NORMAN SAUNDERS (1907–1989) was the legendary illustrator of Mars Attacks, Wacky Packages, Batman, Pre-Code Comics, Men’s Adventure, Paperbacks, Pulp Magazines, and Sci-Fi. His unique artistic vision influenced the visual language of American pop culture throughout a century of changing fashions, and continues to inspire today’s important visionaries. Savvy collectors have long dreamt of a book on the entire lifework of Norman Saunders, and that dream has finally come true with the world’s first book to present his finest paintings in radiant reproductions, to savor the extraordinary artistry behind so many iconic images, familiar from timeworn vintage collectibles.

The artist’s son has written an insightful biography, seasoned with quotes from the artist and his associates, chronicling the frontier childhood and training of an illustrator who rose to the top of his profession, and then spent WWII in China painting travel sketches. When Saunders defied the corporate forces of conformity during McCarthyism he was relegated to underground world of subculture publishing, where he continued his remarkable career by painting countless icons for Pre-Code Comics, Men’s Adventure magazines and Bubble Gum Trading Cards, until his happy rediscovery by fandom in his twilight years.

This is the consummate reference book on the entire lifework of Norman Saunders, with over 880 illustrations, of which more than 300 are from original art, including 30 working drawings, and 30 reference photos as well as 30 historic family photos, and checklists of all published works. 368 pages, 9”x12”, full-color, hardbound with dust jacket.

NORMAN SAUNDERS is the ground-breaking and definitive book on one of the greatest and most prolific illustrators of the 20th century, whose artistic contribution to American popular culture grows even more impressive in retrospect. The one-hundredth anniversary of the artist’s birth is a well-rounded time for reconsideration of his inspiring genius.

About the Author:
David Saunders was born in NYC in 1954 in an odd home filled with oddballs and oddities. He grew up to become a leading expert on the history of pulp art, and has written biographical essays on several pulp artists, including his father, for Illustration magazine. His ongoing research material is accessible online at www.PulpArtists.com. David Saunders has taught art at many colleges, including Yale, Oberlin, and Duk-Sung University in Seoul. He is an artist in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, The New Museum, Japan National Rail, and LaGuardia Airport. For information visit www.DavidSaunders.biz. He lives and works in New York in another odd home filled with new oddballs and oddities.