Auction Schedule: 12:00 PM Central Time, Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

Curators' Picks: May 27 Pulp, Paperback, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Illustration Art Showcase Auction
Our curators picked their favorite items from our upcoming May 27 Pulp, Paperback, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Illustration Art Showcase Auction.
| Sarahjane's Picks Sarahjane Blum | Director of Illustration Art
Robert Stanley I Cried in the Dark paperback cover, 1958
It's a given that mid-century paperback art was tasked with making even the most conventional stories seem lurid. Never has someone understood the assignment better than Robert Stanley with his 1958 Pyramid Books cover art for I Cried in the Dark (original title Woman with Arthritis.) It's a captivating image on its own, and a pitch-perfect example of why you can't judge a book by its cover.
James Gurney Alpine Princess, The Zanzibar Cat paperback cover, 1982
James Gurney's Alpine Princess was first published as the cover of Joanna Russ's The Zanzibar Cat. The award-winning art has been exhibited and reprinted multiple times, and it's no wonder. It draws the viewer in to an inviting and mysterious world, with unexpected animals and a bold heroine on a quest worth following. It's one of those pieces that is even more beautiful in person, and it's one of the jewels of the sale.
| Meagen's Picks Meagen McMillan | Senior Consignment Director, Illustration Art
Kelly Freas The Twilight of Biareus paperback cover study, 1975
There are quite a few Kelly Freas works in this auction, but my favorite is this study. As an illustration specialist, I tend to focus on completed, published pieces. However, when Freas hand writes "Well, Hell" as the first line of a letter discussing the work with the publisher, you know it's a knock-out. In Freas's own words: "My instinct says this one sells books, just as is. And I don't even know what makes it science fiction, but it sure is!"
Samson Pollen Wipe Out In Appalachia, Action for Men magazine interior, May 1975
Men's magazines from 1950 to 1980 never fail to get a quiet chuckle out of me. Their blend of stereotypes and archetypes turns these outlandish, exaggerated tales into clear descendants of pulp magazines. This Samson Pollen piece is especially amusing to me, having spent considerable time in Appalachia. It reads like a classic horror setup: an academic Northeastern fisherman hunted by wild, plaid-clad hillbillies complete with the absurd booby trap of a giant rock tied to a stick
| Ezriel's Picks Ezriel Wilson | Cataloguer, Illustration Art
Lou Harrison Brothers of the Dragon paperback cover, 1993
Lou Harrison's dramatic watercolor for the 1993 publication Brothers of the Dragon paperback cover is a stunning example of what I like to think was the artist experimenting with color theory. Harrison's purple background, marbled with swirling lighter purple tones, allows the artist to create a dark tree line that frames the scene beautifully. The center of the composition, made up of vibrant yellow tones, is filled with action as two brothers, utilizing their powers in martial arts and wilderness survival techniques within this newly discovered parallel world, are confronted by a brilliant yellow dragon flying overhead. The colors purple and yellow naturally complement each other, leaving you to wonder if the artist intentionally used that contrast to draw even more allure to the scene. Regardless, I love it, and it certainly worked for me! Bring some vibrant fantasy to your walls today.
Paul Alexander House of Zeor paperback cover, 1981
Paul Alexander's cover for House of Zeor is a stunning example of the power of the paperback cover, leaving me wanting to know so much more. As I discovered, Paul Alexander was regarded as one of the premier science fiction paperback artists of the 1970s and 1980s. House of Zeor was published in 1981 by Playboy Press, an imprint operating under the Playboy enterprise, which frequently published science fiction, horror, and fantasy within its well-known men's magazine pages. In this work, Alexander invokes a surreal, otherworldly atmosphere while adding the intense allure of a proto-cyborg alien figure set within a dystopian scene. The cyborg figure overtakes the central female figure with her bodice in tatters, further emphasizing the dramatic and provocative aesthetic of the era. As I later learned, Playboy Press is equally remembered for its involvement in the "bodice ripper wars" associated with the romance publishing scene. Because of that, I feel adding this Paul Alexander piece to your collection is not only a wonderful visual addition, but also a fascinating slice of publication history.
View these and other exciting examples from the worlds of gaming, pulp, paperbacks, sci-fi digests, and space art in our Pulp, Paperback, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Illustration Art Showcase Auction. The session time for this auction is 12:00 PM Central Time, Wednesday, May 27. Sincerely,
|  | Sarahjane Blum Director of Illustration Art SarahjaneB@HA.com (214) 409-1549
|  | Meagen McMillan Senior Consignment Director, Illustration Art MeagenM@HA.com (214) 409-1546
|  | Ezriel Wilson Cataloguer, Illustration Art EzrielW@HA.com (214) 409-1112