Doing research on my favorite Pulp artists at Field Guide to Wild American Artists, I found the end of each biography was almost always “and he transitioned into the comic book field”. Many of the old illustrators found a steadier pay check with the new comic book studios or after 1954 had no choice but to find a new employer when the Pulps died. Some went over to slicks or paperbacks but other found the work in comics better suited their talents.
I haven’t arranged these in any particular order.
Harold S. De Lay (1876-1950) did some of the better realistic illustrations for Weird Tales including Conan’s “Red Nails”. His comic work has a nice old illustration feel that was miles above some of the comics of the day.
Jack Binder (1902-1986) was the older brother of Earl and Otto Binder, who were Eando Binder in the Pulps. Jack had his own studio for many years and produced comics for the Pulps such as the reviled Zarnak in Thrilling Wonder Stories and Diana Daw for Spicy Adventures (both under pseudonyms). Later he would return to comics to draw his brother Otto’s Mary Marvel.
Harry Parkhurst (1876-1962) worked mostly in covers in the Pulps, painting the sexy girls of Spicy Detective. He did occasionally do interiors for a variety of Pulps. In the comics, he drew Westerns.
Joseph Doolin (1896-1967) was another top artist in Weird Tales and later other Pulps. He did the entire five issue run of “The Devil’s Bride”, the Jules de Grandin novel by Seabury Quinn. In the comics he did covers mostly for Jumbo Comics and other titles.
Allen Anderson (1908-1995) was the cover guy for Planet Stories and other Fiction House titles. Not surprising, when he moved to Ziff-Davis comics, they had him paint covers. This was a short-lived practice since drawn covers were faster and cheaper to do.
Edd Cartier (1914-2008) was the artist most often associated with John W. Campbell’s Unknown. He was also famous for doing The Shadow and other hero magazines too. His stint in comics wasn’t long but he did do some great work for Red Dragon.
Vincent Napoli (1907-1981) was a later Weird Tales and Short Stories illustrator. He never did covers in the Pulps or comics. He didn’t do many comics but one in particular stands out, the 46 page adaptation of H. Rider Haggard’s She for Famous Authors.
Paul Orban (1896-1974) is in my mind “the Doc Savage artist” having illustrated many of the 181 super-sagas as well as drawing Street and Smith’s comic book version too. He also illustrated other heroes like The Shadow and The Avenger. Later he became a superior Science Fiction magazine illustrator.
Alex Schomberg (1905-1998) is a classic Science Fiction illustrator and cover artist. In the Pulps he did both covers and interior work but in the comics he only did covers, sometimes under the pseudonym Xela (Alex backwards). He would also do many paperback covers for ACE Books.
Leo Summers (1925-1985) got his start with Ray A. Palmer’s Pulps but after found work both in the Science Fiction magazines and comics like Creepy.
I am sure there are many others I have missed. It seems a natural transition from Pulps to comics, partly because the same companies both publications: ie: Startling Stories/Startling Comics. Also the subject matter is very similar. If an artist enjoys rockets and monsters and such, where else would you find them in large numbers than in the comics?
Great article, informative
Thanks