:Hans Waldemar Wessolowski

Hans Waldemar Wessolowski was born August 19, 1894,{{cite web|title=H. W. Wesso|website=Internet Science Fiction Database|date=2024|access-date=18 August 2024|url=https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?1212}} in the city of Graudenz in the German Empire (now part of Poland).{{harvnb|Käther|2021|pages=1–2}}: "In Graudenz (das heute zu Polen gehört) 1894 geboren, begann er seine Karriere beim legendären Müncher Satiremagazin ,,Simplicissimus, nachdem er an der Königlichen Akademie Belin sein Handwerk gelernt hatte. Durch sein fehlendes Auge werde er vom Militärdiesnt befruit — verspürte aber nach geraumer Zeit doch eine unstillbare Abenteuerlust und ging zur deutchsen Handelsmarine. Des harten Dienstes überdrüssig, sprang er 1912 in der Nähe von New Orleans uber Bord and schwamm an Land. Schon 1913 gelang ihm die Einbürgerung, under er wurde amerikanischer Staatsbürger." He had a brother and a sister. He studied art at the Royal School of Art in Berlin, worked as a commercial artist, and found his first permanent position at the satire magazine Simplicissimus''.{{sfn|Käther|2021|pages=1-2}}{{sfn|Bleiler|Bleiler|1998|page=601}} By early 1914, he was living in Hamburg.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "Als letzten Wohnsitz in Deutschland gab er Hamburg an."

Blind in one eye, Wessolowski was rejected for military service. Anxious to see the world, he joined the German merchant navy,{{sfn|Käther|2021|pages=1-2}} taking a job as a crew member on the SS {{SS|Fürst Bismarck|1905|2}} in May 1914.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "mutlich als Besatzungsmitglied — mit der Fürst Bismarck in New Orleans an." Dissatisfied with the hard work required, he jumped ship in New Orleans, Louisiana, in June 1914.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "Hans Wessolowski erst einen Monat später, im Juni 1914, in die USA. Er war angeblich In New Orleans vom Schiff ins Wasser gesprungen und an Land geschwommen."{{Efn|From 1906 until the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the {{lang|de|Fürst Bismarck}} served as a passenger liner operating between Hamburg and Veracruz, Mexico, usually stopping in Havana, Cuba.{{sfn|Rothe|1986|page=102}} On February 18, 1913, General Victoriano Huerta seized power in a coup d'état in Mexico. The new regime was recognized by the German Empire, which wished to support it with guns and ammunition. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson invoked the Monroe Doctrine and attempted to bar all German arms shipments to Mexico. The U.S. could not, however, stop the private sale of American arms to the Huerta regime. The surprisingly passengerless {{lang|de|Fürst Bismarck}} unexpectedly arrived in New Orleans on June 7, 1914. American authorities suspected the ship was picking up a private arms shipment,{{cite news|title=Liner Going for Huerta?|work=The New York Times|date=June 7, 1914|page=2|access-date=August 20, 2024|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/06/07/issue.html}} but an inspection of loading cargo revealed only miscellaneous merchandise.{{cite news|title=Fuerst Bismarck's Cargo Not Arms|work=The New York Times|date=June 8, 1914|page=2|access-date=August 20, 2024|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/06/08/101919671.html}} She remained under surveillance until she departed for Veracruz on June 10.{{cite news|title=Fuerst Bismarck Sails|work=The New York Times|date=June 10, 1914|page=2|access-date=August 20, 2024|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/06/10/100675767.html}}}} He became a naturalized American citizen a year later.{{sfn|Käther|2021|pages=1-2}}

Wessolowski took up residence in Kansas City, Missouri. He became a commercial artist in 1916,{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "Wessolowski ging nach Missouri, Also Beruf fab er dort bereits 1916 'artist an." working for the Ferry Hanly Advertising Company as well as for companies such as the Union Bank Note Company, the Burger-Braid Engraving Company.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "In Kansas City war Wessolowski als 'commercial artist', als Werbegrafiker, gemelder und fur die Union Bank Note Company, di Burger-Braid Engraving Company und die Ferry Hanly Advertising Company tätig." When the United States entered World War I, he registered for military service but was never drafted.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "1917, also die USA in den Ersten Weltkrieg eintraten, wurde er in Kansas City für den Militärdienst registriert, aber nicht eingezogen."

