Science fiction has an eclectic history. Authors have explored bizarre new worlds, strange aliens, and unimaginable futures. The pulp novels of the mid-20th century contained all of this, and they were packaged with dazzling cover art that would go on to define the genre for decades. A new video from Evan Puschak’s YouTube channel Nerdwriter dives into the underappreciated history of the genre’s cover art and what it spells for the future of the genre.
The video highlights Frank R. Paul, the cover illustrator for Amazing Stories, the first magazine devoted to science fiction. His covers were brightly colored, with fantastic technologies, spaceships, and creatures. They helped define what a science fiction story looked like and attracted legions of fans to the genre with the promise of exciting stories.
For decades, science fiction appeared in magazines as short stories, but with the introduction of paperback novels, this tradition of bright covers continued, exploring “weirder and more avant-garde styles,” according to Puschak. As the genre grew in popularity, art directors began to elevate their styles by bringing on artists such as Franco Grignani, Richard Powers, and David Pelham, who translated the thematic content of the books into abstract art. Booklovers began to essentially create their own miniature art galleries of beautiful and abstract artwork.
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Each Saturday Morning here at Adafruit is Saturday Morning Cartoons! Be sure to check our cartoon and animated posts both nostalgic and new that inspire makers of all ages! You’ll find how-tos for young makers, approaches to learning about science and engineering, and all sorts of comic strip and animated Saturday Morning fun! Be sure to check out our Adafruit products featuring comic book art while you’re at it!