"Boy's Life" cover---1953

Boy's Life

October, 1953

Cover art by William Heaslip

William Heaslip was born in Toronto, Canada and was interested in the graphic arts at an early age. His other passion was aviation, and when old enough, served with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. Heaslip was honorably discharged from military service after the armistice was signed with Germany. He never made it into combat, but his first-hand experience with aviation established his success in the art world. After the war, Heaslip came to New York and studied art at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. After finishing his schooling he began working as an illustrator of aviation subjects for Collier's, Saturday Evening Post, Boy's Life, and other publications. During World War II he illustrated the planes of the Allies and Axis in various newspapers and magazines. In the graphic arts, Heaslip used etching and aquatint to produce powerful images showing an inky visual quality, thus projecting black and white as a formidable art form.