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David A. Cherry
For the past two decades one man has reigned supreme as the nations most popular and successful science fiction and fantasy artist, your Guest of Honor, Michael Whelan. I am honored to have been asked to say a few words about this remarkable man.
My association with Michael has taken many forms over the years. I first became aware of him in l975, not all that long, really, after he had taken the audacious step of moving from California to New Yor on little more than a note from Don Wollheim saying that DAW Books would be interested in seeing more of his artwork. When Michael made that move, he had never actually done a book cover, but Mr. Wollheim, good man that he was, had this uncanny knack for recognizing world class talent when i crossed his path. Michael was, as yet, untempered by the fires of experience but there was something special in his work.
Mr. Wollheim had also recently acquired a manuscrip from a young woman in Oklahoma. She was equally untried in the marketplace, having never been published before, but he saw something special in her too. He decided to pair them up. As a result, one of Michael Whelans earliest assignments for DAW Books was the cover for C.J. Cherryhs first novel, Gate of Ivrel (for which C.J. won the l976 John W. Campbell award for Best New Writer of the Year).
Because of all that, I (being C.J.s brother knew who Michael Whelan was way back in l976. And because of all that, I ended up accompanying my sister to Big Mac (my first Worldcon), where I sa my first science fiction art show. It totally blew me away. Such an enormous quantity of talent on display in that room! Even so, it was Michaels work that stood out, drew me back again and again to stare in awe. I wasnt an artist myself at that point, not even much of an SF fan, but I know and acknowledge that it was the impact of Michaels work upon me that day tha altered the course of my life, inspired me to dare a similar path.
That was the impact of his earliest works on one unsuspecting soul. As he went on, he got better, amazingly better; hi talent and vision rocked the publishing industry, revolutionized the way SF/fantasy book covers were done, contributed greatly to the expansion of SF/fantasy as a popular genre (both as literature and as art), and charmed millions of fans around the world.
Michael has won the Hugo award for Best Professional Artist an amazing eleven times. Twice he has been awarded the Hugo for Best Original Artwork. His art book, Michael Whelans Works of Wonder, won the Hugo for Best Non-fiction Book in l988 (beating out mine, darn it!). He has won several Chesley awards and the Howard award for Best Fantasy Artis three years in a row. He has painted well over 400 book covers so far. He did the album cover for Michael Jacksons Victory album as well as the cover for Meat Loafs Bat Out of Hell II. He has had three books published on his artwork and career: Wonderworks, Michael Whelans Works of Wonder, and The Art of Michael Whelan. Mill Pond Press now publishes and distributes fine art prints of his works.
In short, Michael has been massively successful—the dominant cover artist of the past two decades. And why has that been so? What did he bring to the field that was so unique, so revolutionary?
To start with, Michael has the technical skills of a master artist. He also has the enthusiasm, integrity, and incorruptibl honesty of a child. All this is combined with a totally unique artistic vision. His covers dont just illustrate a book, they define it. Sometimes it is a scene from the book or something symbolic of the authors message, but whatever image Michael finally chooses, it always shows the soul, the essence of the book.
Who could improve upon his covers for Mayhar Golden Dream or Heinleins Friday? They are absolutely perfect—perfect in conception (as illustration), perfect in form (a art), and perfect in function (as a poster to sell the book). No one has ever been able to combine those three elements as effectively as Michael, at least not consistently in cover after cover.
Look at his covers for McCaffreys Crysta Singer and The White Dragon, Nivens The Integral Trees, Asimovs Robots of Dawn, Clarkes 2010: Odyssey Two, Kings Firestarter, Cherryhs Pride of Chanur, Moorcocks Sailor on the Seas of Fate, and Volskys Illusion (gee, Im jealous of that composition). Michaels place in the history of this centurys art is secure. It is hard to imagine what could top such an impressive career. Nevertheless, consider this: Michael is still expanding, still learning I estimate that it will be another couple of decades before Michael reaches his peak as an artist. Can you imagine the wonders we have yet to see from him?
The mind boggles.
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