Paperback cover illustration for Cry of the Hawk, 1970, by Peter Caras. Oil on board
Born to a single mother along with three brothers, Steve Holland lived an early life where times were hard, and money was scarce. Physically adept, Holland worked in a number of fields including the Merchant Marines, and as a pottery maker, before ending up with a relatively short-lived career as an actor. His most notable role was as television’s ‘Flash Gordon’ in 1954 for 39 episodes, before the show was cancelled. He also appeared on stage with Julie Harris in The Warm Peninsula, and had small roles in a few movies. Holland applied what he learned as an actor to modeling as he quickly became the go-to guy for men’s adventure magazines, comic book covers, the Saturday Evening Post, advertising ads, and mass-market paperbacks. Holland was largely the face of Western, war, crime, espionage, and adventure publications for more than 30 years.
This story is from the Illustration No. 73 edition of Illustration.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Illustration No. 73 edition of Illustration.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE ART OF PAUL BRANSOM
Paul Bransom (1885-1979) was widely known as the Dean of American Animal Artists. His work appeared on the covers of magazines like The Saturday Evening Post and served as illustrations of short stories in periodicals and in books. He provided the illustrations for some 45 books, most notably the 1912 edition of Jack London’s Call of the Wild and the 1913 edition of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows.
THE ART OF FRANK MCCARTHY
Witnessing a Wild West show as a young boy was a crucial early influence that led Frank McCarthy to become a distinguished painter of Western historical themes. The excitement and emotion he felt that day stayed with him, and can be seen in the vivid action, color, and splendor that emanate from his paintings.
THE ART OF WARD BRACKETT
Ward Brackett (April 2, 1914–December 14, 2006) was a gifted American illustrator, known for his work in paperback books and periodicals such as Reader’s Digest and Cosmopolitan.
THE ART OF N.C. WYETH
For over 25 years, N.C. Wyeth was regarded as the foremost illustrator of books and magazines in the United States. His artwork for iconic tales of romance and adventure has become synonymous with the stories themselves, familiar to multiple generations of readers. Some of the best-known characters in literature have become nearly indistinguishable from the images he produced.
THE ART OF CHARLES LASALLE
\"We have some artists in the family.\" I didn't know it at the time, but my future father-in-law Aiden E. LaSalle was a master of understatement.
THE ART OF PRUETT CARTER
Pruett Carter was once recognized as one of America's top illustrators, during a time when illustrations were viewed primarily as easel paintings
THE ART OF RAYMOND JOHNSON
Raymond Sven (Ray) Johnson was a commercial illustrator who created iconic paperback book covers spanning all genres of fiction for Avon, Popular Library, Monarch and other publishers from the late 1940s through the early 1960s.
"Blow some my way"
THE DELINEATION OF DESIRE IN 1920s COMMERCIAL ILLUSTRATION
THE ART OF FRITZ WILLIS
Fritz Willis was born in Oklahoma in 1907, and raised in Boston.
THE ART OF WILLIAM OBERHARDT
Illustrator William Oberhardt (1882-1958) was born in Guttenberg, New Jersey, 1882.