The Art of Western Paperbacks (2024) by National Cowboy & Western Heritage MuseumNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Golden Age of Western pulp
During the 1940s and 1950s, book illustrators created dynamic and engaging paperback covers for western tales of cowboys, villains, duels and danger.
Part of Western art legacy
They belonged to a tradition that included Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington, Philip Goodwin and other prominent artists. Despite their training and contributions, however, this new generation rarely received recognition or respect for their work.
But is it truly 'art'?
Some critics, including artists, even said its commercial and unrefined nature disqualified it as “true” art. But art is in the eye of the beholder, and the works of A. Leslie Ross, Robert Stanley, George Gross, Tom Ryan, Frank McCarthy and Stanley Borack deserve a long and thou
A. Leslie Ross
A. Leslie Ross was born in 1910 in West Orange, New Jersey and began drawing during summer visits to his aunt’s farm in New York. There, he worked with horses and studied their movements. He later attended the New York School of Fine Arts and Pratt Institute.
More than 300 covers
Ross' career included freelance work for several movie studios, including Warner Brothers and Paramount Studios, designing teaching aids for US Forces during World War II, and producing over 300 paperback covers during the late 1940s and 50s.
Ross' way to work
Ross worked in oil, gouache, and acrylic, and was known for his skill at depicting horses and action.
In Ross' words
A. Leslie Ross said: "Some 15,000 years ago, people drew on cave walls. They invented ways of expressing themselves. With a strong desire to express what they felt, they drew without hesitation. Their work carried the conviction of positive thought in expressing a sensation."
Ross: The only barrier ... is your mind
Ross continued: "The only barrier you have is your mind. You must feel sure of yourself and work with the conviction that you are starting something truthful. Creative work needs a starting point. Not unlike the foundation necessary for a fit life."
Robert Stanley
Born in Wichita, Kansas, on March 28, 1918, Robert Stanley began studying art as a young man under the tutelage of his next-door neighbor, Claudia Moore. After graduating from high school in 1935, he attended one year of college at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Stanley: A pulp illustrator
Stanley published his first pulp cover for Thrilling Western in 1939. Not earning enough to survive, he accepted a position as a draftsman, however. After World War II, he once again entered the world of pulp illustrators and produced works for a variety of publishers.
Stanley's model? Himself
From 1950 to 1959, he was a prolific artist for Dell Publishing. His mystery and western covers involved action and a bit of real-life inspiration. He often patterned the women after his wife, Rhoda, and the men after himself.
George Gross
Born to Hungarian immigrants in 1909 in Brooklyn, New York, George Gross graduated from Pratt Institute in 1931. He joined his father’s business, and there developed a practical approach to commercial illustration.
Starting a long career
After WWII, Gross worked as a freelance illustrator for a variety of publishers. During his long career, he produced hundreds of pulp covers for Mystery Novels Magazine, Double Action Western, Action Stories, Air Stories, Baseball Stories and Detective Book Magazine.
Gross starts his own studio
He also sold covers to several publishers, including Dell, Bantam Books, Star Books, and more. In the 1950s, he shared an art studio with Mort Kunstler.
Tom Ryan
Born in 1922 in Springfield, Illinois, Tom Ryan began drawing airplanes at age four with the help of his brother. During World War II, he made extra money drawing pictures of fellow servicemen and decided to pursue art as a career after his discharge.
Ryan crafts nearly 300 paperback covers
Creating paintings for nearly 300 paperback book covers, Ryan transitioned into the world of fine western art and became a member of the Cowboy Artists of America in the mid-1960s.
Ryan at The Cowboy
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has a number of his works in its permanent collection, including a large example located on the west side of the Museum’s exterior.
Tom Ryan on drawing "the rugged life"
"An interest in Western history, the ability to draw and paint well, and an outdoor urge for nature’s handiwork and the rugged life, led me on sketching trips in the 1950s to an area of West Texas that was the hunting grounds of the buffalo hunters."
Frank McCarthy
Born in New York City in 1924, Frank McCarthy began painting when he was five or six years old. His family later moved to Scarsdale, New York, where he began his art education. He studied at Pratt Institute and the Arts Student League in New York City.
Ilustrator to artist
For 21 years, McCarthy created illustrations for several magazines as well as paperback book covers. As his gallery sales increased, however, he left the illustration world in 1968. He had his first major exhibition in 1973, with 23 paintings selling out in 20 minutes.
A Prix de West artist
McCarthy joined the Cowboy Artists of America in 1975 and remained an active member for 23 years. He also participated in the National Academy of Western Art sale and exhibition, now known as Prix de West, in 1992 and 1993.
McCarthy on creating Western characters
McCarthy said: "Some Western artists document, some do scenery, animals, and portraits of Indians. I paint to achieve a visual impact—trying to redesign the beauty of the West. I put into this setting the characters that roamed it as well as the vehicles that crossed it."
Stanley Borack
The son of immigrants, Stanley Borack was born in New York City in 1927. Attending the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, he graduated in 1945 and enrolled in the Art Students League the following year.
Becoming a protege of Frank Reilly
He stayed for four years and studied almost exclusively under famed artist Frank Reilly, taking 17 of his courses. Borack enjoyed a long career in illustration, working for a variety of publishers and painting covers for paperback books and pulp magazines.
Borack on inspiration
"I’ve always loved a good Western movie. That period was a classical era in American history, with its unique clothing, colorful Indian costumes, and wagons. And, who doesn’t like to look at a good horse in movement?"
Story by the staff of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
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