Robert Bonfils (American illustrator)
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| - | '''Robert Bonfils''' (b. [[1922]]) is an American illustrator, best known for his work for [[Greenleaf Classics]]. | ||
| - | Robert Bonfils started his illustration career in Chicago in the mid 1950s, doing various commercial art assignments such as advertisements, decorations, illustrations and magazine, record and book covers. He was then hired by [[Hamling Organization]] as art director. He moved to San Diego where Hamling was located and began to produce [[paperback]] book covers exclusivly for them. The titles were published under a variety of [[imprint]]s within the Hamling group, such as Nighstand Books, Leisure Books, Adult Books, Candid Readers and Companion Books and others, commonly known today as [[Greenleaf Classics]]. Bonfils retired from doing cover art in the mid 1970s. The cover art on Greenleaf Books was never signed so the identity of the artist who did the covers was unknown until the mid eighties when information surfaced among specialty book collectors that the artist was named Bonfils. In 2002, Bob was reunited with [[Earl Kemp]], an editor at the Hamling Organization. Most of the original art for the Greenleaf covers has mostly been [[lost]], although a few pieces have survived. | + | '''Robert Bonfils''' (February 25, 1922 - February 8, 2018) was an [[American illustrator]], known for his covers for erotic, [[Pulp magazine|pulp fiction]] [[paperback]]s. |
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| + | ==Biography== | ||
| + | Robert Bonfils was born in 1922 in [[Kansas City]] and grew up there. After finishing high school, he attended the [[Kansas City Art Institute]], where [[Thomas Hart Benton (painter)|Thomas Hart Benton]] was among the teachers. In his classes were future artists like Bill and Jim Teason, [[Jackson Pollock]], and others. | ||
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| + | After doing his service in the [[U.S. Army|army]], Bonfils moved to [[Chicago]] and continued his studies at the [[Art Institute of Chicago]]. | ||
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| + | His first job was at the [[Art agent|art agency]] of Stevens/Hall/Biondi, from where he emerged as professional commercial artist and a [[paperback]] cover painter. He started doing covers and illustrations for [[children's books]], [[album cover|covers]] for [[Mercury Records]] and ads for [[Miller beer|Miller High life]] beer. | ||
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| + | Stanley Schrag of Playtime Books and the Sorren brothers of Merit Books recruited Bonfils to paint covers for their [[Erotic literature#Erotic fiction|sex-novel paperback]]s. When Harold W. McCauley retired from Nightstand Books, [[William Hamling (publisher)|William Hamling]] hired Bonfils to replace McCauley and assigned him with setting up a new publishing operation out of [[San Diego]], which was to become [[Greenleaf Classics]], with Bonfils as its [[Art director#In publishing|Art Director]] and [[Earl Kemp]] as the [[Editor-in-Chief]]. | ||
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| + | During the heyday of sex publishing, Bonfils was producing some fifty covers every month. He retired from the book cover illustration business in the mid-1970s and continued to paint within the gallery community of [[San Diego]]. The original art for most Greenleaf covers has been lost, with only a few pieces having survived. | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Pulp magazine]] | ||
| + | *[[Lesbian pulp fiction]] | ||
| + | *[[Erotic art]] | ||
| + | *[[Clandestine literature]] | ||
| + | *[[Sexual arousal]] | ||
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Robert Bonfils (February 25, 1922 - February 8, 2018) was an American illustrator, known for his covers for erotic, pulp fiction paperbacks.
Biography
Robert Bonfils was born in 1922 in Kansas City and grew up there. After finishing high school, he attended the Kansas City Art Institute, where Thomas Hart Benton was among the teachers. In his classes were future artists like Bill and Jim Teason, Jackson Pollock, and others.
After doing his service in the army, Bonfils moved to Chicago and continued his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago.
His first job was at the art agency of Stevens/Hall/Biondi, from where he emerged as professional commercial artist and a paperback cover painter. He started doing covers and illustrations for children's books, covers for Mercury Records and ads for Miller High life beer.
Stanley Schrag of Playtime Books and the Sorren brothers of Merit Books recruited Bonfils to paint covers for their sex-novel paperbacks. When Harold W. McCauley retired from Nightstand Books, William Hamling hired Bonfils to replace McCauley and assigned him with setting up a new publishing operation out of San Diego, which was to become Greenleaf Classics, with Bonfils as its Art Director and Earl Kemp as the Editor-in-Chief.
During the heyday of sex publishing, Bonfils was producing some fifty covers every month. He retired from the book cover illustration business in the mid-1970s and continued to paint within the gallery community of San Diego. The original art for most Greenleaf covers has been lost, with only a few pieces having survived.
See also
