REMEMBERING FRED PFEIFFER
CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND ARTISTIC
GENIUS OF FRED PFEIFFER THE MAN, THE
FINE ARTIST/ THE ILLUSTRATOR
I HAVE INCORPORATED INFORMATION BELOW FROM "THE PFEIFFER PFILES BLOG" CREATED
BY SCOTTY PHILLIPS AND COURTNEY ROGERS. http://fredpfeifferartist.blogspot.com
Fred Pfeiffer: RIP
Fred Pfeiffer died 16 years ago on January 4, 1996.
This blog is a testament to his immense skill and genius. It is also the perfect way to keep his memory alive.
Thanks for all of your wonderful artwork, Fred. Wish you were still here so we could tell you that.
Posted by Fred Pfeiffer Artist at 7:03 AM
(THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE PFEIFFER PFILES BLOG WRITTEN SOME YEARS AGO. I KNOW FRED
HAS BEEN MONITORING YOUR EFFORTS ALL OF THESE YEARS. FRED SEES AND HEARS YOU, JUST IN
A DIFFERENT WAY! HE NOW IS IN PEACE.)
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Why Fred Pfeiffer?
....you may ask yourself. There are several reasons to have a Fred Pfeiffer presence on the web.
First, Fred Pfeiffer was an amazing artist and illustrator. It will be a pleasure to present his talent to a wider and unsuspecting audience.
Second, there is very little information out there on Fred Pfeiffer. Our aim is to rectify that oversight. I have been doing research on Mr. Pfieffer since 2007. I have had great resources of information, although not enough to paint a complete biographical sketch of the man. He deserves to be more well-known and not be regulated to obscurity.
Third, I want to find out other sources out there to add to my knowledge of Fred Pfeiffer and to discover more of his artwork. Since 2007, I have spent countless hours in used bookstores throughout the country going methodically through the bookstore and seeing if I can find another book with his artwork. When I first started my search, I only knew of the 13 (well, 14 actually) Doc Savage covers that he did. Today, I have almost 100 books that are graced by his artwork, which were found mostly by manually going through thousands and thousands of books. Of those, there are maybe 5 where I am not quite sure they are Pfeiffer's. I would also like to hear from others that own original Pfeiffer art. I have one piece from Advise and Consent, an Avon book published in 1972.
So, come along with Scotty Phillips and I as we share the information and artwork that we have compiled on Fred Pfeiffer. Thanks for looking!
Courtney Rogers
Glendale, AZ
Posted by Fred Pfeiffer Artist at 3:01 PM
( All I can say is "THANK YOU & BRAVO" Courtney Rogers and Scotty Phillips! Everyone should be proud of you guys! - By: Hollis McCray-Clark)
LEN LEONE OF BANTAM BOOKS REMEMBERS FRED PFEIFFER
Fred was much more to me than a damn good illustrator. From the very beginning we became good friends. He was a gifted artist that could move in many different directions of cover art. He enjoyed the challenge of taking on a variety of subject matter. He was an expert composer of pictures with a marvelous instinct for drawing exceptionally well. And, with all the work and variety I gave him, he never missed a single deadline.
We soon became good friends, often dining together for lunch and every once in a while for dinner after tennis at night. For years I kept a tennis court at The Midtown Tennis Club in the City, and another one at Forest Hills in Queens, N.Y. We would play singles and doubles every week for years. Fred had a great backhand and a deceptive forehand. He played very well.
Soon, he went out to sunny California, and decided to remain there. I was saddened when I learned he had passed away quite suddenly.
LEN LEONE
Bantam Books
Posted by Fred Pfeiffer Artist at 8:17 AM (Minor Edit)
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BOTH COURTNEY AND SCOTTY FOR ALL OF THEIR IMPRESSIVE CREATIVE RESEARCH FOR FRED AND FOR CONTACTING MR. LEN LEONE, VINCENT DIFATE, AUTHOR OF "INFINITE WORLDS"FOR FRED!
By: Hollis McCray-Clark
( A friend of Fred Pfeiffer)
Vincent DiFate Remembers Fred Pfeiffer!
Infinite Worlds a book by Vincent DiFate
(See Courtney Rogers' information below)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Infinite Worlds
When I started looking into the art of Fred Pfeiffer, there was extremely little out on the internet or anywhere else. That told
me that something needed to be done to correct this glaring omission.
Later on, I was told about this book written by Vincent DiFate and was lucky enough to find a copy in a used book store. I believe the book is out of print as it was published in 1997.
The book contains 4 paperback covers done by Pfeiffer and has a small but nice two paragraph write up on the man:
"Fred Pfeiffer was an extremely versatile and talented artist who worked in many genres. His beautiful oil painting technique, though realistc, incorporated numerous painterly touches, such as the obvious presence of variegated brushwork and the use of oil washes (a technique in which the paint is thinned to a point where it appears to have been applied wet, such as a watercolor painting, rather than in a viscous state). These stylistic elements lent his work a decidedly modern look. His mastery of the human figure and ability to capture mood, whether for a period romance or a mainstream political thriller, put him in great demand at most major paperback houses such as Bantam, Dell, and Ballantine."
"Pfeiffer attended the Art Center College of Design in southern California in the late 1950s and began freelancing in the early 1960s. There was considerable growth in his illustration work as he developed his technique, finally hitting his stride around 1972. Along with his paperback assignments, he produced art for several motion picture campaigns and in 1979 he moved from the New York area to Los Angeles. In the late fall of 1995, he visited New York in an effort to reintroduce himself to the publishing markets. Around the time of that visit, this extraordinarily talented artist took his own life."
What a gold mine of information provided by Mr. DiFate.
I have had recent email conversations with Mr. DiFate. He made this statement:
" I couldn't agree more about the greatness of Fred Pfeiffer as both an artist and illustrator. His work certainly influence my own, particularly for the paperback market".
HOLLIS REMEMBERS FRED PFEIFFER
The first time I stepped into Fred's studio I was with my sister who had previously introduced me to him. As an amateur artist and art enthusiast I walked across his studio to see what he was working on, at the time. My jaw instantly dropped. I had no idea of the superb level of his talent.
To me this was a striking contrast to the man I thought I knew, prior to seeing his artwork. He was an easy going regular guy that everybody liked. He had a great smile and an infectious fun laugh and he was very low key about his abilities. I guess not. His artistic genius spoke for itself.
Well, I was literally shocked to my core to see Fred's paintings. His paintings were so realistic. The level of artistic detail had me in awe. I was an immediate believer in Fred's abilities that very day. I was just so surprised of his artistic genius.
I had hoped that he knew he was extremely gifted. One thing about Fred, you soon forgot about his genius and just joked around with him. I sometimes had discussions with him concerning the issues of the day.
Fred had the ability to treat everyone with absolute kindness and respect. He was a great person with a very good soul. I am fortunate enough to say that I knew him for many years. I knew him from his time in New York City to Los Angeles, California. Fred did not have a mean bone in his body. He was a very sensitive person with all types of friends of every race and religion.
I will never forget the day I showed Fred my artwork. I told him, "I just draw for fun" but I wanted his opinion. He took the time to analyze the different drawings and told me which direction was a better focus for me. I had two different styles. He told me the focus areas that would work better for my artwork. I appreciated his kindness! I was a student at the time and art was one of my hobbies.
Losing Fred is tragic. He was a very kind soul. I know he is aware of our efforts to keep his artistic legacy alive. Fred feels appreciated and I know he is at peace!
