How do you preserve pulp-era art techniques in contemporary pulp art? In my search for pulp art authenticity, I’ve spent years studying the original pulp masters. I’ve recreated dozens of pulp magazine covers—brushstroke for brushstroke. My goal was to learn their visual language from the inside out. From the bold brushstrokes of Earle Bergey and George Rozen to the expressive line-work of Edd Cartier and Howard V. Brown, I’ve examined how these pulp art legends handled color palettes, composition, dramatic figures, and melodramatic action. Their work wasn’t just pulp — it was powerful visual storytelling which is highly-collectible today. More than that, it was an art style highlighting action and drama. It had fire!
From the Past
The Thrilling Wonder Stories magazine cover from the Fall 1945 issue (left) was painted by pulp-era superstar artist, Earle Bergey Jr.. Bergey painted covers for many pulp genre magazines including: science fiction, spicy, and sports. He often worked in oils, which was a common medium during that era. My copy (right) was produced with more eclectic media—alcohol markers and colored pencils. You can see how close they got to the look of the original.
This Love Story Magazine cover from December 4, 1937 was painted by Modest Stein. Stein often worked in chalk pastels. My copy (right) was made primarily in colored pencils with an underpainting of water-based markers. This is one of many pulp covers I’ve recreated to study pulp-era visual storytelling.
The original cover of June 1936 issue of Mystery Adventure Magazine was painted by the great illustrator, Norman Saunders. My copy (on right) was an exercise is value. I recreated the piece in pen & ink. This allowed me to study the bones of the art: design, flow, clarity, and composition.
To The Future
My new cover art and interior illustrations for “Shadow on the Moon” and other forthcoming titles this year reflect this hard-earned knowledge. These aren’t just retro tributes — they’re authentic pulp-era art techniques reborn. I’ll be talking about this process during my academic panel at Seattle WorldCon 2025, where I’ll explore how 1930s sci-fi gave readers hope during dark times.
My hand-painted cover for “Shadow on the Moon” is created in the tradition of the original pulp artists and art.
Curious how these pulp-era illustration techniques come to life in modern publishing? Visit The Drawing Board for more about my creative process.