By 1927, Wessolowski was living in New York City. He received his first freelance commission as an illustrator in December of that year. His work accompanied the short story "The Apple Tree Sage" by Manuel Komroff in McClure's magazine.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "Im Dezember 1927 trat er erstmals also freischaffender Zeichner in Erscheinung und illustriarte für McClure's Magazine 'The Apple-Tree Saga' von Manuel Komroff. ... Vermutlich lebte Wessolowski do schon in New York." He received three more commissions from McClure's, and in the summer of 1928 began working for Clayton Magazines, a major publisher of pulp magazines. His first work for Clayton appeared on the cover of Clues: A Magazine of Detective Stories in July 1928. He provided covers for Air Adventures, The Danger Trail, and Three Star Magazine in October, and added work for Adventure Tails, Brief Stories, Complete Detective Novel Magazine, World Stories, and All Star Detective Stories over the next 18 months.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "Es folgten Aufträge für Clues Detective Stories, Air Adventures, The Danger Trail, Three Star Magazine und Wide World Adventures und andere Pulp-Magazine, wie die auf billigem Papier gedruckten Hefte genannt wurden. Seine ersten Pulp-Titelbilder malte Wessolowski 1928 für die Oktober-Ausgaben von Air Adventures und Danger Trail aus dem Verlag von William Clayton."

Although he worked primarily for science fiction and fantasy magazines after 1929, Wesso occasionally did illustrations for other Clayton magazines. For example, he drew an Art Deco style cover for the January 1934 issue of Motor Magazine.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=45}}: "1934 zeichnete Wesso das Titelbild für das January-Ausgabe des Motor Magazine im Art-déco-Stil"

He got his first job as a science fiction and fantasy pulp cover artist when editor T. O'Conor Sloane hired him in September 1929 to draw the cover for Amazing Stories.{{sfn|Bleiler|Bleiler|1998|page=601}} Wesso had never heard of science fiction before.{{sfn|Ashley|Lowndes|2004|page=162}} Late in 1929, editor Harry Bates hired him to draw the cover for the first issue of Astounding Stories,{{sfn|Ashley|Lowndes|2004|page=162}} which had a cover date of January 1930.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|page=69}} He drew the covers for Astounding Stories every month until Howard V. Brown took over cover art duties{{sfn|Carper|2019|page=136}} in October 1933.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|page=38}} He created 34 covers for the magazine.{{cite news|last=Nevala-Lee|first=Alec|title=How Astounding Saw the Future|work=The New York Times|date=January 10, 2019|access-date=August 18, 2024|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/books/review/astounding-science-fiction-magazine.html}}

Wessolowski also drew covers for another Clayton Magazine effort, Strange Tales beginning in September 1931.{{sfn|Hulse|2009|pages=187, 210}}{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=44}}: "Wesso war daneben für die Titelbilder der kurzlebigen Strange Tales of Mystery and Terror zuständig. Dieses Fantasy- und Horrormagazin wurde ebenfalls von Bates herausgegeben." He also drew illustrations for Weird Tales magazine in August 1931.{{sfn|Gombert|2009|page=58}}

His covers were brightly colored and eye-catching. He was particularly proficient at drawing monsters, and less so at depicting advanced technology.{{sfn|Ashley|Lowndes|2004|page=162}} His human figures are distinctive, thin, and sharp-featured. They invariably show strained muscles and extended limbs. The proportions of his humans are oddly distorted, with sunken chests, peculiarly large thigh muscles, and elongated limbs.{{sfn|Bleiler|Bleiler|1998|page=601}} As Frank R. Paul was the best and primary illustrator for science fiction and fantasy magazines published by Experimenter Publishing and Ziff Davis, Wesso became the key artist for similar pulps issued by Clayton Magazines.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|page=69}}{{Efn|In financial difficulty due to the Great Depression, Clayton ceased publication in October 1932; issues cover dated March 1933 were the last to be sold.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|pages=76-77}} Clayton Magazines declared bankruptcy in April 1930 and sold its magazine titles. T.R. Foley purchased Astounding Stories and Clues for $100; Foley resold them in August to Street & Smith, a well-established publisher.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|pages=82}}{{sfn|Derleth|Lovecraft|2008|pages=599–601}}}} He spent anywhere from two days to a week on a cover, occasionally using toys as models for his work.{{sfn|Bleiler|Bleiler|1998|page=601}} His work was often lauded by readers.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=44}}: "Wessolowskis Bilder kamen bei den Lesern an."

