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Hans Waldemar Wessolowski

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Hans Waldemar Wessolowski (August 19, 1894 – May 12, 1948) was a German-American artist best known under the pseudonym "Wesso" for his many cover illustrations for pulp magazines in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Hans Waldemar Wessolowski
Born(1894-08-19)August 19, 1894
Graudenz, German Empire
DiedMay 12, 1948(1948-05-12) (aged 53)
Norwalk, Connecticut
StyleScience fiction, pulp fiction
Amazing Stories Quarterly, Fall 1929, cover art by Wesso

Early life

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Hans Waldemar Wessolowski was born August 19, 1894,[1] in the city of Graudenz in the German Empire (now part of Poland).[2] He had a brother and a sister.[3] He studied art at the Royal School of Art in Berlin, worked as a commercial artist, and found his first permanent position at the satire magazine Simplicissimus.[4][5] By early 1914, he was living in Hamburg.[6]

Blind in one eye, Wessolowski was rejected for military service. Anxious to see the world, he joined the German merchant navy,[4] taking a job as a crew member on the SS Fürst Bismarck in May 1914.[7] Dissatisfied with the hard work required, he jumped ship in New Orleans, Louisiana, in June 1914.[8][a] He became a naturalized American citizen a year later.[4]

Career

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Commercial artist and entry into pulps

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Wessolowski took up residence in Kansas City, Missouri. He became a commercial artist in 1916,[13] working for the Ferry Hanly Advertising Company as well as for companies such as the Union Bank Note Company, the Burger-Braid Engraving Company.[14] When the United States entered World War I, he registered for military service but was never drafted.[15]

By 1927, Wessolowski was living in New York City. He received his first freelance commission as an illustrator in December of that year. His work accompanied the short story "The Apple Tree Sage" by Manuel Komroff in McClure's magazine.[16] He received three more commissions from McClure's, and in the summer of 1928 began working for Clayton Magazines, a major publisher of pulp magazines. His first work for Clayton appeared on the cover of Clues: A Magazine of Detective Stories in July 1928. He provided covers for Air Adventures, The Danger Trail, and Three Star Magazine in October, and added work for Adventure Tails, Brief Stories, Complete Detective Novel Magazine, World Stories, and All Star Detective Stories over the next 18 months.[17]

Although he worked primarily for science fiction and fantasy magazines after 1929, Wesso occasionally did illustrations for other Clayton magazines. For example, he drew an Art Deco style cover for the January 1934 issue of Motor Magazine.[18]

Science fiction and fantasy work

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He got his first job as a science fiction and fantasy pulp cover artist when editor T. O'Conor Sloane hired him in September 1929 to draw the cover for Amazing Stories.[5] Wesso had never heard of science fiction before.[19] Late in 1929, editor Harry Bates hired him to draw the cover for the first issue of Astounding Stories,[19] which had a cover date of January 1930.[20] He drew the covers for Astounding Stories every month until Howard V. Brown took over cover art duties[21] in October 1933.[22] He created 34 covers for the magazine.[23]

Wessolowski also drew covers for another Clayton Magazine effort, Strange Tales beginning in September 1931.[24][25] He also drew illustrations for Weird Tales magazine in August 1931.[26]

His covers were brightly colored and eye-catching. He was particularly proficient at drawing monsters, and less so at depicting advanced technology.[19] His human figures are distinctive, thin, and sharp-featured. They invariably show strained muscles and extended limbs. The proportions of his humans are oddly distorted, with sunken chests, peculiarly large thigh muscles, and elongated limbs.[5] As Frank R. Paul was the best and primary illustrator for science fiction and fantasy magazines published by Experimenter Publishing and Ziff Davis, Wesso became the key artist for similar pulps issued by Clayton Magazines.[20][b] He spent anywhere from two days to a week on a cover, occasionally using toys as models for his work.[5] His work was often lauded by readers.[30]

He signed his work "Wesso", and it is this name that is most commonly cited when his art is given credit.[31]

Wesso earned a good income from his pulp work.[32] Along with Frank R. Paul, Howard V. Brown, and Leo Morey, he was considered one of the top four early pulp artists.[33]

Wesso ceased to work for pulps for a time after the collapse of Clayton Magazines in 1933, only returning in 1937 when he drew the cover for the June 1937 Astounding Stories (now owned and published by Street & Smith) and the August 1937 cover of Thrilling Wonder Stories (published by Better Publications).[5]

Editor Hugo Gernsback tried to hire Wesso as a cover artist for Amazing Stories, but the artist refused to accept the low fee Gernsback offered.[19]

