The Rusty
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.
Originally called The Munsey Award, this prestigious prize had been named after Frank A. Munsey, the man who published the first all-fiction pulp magazine in December 1896. It was with The Argosy that the pulp magazine was born. Three Munsey Awards were presented from 2009-11.
As a result of the recent death of Mr. Hevelin, PulpFest has decided that henceforth the Munsey will be called The Rusty Hevelin Service Award, or, in short, The Rusty. This decision was made as a tribute to a man who was very influential in making PulpFest and its predecessors as successful as they are today.
David Saunders, the son of the legendary pulp artist Norman Saunders, has created a sensational, limited-edition print, one copy of which will be offered annually as The Rusty at 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 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 art 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 served as 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.
"The Rusty," by David Saunders, 2009
The Rusty is awarded annually 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. Nominations for the award are welcome and can be made by anyone. Except for previous winners of the Lamont Award or the 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.
In order to nominate a person, please send the person’s name and a brief paragraph describing why you feel that person should be honored to Mike Chomko, 2217 W. Fairview Street, Allentown, PA 18104-6542 or to mike@pulpfest.com. The deadline for nominations is April 30 of this year.
For a list of the winners of the Lamont and Munsey Awards and a biographical sketch of Anthony Tollin, the winner of the 2011 Munsey, please visit the Past Award Winners page of our website.
For questions about the Rusty Hevelin Service Award or to nominate someone for this prestigious award, please write to Mike Chomko at 2217 W. Fairview St., Allentown, PA18104 or via email at mike@pulpfest.com.
