Above: Full view of gouche work on Illustration Board

Above: Artwork as it appeared on Fantastic Adventures Sept. 1939 (included in sale)

A rare surviving cover painting by Harold H.W. McCauley for the September 1938 edition of Fantastic Adventures; Volume #1 issue #5. This is likely the earliest commissioned pulp cover illustration by the artist. A classic art deco depiction of the perils of the near future space age, as envisioned in the campy, naive era of the 1930s. The mild bondage, damsel in distress content provided an additional titillating shock at the newsstands which carried this early pulp/science fiction title. Predicting the enduring style the Haddon Sundblom pupil would come to be known for, this early offering features an engaging futuristic scene, complete with apocalyptic fire in the background, a raygun fight, and mad scientist surrounded by vacuum tubes. A bright, bold and iconic piece of original 1930s pulp art.

Above: The artists signature

Above: Framed in simple black wood frame