Dean Ellis we're interested in, although there are some familiar SF-themed book covers in there.

I know that's him Phil, thanks. Did you see The Illustrated Man in there and Martian Chronicles. Not much info. I have quite a few of those stamps that he designed in my stamp collection.

Here are a few Dean Ellis pics, much like the IM cover in feeling and tone:
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3c2.html
http://www.noreascon.org/retroart/images/Ellis,%20Man%2...0Awoke,%2076-600.jpg
http://www.bspav.org/html/200th/hudso/hudso.htm
http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/ILL5152004/6.jpg

My curiousity piqued, some digging for myself turned up this:
From Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art, by Vincent Di Fate
(w/ Intro by Ray Bradbury!!)
http://www.vintagelibrary.com/pulp/pulpart/art/infinite.jpg

pg. 158 - "Among Ellis's most successful genre paintings are the series of works of Ray Bradbury. This cover (the red one for Golden Apples) incorporates an Ellis drawing in carbon pencil on a gessoed board, with a fully-rendered painting to striking effect. This first appeared in the 1960's."

Bio: Born in Detroit, MI, Ellis studied at the Cleveland Institute of Fine Art. He had several studios in the Cleveland area where he honed his skills as a free-lance artist. His best work was in the field of sf, especially a book series for Ray Brabdury (Bantam). This series was directed by legendary Len Leone.

He also did a number of important works for the philately market, from lighthouses to space commemoratives.

pg. 82, - "Illustrated Man painted in the late 1960's has a distinctive surrealistic mood." - [I guess that is what I meant ~ above!!]

I would love to have a poster (litho) of the IM seated on that wooden frame!!
http://clarkblog.typepad.com/clarkblog/images/illustrated.jpg

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Awesome job fjp!!! Thanks. I just got back from perusing some amazing pulp art on ebay. I wish I had some bucks right now, alas all I can do is window, ah er, screen shop at this time. Go to ebay, then art, and punch in Ray Bradbury. Check out the Illustrated Man movie poster. Also a lot of pulp covers with Ray stories contained with his name on cover, there was Sound of Thunder, Pillar of Fire, Way Up in the Middle of the Air, others. Saving up my half cents now! I agree, I so want the I.M. print and the whole litho or poster from the back of those books. I never made the connection between that picture and I.M. but now it is unquestionably the same artist. The one with the volcano and lava also had that creepy grinning skull that I love, along with the bat, T-Rex, rocket and Mars in the background. So much going on in that one. I love all of those pulp and paperback cover artworks.

By the way, I recently learned how to copy a different post onto this, how do you post a link?

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WOW, GOOD FINDINGS! HOW DID YOU DO IT?

LATER
PATRICK

Inadvertently from you!

Patrick FH451: Funny!! I was thinking of you while doing the searches. I can remember that Mr. Bradbury somewhere indicated that the artist on the I.M. painting on the Bantam original was not known (to him).

However, the Infinite Worlds book (V. DiFate, Penguin Studio of Wonderland Press -Penguin Putnam, Inc, NY) c. 1997, as this was the date on Mr. B's intro essay, pgs. 4-6, http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/difate.html
identifies the I.M. picture as the work of Mr. Ellis (on page 82). None of the Bantam paperback versions (1960-70's) give any reference (that I can find) to the artist's credit.

Patrick, I thought you might mention or ask Mr. B about this, if the topic seemed significant!? Thanks -fp

Tough to find a good photo of the Golden Apples, original brown cover (before the series items). Anybody have any sites I have not seen??

That was my "very first RB experience" near 40 years ago!! Today, I am consumed by his works.

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Wow, we had a thread a couple of days ago mentioning that IM cover, and I posted that Jerry Weist had written that no one new the name of the artist, not even RB who has the original painting hanging on his wall. And it turns out to be Dean Ellis. Amazing!

Phil, could you link that thread here, I had trouble finding it. Also, how do you post a link, I forgot how. I found a few more sites with examples of Ellis paintings. I also e-mailed about four websites asking for more info. on him.