Icons of the Fantastic: Illustrations of Imaginative Literature from the Korshak Collection edited by Amanda T. Zehnder and David M. Brinley

Icons of the Fantastic book cover, from Dulac's "The Snow Queen"

Many thanks to Rutgers University Press, University of Delaware Press, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of an incredible collection of pulp, sci-fi, and fantasy artwork from the Korshak Collection from the book Icons of the Fantastic: Illustrations of Imaginative Literature from The Korshak Collection. This was an incredible collection, and I thoroughly enjoyed the images, drawings, paintings, and other artwork selected from this incredible collection. I was not previously aware of the Korshak Collection, however, I love the art work from pulp novels, comics, and other works of sci-fi and fantasy. Beyond the amazing images contained in this book, I also loved learning about some of the artists prominently featured in the book, and especially about those artists whose work I was previously unfamiliar with: Hannes Bok, Margaret Brudage (my personal favorite), and Jose Segrelles, whose artwork for Well’s War of the Worlds influenced not only the film version’s spacecraft, but also apparently was influential on Guillermo del Toro’s films like Pan’s Labyrinth. In fact, del Toro introduces the collection with a brief essay explaining the importance of the Korshak collection and how curation and collecting are a form of education as well as reflection and understanding. Other early essays also provide some insight into how important curation and collecting are, especially in a field where the art may not have always been part of a canon or deemed art worthy. Stephen D. Korshak, the son of Erle Korshak who started Shasta Publishing, which commissioned or used much of the artwork for this book, explains how the collection not only imagines ideas, but also brings them closer to fruition, and how bringing these fantastic and unique visions to the public can further inspire new ideas and concepts. Furthermore, these early essays provide a brief history of the publishing of fantasy and science fiction and how the artwork not only was used for covers to sell issues, but also to attempt to accentuate the story and to bring the words of the authors to life for readers. I loved many of the essays in the book detailed the lives and works of the artists in the Korshak Collection, spanning an array of time. These essays covered not only the influences on these artists and the literary works they conveyed, but also how their work would influence later artists and shift the nature of the artistry for other popular pulp and fantasy publications. It’s hard to determine which essay is the best. They are all relatively brief, but provide a great amount of insight into the artists’ work, inspiration, and later influence on other artists. For example, the essay on Aubrey Beardsley “The Illustrator Who Would Not ‘Illustrate’” explains that he refused to use the word “illustrate”, but instead sought other terms like “embroidered,” “embellished,” and “pictured” to represent how his work contributed to the meaning of the text. I also found it fascinating to learn about how Beardsley sought to challenge traditions in art by combining seeming disparities in his work like including a satyr of Greek mythology in an edition of Le Morte d’Arthur, the 15^th century poem about King Arthur. The essay not only shared some thoughts about Beardsley’s artistic representation, but also that his work and life often challenged conventions of late Victorian England, like Oscar Wilde. I also loved learning about Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac, two artists whose work I’m sure I encountered, but didn’t necessarily recognize their names. Both artists worked with texts, myths, and folklore, and transformed the texts with their work. In particular, Dulac’s “Full Fathom Five”, which is from The Tempest is an incredible work of art. I really enjoyed the essay about Segrelles’s work as well, learning more about how his work not only enhanced texts but als music. However, I think that the essay on Margaret Brundage “First Woman of Fantasy Art” by Lisa Yaszek was probably my favorite. Two of the Brundage works from the Korshak Collection (“The Altar of Melek Taos” and “The Witch’s Mark”) both immediately stood out to me. Yaszek frames Brundage’s work as reclaiming women’s power in these texts, often showing women as “sheroes” and their contributions to the stories and tales (and many times other works of art) that often subjugated or relegated them to victims, damsels in distress, or supplements for the male main characters. Yaszek’s essay helps to show how Brundage’s artwork empowered women in these stories and eventually influenced the work of modern female artists. The book ends with a visual checklist of works in the Korshak collection. I was surprised to find works from Gustaff Tengrenn, whose work on some Golden Book classics my kids loved. I didn’t realize he was also a contributor to the Korshak Collection.

Stephen D. Korshak mentions that “Collectors, propelled by a guiding vision for their collections, introduce or reintroduce works of individual artists to new generations of art enthusiasts who, in turn, educate and/or inspire yet another generation of authors and artists…” a cycle that he says informs his ideas for the Korshak Collection. I agree that this book provides an excellent introduction to many of the artists and works in this particular collection, and helped me better understand not only the art of literary and pulp texts, but also how these individual artists contributed to the style and interpretation of literature, helping to enhance and convey meanings and themes in the texts. This is an excellent book not only for the amazing artwork, but also for the interesting and educative essays. Highly recommended!