Flying Pony Studios Collections
Collection File FP-001
Shadow on the Moon
Production Artwork and Design Studies
The illustrations on this page document the creation of Shadow on the Moon, a new pulp novelette following the adventures of Frederick C. Davis’s masked vigilante, the Moon Man. The character’s original adventures appeared in Ten Detective Aces during the mid-1930s, and this new story is set during the magazine’s original run while remaining faithful to its characters and atmosphere.
The artwork was created using many of the same traditional media employed by pulp illustrators of the period, including pen and ink, graphite, waxy pencil, and coquille paper. The front and back covers were rendered with alcohol markers and colored pencils. Although some modern materials are not archival, the finished artwork was digitized, and the originals are stored away from light to preserve them for the future.
Curator’s Note
The pieces gathered here represent surviving production material from Shadow on the Moon. Alongside finished illustrations are preliminary studies, rejected concepts, and comparative examples documenting how the visual identity of the book evolved. Like the working drawings preserved in museum collections, these pieces reveal decisions that are often invisible in the finished publication.
Book Cover
Cover Comparisons
On the left is the cover of a 1935 issue of Ten Detective Aces featuring one of the original Moon Man stories,
“The Silver Snare.” On the right is the finished cover for Shadow on the Moon.
The goal was to capture the visual language of the original pulp magazine while introducing imagery unique to the new story.
The astrological background reflects an important element of the plot while also acknowledging Everyday Astrology, a popular magazine of the period.
Historical Comparison
Everyday Astrology
One of the book’s faux advertisements reproduces the appearance of a genuine 1930s advertisement for Everyday Astrology.
Small details such as these help place the reader within the publishing world that originally surrounded the Moon Man stories.
Historical Reference
Ten Detective Aces
The magazine’s table of contents demonstrates the Moon Man’s prominence within the publication.
His stories consistently received top billing, reflecting the character’s popularity among readers.
The interior artwork also illustrates the magazine’s preferred visual style. Pen and ink dominated the illustrations
throughout Ten Detective Aces, making it the natural choice for the new artwork as well.
Interior Artwork
Bingo Tires
This pen and ink illustration depicts one of the story’s principal settings: the Bingo Tires building. Its rooftop display and distinctive bulldog logo,
complete with rilled collar, become important visual motifs throughout the story.
Creating fictional businesses that feel authentic to the 1930s required as much attention to graphic design as to illustration.
The Moon Man Kicks
The Moon Man struggles to avoid being unmasked by the city’s ace detective, resulting in one of the book’s central action scenes.
This illustration was designed to capture both the motion and dramatic composition typical of detective pulp magazines.
Working Drawings
Three illustrations are shown here on the drawing board during production. Two appear in the finished book,
while one remained an experiment and was ultimately set aside. Working drawings such as these preserve moments
in the creative process that are usually hidden once a book is complete.
The “Also Rans”
Not every illustration survives the editorial process.
These pieces were completed but ultimately rejected because they did not achieve the visual or narrative effect I wanted.
Preserving them here documents the decisions that shaped the finished book.
Colored Bingo Tire Building
This illustration was originally intended for the back cover. Although I was pleased with the rendering,
it ultimately gave way to a different design that better emphasized the book’s astrological theme.
Two Thugs
Originally conceived as part of a two-page splash illustration, this composition failed to capture the dramatic moment with enough clarity.
Rather than compromise the finished book, the entire sequence was abandoned.
Sometimes the strongest editorial decision is knowing when an illustration is not serving the story.
Back Cover
The back cover pays tribute to Everyday Astrology by echoing the design of one of its vintage covers.
Displayed together are the finished pen and ink drawing and the completed color artwork created with
alcohol markers and colored pencils, illustrating the transition from line drawing to final published image.
Conclusion
Illustrating a story set during the 1930s naturally encouraged me to work with many of the same tools and techniques employed by artists of the period.
While some historical materials are no longer available—or practical for a contemporary studio—the underlying methods remain remarkably effective.
The goal was never simply to imitate vintage illustration, but to understand how those artists worked and to apply the same
visual language in creating a new story that could comfortably stand beside the originals.
Published Edition
Shadow on the Moon (Lucina Press edition)
Flying Pony Studios: New Pulp Art Honoring An Older Tradition
(Please note that all the images and text on this page are protected by copyright. All images and text are copyright, Sara Light-Waller, 2026. All Rights Reserved.)