He signed his work "Wesso", and it is this name that is most commonly cited when his art is given credit.{{sfn|del Rey|2021|page=52}}

Wesso earned a good income from his pulp work.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=44}}: "Der kunstler hat offenbar gut verdient, denn er konnte sich in New York ein Penthouse "way up in the sky" mit Blick auf den Riverside Drive, damals wie heute eine der begehrtesten Adressen in der Stadt, leisten." Along with Frank R. Paul, Howard V. Brown, and Leo Morey, he was considered one of the top four early pulp artists.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=44}}: "Die Illustration zu dieser Story ist von Leo Morey, der mit Paul R. Frank, Howard V. Brown und Wesso zu den 'Big Four' der frühen Pulp-Künstler gezählt wird."

Wesso ceased to work for pulps for a time after the collapse of Clayton Magazines in 1933, only returning in 1937 when he drew the cover for the June 1937 Astounding Stories (now owned and published by Street & Smith) and the August 1937 cover of Thrilling Wonder Stories (published by Better Publications).{{sfn|Bleiler|Bleiler|1998|page=601}}

Editor Hugo Gernsback tried to hire Wesso as a cover artist for Amazing Stories, but the artist refused to accept the low fee Gernsback offered.{{sfn|Ashley|Lowndes|2004|page=162}}

Better Publications began issuing a new pulp magazine, Startling Stories, in January 1939.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|page=136}} Wesso drew illustrations for Edmund Hamilton's novel The Prisoner of Mars in the May 1939 issue.{{sfn|Gombert|2009|page=5}}{{Efn|Startling usually published a full novel, accompanied by one or two short stories, in each issue.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|page=136}}}} The company began publication of Captain Future magazine in winter 1940{{sfn|Steele|2018|page=89}} (street date December 1939).{{cite news|title=What's in Magazines|work=The American News Trade Journal|date=November 1939|page=13}} Each issue contained a full-length novel featuring the science super hero, Curtis Newton {{aka}} Captain Future.{{sfn|Ashley|2000|page=151-152}} Wessolowski drew illustrations for the first 15 issues.{{sfn|Gombert|2009|page=283}}{{Efn|Only 17 issues appeared.{{sfn|Steele|2018|page=90}}}}

Throughout his pulp magazine career, Hans Wessolowski continued to work as a freelance commercial artist.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=45}}: "Wesso ist auch außerhalb der Pulp-Welt tatig gewesen und hat als freischaffender Gebrauchsgrafiker gerarbeitet." In 1940, Wesso joined the New York Daily News as a staff artist.{{cite news|title=Newspaper Artist Dies|work=Fitchburg Sentinel|date=May 13, 1948|page=4}} His output for sci fi and fantasy pulps dropped dramatically: Between 1937 and 1942, he drew only six covers for Astounding, three for Thrilling Wonder Stories, and one for Marvel Science Fiction. His cover for Astonishing Stories in March 1942 was his last sci fi cover.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=45}}: "Bis 1942 folgten sechs weitere Cover für 'Astounding', drei für 'Thrilling Wonder Stories' und eines für die 'Marvel Science Stories'. Das Titelbild für 'Astonishing Stories' im März 1942 war sein letztes."{{Efn|Astonishing Stories was published by Popular Publications,{{sfn|del Rey|2021|page=125}} and Marvel Science Stories was published at that time by Postal Publications.{{sfn|Haining|2000|page=170}}}} He ceased working for pulp magazines after 1942, except for the occasional commission.{{sfn|Bleiler|Bleiler|1998|page=601}}

Hans Wessolowski married Minnie Isabella Ross on May 18, 1918. They lived in Kansas City until at least 1925, then resided in New York City. Some time before 1940, they moved to Fairfield, Connecticut.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=43}}: "Am 18 Mai 1918 heiratete er die gut vier Jahre ältere Minnie Isabella Ross, die aus der Ortschaft Milo 150 Kilometer südlich von Kansas City stammte. Noch 1925 war das Paar in Kansas City gemeldet. Vor der Volkszahlung 1930 zogen die Wessolowskis nach New York um. Zwischen 1935 und 1940 veließ das Paar die Stadr wieder und ließ sich in Fairport, Connecticut, nieder." Minnie Ross returned to Kansas City some time after his death, and died in October 1972.{{harvnb|Fiks|2021|page=46}}: "Minnie Ross starb im Oktober 1972 und wurde in ihrem Heimatort Milo bestattet."

Hans Wessolowski died at the age of 53 at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, on May 12, 1948.{{cite news|title=Hans Wessolowski|work=The New York Times|date=May 14, 1948|page=23}}{{cite news|title=Hans Wessolowski|work=Hartford Courant|date=May 14, 1948|page=6}} His wife survived him; they had no children.

