Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Featured Artist: Margaret Brundage

Margaret Brundage
Margaret Brundage is another artist you may not know by name but certainly by her art.  I will go out on a limb and say she was one of the most recognizable artists of the Pulp Era.

Margaret Brundage, born Margaret Hedda Johnson was born December 9, 1900, in Chicago, a place she would call home till her death in 1976.  

She was looking for work when she found  Farnsworth Wright editor of "Oriental Tales" and then "Weird Tales" Brundage would paint covers for both magazines and sign them "M. Brundage" so no one knew it was a woman doing all this art of scantily clad or nude women in peril. 

Her artwork became part of the image of Weird Tales in the 1930s with some authors, Seabury Quinn notably, not only requesting her work but working in scenes of her art into the story.  Others like Clark Ashton Smith and H.P. Lovecraft were less pleased with her work.  But there is no doubt that her covers sold magazines.

Often her covers also had to be toned down for publication.  Her other works were even more risque.

She would go on to do 66 covers for Wierd Tales. Some have gone on to become classics.

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

Margaret Brundage Weird Tales cover

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1 comment:

Dick McGee said...

My grandparents gave me a slew of magazines from this era when I was in grade school (ie 1970s) as hand-me-downs, and my parents promptly tore the covers off all the "racy" ones like these. I suppose I should be thankful they didn't just throw them out altogether, at least I got to read the things. Wound up getting blamed for the covers being gone though, which resulted in never getting another book or mag from the grandparents.

I can dimly remember the local scifi fans making jokes about "Margaret Bondage" art as well. The lady did have a fondness for the cat o'nine tails if this sampling is anything to go by.

Much as I appreciate her art style, I don't think "buddhess" is actually a word. :)