Today gave us the word that Robert McGinnis, painter of paperbacks, movie posters, as well as fine art paintings of Old West scenes, died at the age of 99. He was an accomplished draftsman, painter of oils and tempera, and was famed for his attention to detail and respect for the women he produced.
Mr. McGinnis told the magazine that in his paintings of women, he aimed to combine “intelligence with the perfection of the pose or the figure,” explaining that “to me, it showed respect.”
He added that he had little interest in working for Playboy, declining a meeting at the magazine because of his distaste for “the ridiculous way they treated women — zaftig women, who always had orange-colored skin. They were not real.”
To mystery fans, he’s most well known for the covers for Brett Halliday and Richard Stark novels, but his work spanned decades, having still worked into the 2020s. His work graced the posters for seven James Bond movies. He’s credited with over 1500 paperback covers. The books can be collectable simply because of the cover.
In 1993, McGinnis was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, which was to him a great honor.
Here are a few obituaries which give a deeper view of this talented man:
Robert E. McGinnis, 1926-2025 [written by two of his children]
Robert E McGinnis, artist behind Bond film posters and hundreds of pulp novel covers [The Telegraph in the UK]
Robert McGinnis, legendary poster and cover artist, dead at 99 [Comicsbeat]
Illustrator Robert McGinnis has passed away. [The Daily Cartoonist]
Robert McGinnis, who painted James Bond and Audrey Hepburn, dies at 99 [Washington Post]
Robert McGinnis, Creator of Iconic James Bond Posters, Dies at 99 [Variety]
ROBERT MCGINNIS, LEGENDARY POP CULTURE ARTIST, DEAD AT 99 [Cinema Retro]
“Legenday”, “iconic”, “renown”, “collectable” – “He really was like the rock star that everybody turned to,” said David Apatoff, an art critic and illustration scholar.
“It’s a deeply ingrained habit,” Mr. McGinnis said.“I go down to my studio and be quiet and put on a bit of music, sit there and work on a painting, something that I have a feeling for, an affection for. It’s very satisfying, and I may be deceiving myself in thinking I am accomplishing something. I couldn’t do anything else.”
It was no deception. His work is unique, immediately identifiable, and timeless.
SMB Noir 