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{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Ashley|first=Michael|title=The History of the Science-Fiction Magazine. Volume 1: The Time Machines: The Story of the Science-Fiction Pulp Magazines From the Beginning to 1950|location=Liverpool, UK|publisher=Liverpool University Press|date=2000|isbn=9780853238553|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BjI4-qex0JgC}}
• {{cite book|last1=Ashley|first1=Michael|last2=Lowndes|first2=Robert A.W.|title=The Gernsback Days: A Study of the Evolution of Modern Science Fiction From 1911 to 1936|location=Holicong, Pa.|publisher=Wildside Press|date=2004|isbn=9780809510559|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dn3OixmZI6wC}}
• {{cite book|last1=Bleiler|first1=E.F.|last2=Bleiler|first2=Richard|title=Science-Fiction: The Gernsback Years: A Complete Coverage of the Genre Magazines From 1926 Through 1936|location=Kent, Ohio|publisher=Kent State University Press|date=1998|isbn=9780873386043|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PbMdeizaCNcC}}
• {{cite book|last=Carper|first=Steve|title=Robots in American Popular Culture|location=Jefferson, N.C.|publisher=McFarland & Company|date=2019|isbn=9781476670416|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NXOdDwAAQBAJ}}
• {{cite book|last=del Rey|first=Lester|title=The World of Science Fiction, 1926–1976: The History of a Subculture|location=Abingdon, Oxfordshire|publisher=Routledge|date=2021|isbn=9780367748395|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZYiEAAAQBAJ}}
• {{cite book|last1=Derleth|first1=August|last2=Lovecraft|first2=H.P.|title=Essential Solitude: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth|editor-last1=Joshi|editor-first1=S.T.|editor-last2=Schultz|editor-first2=David E.|location=New York|publisher=Hippocampus Press|year=2008|isbn=9781614980605|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LM8LAQAAMAAJ&q=foley}}
• {{cite news|last=Fiks|first=Norbert|title=Ein Stern am Pulp-Himmel: Hans Waldemar Wessolowski|language=de|work=Phantastisch!|issue=83|date=March 2021|access-date=August 19, 2024|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RCe_EAAAQBAJ|pages=42–46|isbn=978-3-86402-800-7 }}
• {{cite book|last=Gombert|first=Richard W.|title=World Wrecker: An Annotated Bibliography of Edmond Hamilton|location=San Bernardino, Calif.|publisher=Borgo Press|date=2009|isbn=9781434457264|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TyOmg5e6P0MC}}
• {{cite book|last=Haining|first=Peter|title=The Classic Era of American Pulp Magazines|location=Chicago|publisher=Chicago Review Press|date=2000|isbn=9781556523892}}
• {{cite book|last=Hulse|first=Ed|title=The Blood 'n' Thunder Guide to Collecting Pulps|location=Morris Plains, N.J.|publisher=Murania Press|date=2009|isbn=9780979595509}}
• {{cite book|last=Käther|first=Matthias|chapter=Hommage an Hans Wessolowski (1894-1948)|language=de|title=Fantastic Pulp 2|editor-last=Käther|editor-first=Matthias|location=Windeck, Germany|publisher=BLITZ-Verlag|date=2021|isbn=9783957196132|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3IWEQAAQBAJ}}
• {{cite book|last=Rothe|first=Klaus|title=Deutsche Ozean-Passagierschiffe 1896 bis 1918|series=Bibliothek der Schiffstypen|language=de|place=Berlin|publisher=VEB Verlag für Verkehrswesen|year=1986|isbn=9783921564806}}
• {{cite book|last=Steele|first=Allen|title=Captain Future in Love|location=Hillsborough, N.H.|publisher=Experimenter Publishing Co.|date=2018|isbn=9781704073767|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HVK_DwAAQBAJ}}

• {{Gutenberg author | id=32703| name=Hans Waldemar Wessolowski}}
• [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?1212 Hans Waldemar Wessolowski] at [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi ISFDB]; contains a complete listing of his fantasy and science fiction works
• [http://www.philsp.com/homeville/fmi/i07/i07732.htm#A7 Hans Waldemar Wessolowski] at the FictionMags Index; contains a complete listing of his magazine work after December 1927

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Category:1894 births

Category:1948 deaths

Category:Analog Science Fiction and Fact people

Category:German illustrators

Category:People from Grudziądz

Category:People from West Prussia

Category:German fantasy artists

Category:German science fiction artists

Category:Pulp fiction artists

Category:German emigrants to the United States