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Sarahjane's Picks
Sarahjane Blum | Director of Illustration Art
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Frederick Blakeslee is easily the most significant illustrator in the history of Aviation Pulps. He created every single cover for Daredevil Aces, as well as many for associated titles like Battle Birds. His eye for the drama of the sky emerged early, beginning his career as a draftsman for the Curtiss Aeroplane Factory. I’m always captivated by Blakeslee’s work, which blends his deep knowledge of aviation technology with the immediacy and energy of pulp storytelling.
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Fantasy is a genre of worldbuilding, and in The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks introduced readers to The Four Lands—a post-apocalyptic Earth where he would eventually set more than 30 novels. The power of Brooks’ setting is clear in this interior illustration by the Brothers Hildebrandt, showing the ominous terror of Skull Mountain, which looms as significantly as any character in the book. Riding the popularity of their Lord of the Rings calendars, the Hildebrandts’ illustrations for Brooks not only helped drive the success of his series but also played a pivotal role in launching the Del Rey publishing imprint.
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Meagen's Picks
Meagen McMillan | Senior Consignment Director, Illustration Art
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Ron Miller, the celebrated astronomical artist and longtime contributor to Astronomy
magazine, was commissioned in 1991 to design a set of ten U.S. Postal Service "Space Exploration" stamps celebrating planetary missions. Among these, the Pluto stamp stands out—it showed Pluto with the bold caption "Not Yet Explored," reflecting the state of knowledge at the time. Unbeknownst to Miller, this phrasing struck a chord with scientists at JPL, where it became a kind of rallying cry. The conversations it sparked helped inspire what became NASA’s New Horizons mission. In a poetic twist, Principal Investigator Alan Stern ensured Miller’s stamp was affixed to the spacecraft itself—effectively "canceling" its message by carrying it all the way to Pluto. The design thus transcended its origin, becoming not just art but a symbol of persistence and the
power of visual inspiration to propel exploration.
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The humor in this paperback cover is wild! The classic Mark Twain-esque scenario of attending your own funeral is given extra oomph with the slyly sarcastic raised eyebrow of the heroine. She reminds me of Maureen O’Hara—ready to yell at John Wayne while trying not to laugh. A solid choice for any collector with a sense of humor!
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Ezriel's Picks
Ezriel Wilson | Cataloguer, Illustration Art
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Ed Valigursky, renowned for his depictions of technology and science fiction, swept me away with this January 1955 cover for Amazing Stories. In Plague Planet,
Valigursky renders two figures struggling in a quicksand-like surface beneath the void of space. The foreground figure’s broken helmet and half-disembodied appearance echo the likeness of the rescuer, creating a surreal doubling effect. The sharp contrast of the brightly lit foreground against the deep darkness of the sky heightens the intensity of the scene. I love how Valigursky’s color work creates depth, pulling the viewer into the drama. This piece perfectly pairs with Ivar Jorgensen’s story of a Lunar Project rocket fleeing a plague-ridden Earth. Claim this slice of 1950s sci-fi history for your collection today!
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I love paperback art! The idea that an artist distills an entire story into a single compelling image is just so cool. Stanley M. Zuckerberg’s gouache cover for The Cop
does exactly that. He depicts a sultry woman reflected in a mirror on a bright pink door, while a cop stands awkwardly in the doorway, partially obscured. Did he walk into something he shouldn’t have? Jack Karney’s novel follows officer Joe Polan, a struggling 1950s cop whose low pay drives him toward corruption. My favorite element is how Zuckerberg extends the reflected room around the heroine, contrasting her allure with the stark void of white space and the looming shadow cast by the door. It’s a scene that instantly hooks the viewer—and leaves them wanting more. A striking addition for any collector!
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Meagen McMillan
Senior Consignment Director, Illustration Art
MeagenM@HA.com
(214) 409-1546
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Ezriel Wilson
Cataloguer,
Illustration Art
EzrielW@HA.com
(214) 409-1112
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