Edmund Alexander Emshwiller was born February 16, 1925 in Lansing, Michigan. Graduated from the University of Michigan in 1947. He went to Paris in 1949 and studied for one year at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
He created a few covers for pulp magazines, but he mostly did interior story illustrations for Planet Stories, Future Science Fiction, Thrilling Wonder, Starling Stories, and Amazing Stories. He created many more interior story illustrations and covers for digest magazines such as Galaxy, Fantastic Story, Mercury Mystery Book, Astounding Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Space Stories.
He married Carol Fries on August 30, 1949. They raised a daughter, Susan, and a son, Peter.
In the 1950s and 1960s "Emsh" also created hundreds of covers for paperbacks and hardback books, for such publishers as Goldmedal Books and Ballantine Books. He also made story illustrations for men's adventure magazines, such as Sportsman and True Action.
In the 1960s and 1970s Ed Emshwiller worked extensively with 16mm experimental underground films, and was an active member in the independent film movement in California. He was the Dean of the School of Film at the California Institute of Arts, in Valencia, CA, from 1979 to 1990.
Ed Emshwiller died of cancer at age 65 on July 27, 1990.
© David Saunders 2009 |
