"I learned how to compose, how to tell a story. There's no way I could have done what I did later if I hadn't had all that men's adventure magazine work." -Mort Künstler
Known today as "America's Artist" for his popular and much admired historical paintings, it was in the wild world of men's adventure magazine illustration that Mort Künstler honed his ability to present large-scale action while never losing sight of essential details. It led to a mastery of capturing conflict in paint-both the spectacle, and the human cost. At long last, The Men's Adventure Library brings an unequaled selection of Künstler's finest pieces from the men's adventure magazine era back into print in this bold, colorful collection, available in both softcover and expanded, deluxe hardcover editions. From the explosive intensity of battles on the sea and in the air, to taut, face-to-face showdowns and animal attacks, every page explodes with action, color, and artistry. [This book is also available in an expanded hardcover edition with additional content.]
Author Biography:
MORT KÜNSTLER (b. 1927), one of the most prolific and best-admired American artists, is known for his extensive research and artistic mastery of U.S. historical subjects. His paintings are in over 50 museum collections and have been the subject of more than 60 one-man shows. Künstler has chronicled American History from before the Europeans arrived, through 21st century military experiences, and popular culture. His prolific body of work began with his early illustrations for men's adventure magazines of the 1950s and 1960s, which helped define an era in publishing. His captivating and sometimes provocative images adorned the covers and illustrated the stories in magazines such as MALE, STAG, and FOR MEN ONLY. These images have become emblematic of pop culture. In his younger days, ROBERT DEIS explored various options for making a living. Among other things, he worked as a teacher, an artist, a musician, a logger in the Maine woods, a magazine writer and a state government bureaucrat. Eventually (by accident rather than design) he fell into a long-lasting career as a political consultant. Nowadays, he blogs and writes about things that interest him, such as famous quotations and men's adventure magazines. Bob grew up in the decades when men's adventure magazines were flourishing, but he didn't take much notice of them until he read the 2004 book MEN'S ADVENTURE MAGAZINES IN POSTWAR AMERICA, which features the amazing art and magazine collection of Rich Oberg. That inspired him to start collecting and studying men's adventure magazines. In 2009, he created the MensPulpMags.com blog. Through that, he met other fans of the genre, including Rich Oberg, Wyatt Doyle and Josh Alan Friedman, who all agree that what the world needs now is greater exposure to the wild, weird world of men's adventure pulp fiction and pulp art. Wyatt Doyle is ringmaster of New Texture, and he edits and designs most releases. His own books include STOP REQUESTED (illustrated by Stanley J. Zappa), DOLLAR HALLOWEEN, I NEED REAL TUXEDO AND A TOP HAT!, BUTY-WAVE IS NOW CLOSED FOREVER, and JORGE AMAYA DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. A retrospective of his photography was presented by Gallery 30 South in Pasadena, CA. With Robert Deis, he edits the Men's Adventure Library series, exploring vintage pulp fiction, art, and history. With Jimmy Angelina, he created THE LAST COLORING BOOK and THE LAST COLORING BOOK ON THE LEFT, as well as BE ITALIAN. Together with Hal Glatzer and Norman von Holtzendorff, he produced THINGS THAT WERE MADE FOR LOVE, collecting the songsheet art of Sydney Leff. He assisted in the publication of Georgina Spelvin's memoir, THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, and published Josh Alan Friedman's BLACK CRACKER and TELL THE TRUTH UNTIL THEY BLEED via his Wyatt Doyle Books imprint. He administers the creative estate of Rev. Raymond Branch, and curates RevBranch.com. His screenplay with Jason Cuadrado, I'M HERE FOR YOU, was produced as DEVIL MAY CALL. A member of The Stanley J. Zappa Quartet, a recording, THE STANLEY J. ZAPPA QUARTET PLAYS FOR THE SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS, has been released.
