The Hand of Zorro!

This artwork is by one of my favorite illustrators/artists, Everett Raymond Kinstler. Despite enjoying a current reputation as one of America's great fine artists, specializing in portraits, Mr. Kinstler remains (unlike some) particularly proud of his days illustrating for comics and pulp magazines. So much so he has published a maginificent coffee table book of his early work, Everett Raymond Kinstler: The Artist’s Journey Through Popular Culture 1942-1962. I highly recommend it. This comes from Four Color No. 574, 1954

The West of Everett Raymond Kinstler

Story art from this wonderful issue of Four Color (#491 - August 1953) is by one of America's greatest portrait painters, Everett Raymond Kinstler. Although Mr. Kinstler has painted the portraits of American presidents (seven of them) and movie stars, he cut his teeth in the 1940s and 50s on comic books. For Dell (Four Color), he worked on many Western titles (Western Marshall, Zorro, Outlaw Trail, and Max Brand's Silvertip), often producing several issues in a series. Im a big, fat fan! The following story is a prime example of Kinstler's remarkable vision of the American West.