1975: Year in Review

Starting out as a Professional Illustrator

and

Jan 12, 2025

Ever since I can remember, it seemed natural to draw things that interested me. I just did it. I wasn’t aware of wanting to be an artist until the concept of a career impinged on my mind, but in any case I never thought of it as a serious option until my third year in college.

I had grown to think that I had to be something professional, and since I’d always had an interest in human anatomy, I was intending to become a doctor. In college I was able to separate what I wanted to do from what I thought was expected of me, and in the latter half of my junior year I changed my major to art.

Share The Art of Michael Whelan

LEFT: Book cover for THE ENCHANTRESS OF WORLD'S END by Lin Carter, published by DAW Books. RIGHT: The cover illustration featuring the bust of a regal woman rendered in red against a pale turquoise background with a futuristic city in silhouette stretching across the horizon. A large jewel is set on her forehead flares with light and more glitter in her hair. A variety of necklaces drape down from her neck to define the contour of her bosom. Rendered small but full figure is a barbarian holding a curved sword in one hand and clenching his opposite fist. He wears a loin cloth, belts across his chest holding a black cloak, matching his boots. — **The Enchantress of World’s End** by Lin Carter (DAW, May 1975)

After graduating from San Jose State University, I attended The Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. I enrolled hoping to acquire some mysterious quality of refinement I felt was lacking in my work.

I knew it would be a big mistake to attempt to find my first commission with anything less than professional-level work in my portfolio. If I was going to enter the illustration field, I wanted to do it with a splash.

There were some great classes at the art school, but as time went on I was getting more and more restless…and more and more in debt. The tuition costs at the Art Center were enormous.

As the summer of ‘74 wound on, I was doing more work for myself and one by one dropping out of my classes, wondering what my next move should be. Then it happened.

LEFT: Book cover for THE TRANSITION OF TITUS CROW by Brian Lumley, published by DAW featuring a man staggering as he steps out of a grandfather clock. In the dark background, a demonic figure looms as a pair of doors beneath crack open and a beast looking like a beholder pushes through with its tentacles. CENTER: Book cover for DINOSAUR BEACH by Keith Laumer, published by DAW Books, featuring a man and woman standing shoulder to shoulder. He hold a laser pistol in one hand and a rough staff in the other. She wears a red jumpsuit and is holding a laser rifle as she turns back to a dinosaur rearing up on two legs and looking toward them. RIGHT: Book cover for THE ENCHANTED PLANET by Pierre Barbet featuring a warrior in yellow tunic raising a sword in one hand and twisting so the shield in his other is behind his leg. The tentacles of a beast wrap his legs. A moon looms overhead with another smaller moon intersecting it as three spaceships burn past. — **Transition of Titus Crow** by Brian Lumley (DAW, May 1975), **Dinosaur Beach** by Keith Laumer (DAW, Jun 1975), **Enchanted Planet** by Pierre Barbet (DAW, Jul 1975)

I was absentmindedly walking down a corridor at the Art Center when I spotted a notice for the San Diego Comic Con, calling for submissions to the convention’s art show.

I spent a week matting up some of my better pieces and went down to San Diego to put up the work. I couldn’t afford to stay for the convention; but when I went back to pick up my art, I found—to my utter astonishment—that everything had sold. (Having everything priced under fifteen dollars might have had something to do with it!)

Nevertheless, it was a vote of confidence that buoyed my spirits immensely. I also met someone there who offered to take some of my work to the World SF Convention in Washington the following month.

LEFT: Book cover for THE YEAR'S BEST HORROR STORIES: SERIES III edited by Richard David and published by DAW Books. RIGHT: The cover illustration featuring a montage with a hand rising from an island floating in space. The fingers are flexed and an eyeball with blue iris is set in the palm. A spaceship across the face of the island which consists of the top half of a skull, gallows resting on a brick wall falling off into the void, and a platform where death in crimson cloak awaits. — **The Year’s Best Horror Stories: Series III** edited by Richard Davis (DAW, Jul 1975). VISIONS OF CASSANDRA (1975), Acrylic on Canvas - 24" x 20"

I got some things together and asked her to make sure to enter the work in the “Professional” category; I could think of no better way to gauge my chances for success against existing talents in the field. I was on pins and needles the whole time she was away.

When I called after a few days to find out how things had gone, I was prepared for the worst. Instead, I learned that my painting OUTBOUND had won first place for “SF Art—Professional” in the art show. I was floored. It was a great boost!

Incidentally, Thomas Schluck, a German agent who had seen my work there, also contacted me and offered to sell “foreign rights” to my art in Europe.

LEFT: Book cover for MENTION MY NAME IN ATLANTIS by John Jakes, published by DAW Books, featuring a man with bloody sword lunging toward the audience with his mouth open and eyes falling in shadow. A fallen warrior lies on the rocks on his right while a damsel—resting on one hip—is draped over the rocks to his left. A horde seems to be doing battle behind them. CENTER: Book cover for THE BLOODY SUN by Marion Zimmer Bradley, published by DAW Books, featuring a man holding out a glimmering gem so large it fills his palm. A futuristic tower rises to the left of him while a line of people starts in the foreground right and winds back to the base of a city. The sun sits over distant mountains burning bloody red as two spaceships rocket by. RIGHT: Book cover for STAR OF DANGER by Marion Zimmer Bradley, published by DAW Books, featuring an alien bird perched atop rocks and two men staggering at its sight. One man points to it while the other turns in shock. — **Mention My Name in Atlantis** by John Jakes (DAW, Sep 1975), **The Bloody Sun** by Marion Zimmer Bradley (ACE, Nov 1975), **Star of Danger** by Marion Zimmer Bradley (DAW, Nov 1975)

My instructors felt that I was ready for my first commercial assignment, but it was the success of those two exhibitions that gave me enough confidence to send slides to two New York Publishers.

Donald Wollheim of DAW Books wrote back expressing an interest in my work. Staking everything on his letter, I packed all that I could into my Volkswagen and headed east. I worked on more paintings for my portfolio and turned in my first assignment.

LEFT: Book cover for THREE-EYES by Stuart Gordon, published by DAW Books, featuring a white figure, muscular and humanoid in shape except for a robotic face with ventilation where its mouth and cheeks should be and two glowing red eyes set in a mask. It stands on rocky terrain and holds an unconscious damsel. Her arms fall limp and her dress is in tatters. RIGHT: Book cover for WHEN THE WAKER SLEEPS by Ron Goulart, published by DAW Books, featuring a naked woman lying on her side unconscious within a transparent capsule. In the immediate foreground left, a portly man in friar robes has his back to the audience. He wears an eye path and a cigarette dangles from his mouth. He holds what appears to be a flask in one hand while he manipulates a metal band wrapped around the capsule. Standing over the capsule, a scoundrel holds up a laser pistol and gives an amused, ponderous look, cocking a smile as he rubs his chin. In the background a squad of robots face an angry mob of humans who are wielding clubs against their mechanized foes. — **Three-Eyes** by Stuart Gordon (DAW, Nov 1975), **When The Waker Sleeps** by Ron Goulart (DAW, Dec 1975)

In early 1975, I continued working for DAW Books—as well as Marvel Comics, which is a story I’ll save for another time—before receiving my first assignment from Ace Books.

I have to admit that after dropping out of art school to pursue my professional career, my first few years as a pro were quite a learning experience. Trying to come up with better approaches to books that already had great artwork by Frank Kelly Freas, Ed Emshwiller, Davis Meltzer, and others was a tremendous challenge and gave me enormous incentive to improve.