Better Publications began issuing a new pulp magazine, Startling Stories, in January 1939.[34] Wesso drew illustrations for Edmund Hamilton's novel The Prisoner of Mars in the May 1939 issue.[35][c] The company began publication of Captain Future magazine in winter 1940[36] (street date December 1939).[37] Each issue contained a full-length novel featuring the science super hero, Curtis Newton a.k.a. Captain Future.[38] Wessolowski drew illustrations for the first 15 issues.[39][d]

Throughout his pulp magazine career, Hans Wessolowski continued to work as a freelance commercial artist.[41] In 1940, Wesso joined the New York Daily News as a staff artist.[3] His output for sci fi and fantasy pulps dropped dramatically: Between 1937 and 1942, he drew only six covers for Astounding, three for Thrilling Wonder Stories, and one for Marvel Science Fiction. His cover for Astonishing Stories in March 1942 was his last sci fi cover.[42][e] He ceased working for pulp magazines after 1942, except for the occasional commission.[5]

Private life

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Hans Wessolowski married Minnie Isabella Ross on May 18, 1918. They lived in Kansas City until at least 1925, then resided in New York City. Some time before 1940, they moved to Fairfield, Connecticut.[45] Minnie Ross returned to Kansas City some time after his death, and died in October 1972.[46]

Death

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Hans Wessolowski died at the age of 53 at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, on May 12, 1948.[47][48] His wife survived him; they had no children.[3][48]

Notes

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  1. ^ From 1906 until the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the Fürst Bismarck served as a passenger liner operating between Hamburg and Veracruz, Mexico, usually stopping in Havana, Cuba.[9] On February 18, 1913, General Victoriano Huerta seized power in a coup d'état in Mexico. The new regime was recognized by the German Empire, which wished to support it with guns and ammunition. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson invoked the Monroe Doctrine and attempted to bar all German arms shipments to Mexico. The U.S. could not, however, stop the private sale of American arms to the Huerta regime. The surprisingly passengerless Fürst Bismarck unexpectedly arrived in New Orleans on June 7, 1914. American authorities suspected the ship was picking up a private arms shipment,[10] but an inspection of loading cargo revealed only miscellaneous merchandise.[11] She remained under surveillance until she departed for Veracruz on June 10.[12]
  2. ^ In financial difficulty due to the Great Depression, Clayton ceased publication in October 1932; issues cover dated March 1933 were the last to be sold.[27] Clayton Magazines declared bankruptcy in April 1930 and sold its magazine titles. T.R. Foley purchased Astounding Stories and Clues for $100; Foley resold them in August to Street & Smith, a well-established publisher.[28][29]
  3. ^ Startling usually published a full novel, accompanied by one or two short stories, in each issue.[34]
  4. ^ Only 17 issues appeared.[40]
  5. ^ Astonishing Stories was published by Popular Publications,[43] and Marvel Science Stories was published at that time by Postal Publications.[44]

