Gene Szafran
Encyclopedia
Gene Szafran is an American artist, illustrator, and sculptor. He is known for illustrations in magazines including Playboy
and Fortune
and cover art for science fiction
books published by Bantam
and Ballantine
during the 1960s to 1980s, notably a series of Signet paperbacks of Robert A. Heinlein
's work.
Born in Hamtramck, Michigan, Szafran studied at the College for Creative Studies
and Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit, where he later taught, and was also an art instructor at the famed Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn
, New York. He and his wife Marilyn Despres moved from New York to Redding, Connecticut
in the 1970s. They had a daughter named Alyssa. During this time he contracted multiple sclerosis
which devastated him, severely affecting his mobility and cutting short his career as an illustrator. Szafran then returned to the Detroit area.
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
and Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
and cover art for science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
books published by Bantam
Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by Random House, the German media corporation subsidiary of Bertelsmann; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
and Ballantine
Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
during the 1960s to 1980s, notably a series of Signet paperbacks of Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's work.
Born in Hamtramck, Michigan, Szafran studied at the College for Creative Studies
College for Creative Studies
College for Creative Studies is an art education institution in the United States and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. It is a private, fully accredited, four-year college located in Detroit, Michigan...
and Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit, where he later taught, and was also an art instructor at the famed Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York. He and his wife Marilyn Despres moved from New York to Redding, Connecticut
Redding, Connecticut
Mark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
in the 1970s. They had a daughter named Alyssa. During this time he contracted multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
which devastated him, severely affecting his mobility and cutting short his career as an illustrator. Szafran then returned to the Detroit area.
Sources
- Szafran represented by the LeChateau Gallery
- Examples of Szafran's artistic work at Todd Adams' blog dedicated to him