Just Four More Years to 100!

I have written on more than a few occasions about renowned Ohio-born painter and book-cover illustrator Robert McGinnis, including in The Rap Sheet and CrimeReads. And on every occasion, I’m reminded of what a wonderfully talented artist he is, his skills having been demonstrated over a career more than six decades long.

Today, if one is keeping track—as I have obviously been—marks McGinnis’ 96th birthday. It’s a fine occasion to showcase yet one more example of his work. So atop this post, you will find McGinnis’ original artwork for the 1960 Dell paperback edition of Target: Mike Shayne, starring redheaded Miami private eye Michael Shayne. Although the cover credits that novel to Brett Halliday, who created the Shayne series, it was actually penned by Robert Terrall (aka Robert Kyle), the prolific creator of another gumshoe, Ben Gates.

Below you can see how McGinnis’ gorgeous painting was cropped (quite significantly) for use on that book’s front.