References

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  1. ^ "H. W. Wesso". Internet Science Fiction Database. 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  2. ^ Käther 2021, pp. 1–2: "In Graudenz (das heute zu Polen gehört) 1894 geboren, begann er seine Karriere beim legendären Müncher Satiremagazin ,,Simplicissimus'', nachdem er an der Königlichen Akademie Belin sein Handwerk gelernt hatte. Durch sein fehlendes Auge werde er vom Militärdiesnt befruit — verspürte aber nach geraumer Zeit doch eine unstillbare Abenteuerlust und ging zur deutchsen Handelsmarine. Des harten Dienstes überdrüssig, sprang er 1912 in der Nähe von New Orleans uber Bord and schwamm an Land. Schon 1913 gelang ihm die Einbürgerung, under er wurde amerikanischer Staatsbürger."
  3. ^ a b c "Newspaper Artist Dies". Fitchburg Sentinel. May 13, 1948. p. 4.
  4. ^ a b c Käther 2021, pp. 1–2.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Bleiler & Bleiler 1998, p. 601.
  6. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "Als letzten Wohnsitz in Deutschland gab er Hamburg an."
  7. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "mutlich als Besatzungsmitglied — mit der Fürst Bismarck in New Orleans an."
  8. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "Hans Wessolowski erst einen Monat später, im Juni 1914, in die USA. Er war angeblich In New Orleans vom Schiff ins Wasser gesprungen und an Land geschwommen."
  9. ^ Rothe 1986, p. 102.
  10. ^ "Liner Going for Huerta?". The New York Times. June 7, 1914. p. 2. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  11. ^ "Fuerst Bismarck's Cargo Not Arms". The New York Times. June 8, 1914. p. 2. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  12. ^ "Fuerst Bismarck Sails". The New York Times. June 10, 1914. p. 2. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  13. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "Wessolowski ging nach Missouri, Also Beruf fab er dort bereits 1916 'artist an."
  14. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "In Kansas City war Wessolowski als 'commercial artist', als Werbegrafiker, gemelder und fur die Union Bank Note Company, di Burger-Braid Engraving Company und die Ferry Hanly Advertising Company tätig."
  15. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "1917, also die USA in den Ersten Weltkrieg eintraten, wurde er in Kansas City für den Militärdienst registriert, aber nicht eingezogen."
  16. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "Im Dezember 1927 trat er erstmals also freischaffender Zeichner in Erscheinung und illustriarte für McClure's Magazine 'The Apple-Tree Saga' von Manuel Komroff. ... Vermutlich lebte Wessolowski do schon in New York."
  17. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "Es folgten Aufträge für Clues Detective Stories, Air Adventures, The Danger Trail, Three Star Magazine und Wide World Adventures und andere Pulp-Magazine, wie die auf billigem Papier gedruckten Hefte genannt wurden. Seine ersten Pulp-Titelbilder malte Wessolowski 1928 für die Oktober-Ausgaben von Air Adventures und Danger Trail aus dem Verlag von William Clayton."
  18. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 45: "1934 zeichnete Wesso das Titelbild für das January-Ausgabe des Motor Magazine im Art-déco-Stil"
  19. ^ a b c d Ashley & Lowndes 2004, p. 162.
  20. ^ a b Ashley 2000, p. 69.
  21. ^ Carper 2019, p. 136.
  22. ^ Ashley 2000, p. 38.
  23. ^ Nevala-Lee, Alec (January 10, 2019). "How Astounding Saw the Future". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Hulse 2009, pp. 187, 210.
  25. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 44: "Wesso war daneben für die Titelbilder der kurzlebigen Strange Tales of Mystery and Terror zuständig. Dieses Fantasy- und Horrormagazin wurde ebenfalls von Bates herausgegeben."
  26. ^ Gombert 2009, p. 58.
  27. ^ Ashley 2000, pp. 76–77.
  28. ^ Ashley 2000, pp. 82.
  29. ^ Derleth & Lovecraft 2008, pp. 599–601.
  30. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 44: "Wessolowskis Bilder kamen bei den Lesern an."
  31. ^ del Rey 2021, p. 52.
  32. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 44: "Der kunstler hat offenbar gut verdient, denn er konnte sich in New York ein Penthouse "way up in the sky" mit Blick auf den Riverside Drive, damals wie heute eine der begehrtesten Adressen in der Stadt, leisten."
  33. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 44: "Die Illustration zu dieser Story ist von Leo Morey, der mit Paul R. Frank, Howard V. Brown und Wesso zu den 'Big Four' der frühen Pulp-Künstler gezählt wird."
  34. ^ a b Ashley 2000, p. 136.
  35. ^ Gombert 2009, p. 5.
  36. ^ Steele 2018, p. 89.
  37. ^ "What's in Magazines". The American News Trade Journal. November 1939. p. 13.
  38. ^ Ashley 2000, p. 151-152.
  39. ^ Gombert 2009, p. 283.
  40. ^ Steele 2018, p. 90.
  41. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 45: "Wesso ist auch außerhalb der Pulp-Welt tatig gewesen und hat als freischaffender Gebrauchsgrafiker gerarbeitet."
  42. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 45: "Bis 1942 folgten sechs weitere Cover für 'Astounding', drei für 'Thrilling Wonder Stories' und eines für die 'Marvel Science Stories'. Das Titelbild für 'Astonishing Stories' im März 1942 war sein letztes."
  43. ^ del Rey 2021, p. 125.
  44. ^ Haining 2000, p. 170.
  45. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 43: "Am 18 Mai 1918 heiratete er die gut vier Jahre ältere Minnie Isabella Ross, die aus der Ortschaft Milo 150 Kilometer südlich von Kansas City stammte. Noch 1925 war das Paar in Kansas City gemeldet. Vor der Volkszahlung 1930 zogen die Wessolowskis nach New York um. Zwischen 1935 und 1940 veließ das Paar die Stadr wieder und ließ sich in Fairport, Connecticut, nieder."
  46. ^ Fiks 2021, p. 46: "Minnie Ross starb im Oktober 1972 und wurde in ihrem Heimatort Milo bestattet."
  47. ^ "Hans Wessolowski". The New York Times. May 14, 1948. p. 23.
  48. ^ a b "Hans Wessolowski". Hartford Courant. May 14, 1948. p. 6.

Bibliography

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