Awards
The Munsey Award is annually presented to a deserving person who has given of himself or herself for the betterment of the pulp community, be it through disseminating knowledge about the pulps or through publishing or other efforts to preserve and to foster interest in the pulp magazines we all love and enjoy. Nicknamed the Munsey, this prestigious prize bears the name of the man who published the first all-fiction pulp magazine in October 1896, Frank A. Munsey. It was with The Argosy that the pulp magazine was born.
David Saunders, the son of the legendary pulp artist Norman Saunders, has created a sensational, limited-edition print, one copy of which is offered annually as the Munseyat PulpFest. David’s work is a refreshing homage to classic pulp art that honors the entire pulp community and their common love of the purple prose of the bloody pulps. We are sure that Norman would be proud of his son’s wonderful painting. Dan Zimmer of the Illustrated Press and publisher of Illustration Magazine has produced a deluxe, limited edition of thirty-six numbered and signed prints. The PulpFest Committee is indebted to both David and Dan for their generous support of our convention.
A New York artist whose work can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, The New Museum and at other museums and in public buildings throughout the United States and other countries, David Saunders has taught at Yale, Oberlin and many other colleges worldwide, including schools in Paris, London and Tokyo. He is an expert on pulp art and has spoken on the subject at conferences and has been the guest of honor at various pulp conventions. David has also written numerous articles on pulp artists for Illustration Magazine and is the author of Norman Saunders, a biography and appreciation of his father’s work. For further information on David and for a look at his work, please visit The David Saunders Museum.
Nominations for the Munsey are welcome and can be made by anyone. Except for previous winners of the Lamont or Munsey Award, all members of the general pulp community can be nominated. The winner of the award will be selected from these nominees by a panel of judges consisting of recognized experts in the pulp field. For a list of the previous winners of the Munsey and Lamont Award and a biographical sketch of Matt Moring, the winner of the 2012 Munsey, please visit the Past Award Winners page of our website.
The Rusty Hevelin Service Award is named after James ”Rusty” Hevelin. This pillar of the pulp community passed away on December 27, 2011. An active science fiction fan since the thirties, Rusty was the guiding light behind Pulpcon, the convention that helped to keep the memory of the pulps alive for many years. This task has now been entrusted to PulpFest.
The Rusty Hevelin Service Award, initiated in 2012, is designed to recognize those individuals within the pulp community who have worked long and hard for the pulp community with little thought for individual recognition. It is meant to reward especially good works and is thus reserved for only those individuals who are most deserving.
Nominations for the Rusty are welcome and can be made by anyone. Except for previous winners of the Lamont, Munsey, or Rusty Award, all members of the general pulp community can be nominated. The winner of the award will be selected from these nominees by a panel of judges consisting of recognized experts in the pulp field. The winners of the 2012 Rusty Hevelin Service Award were Jack and Sally Cullers. Their biographical sketches can be found on the Past Award Winners page of our website.
In order to nominate a person for either of these awards, please send the person’s name and a brief paragraph describing why you feel that person should be so honored to Mike Chomko, 2217 W. Fairview Street, Allentown, PA 18104-6542 or to mike@pulpfest.com. The deadline for nominations is May 31st of each year. The award or awards will be presented on Saturday evening, July 27th, following our annual business meeting.
For questions about the Munsey Award or the Rusty Hevelin Service Award or to nominate someone for these prestigious awards, please write to Mike Chomko at 2217 W. Fairview St., Allentown, PA18104 or via email at mike@pulpfest.com.
