Combining the elements of both horror and romance, Gothic fiction's origin can be traced back to English author Horace Walpole, and his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story". This style of writing continued in the English romantic period through the Victoria era traveling to Germany, France, Russia, and other countries up to the handful of modern day works still being published. The name Gothic refers to the (pseudo)-medieval buildings in which the stories were set, and the images were carried over to the eerie covers to sell these scary love tales. A heyday for this genre were the books produced in the 1950-1970s which almost always featured a terror-stricken woman in flowing gown running from a gloomy mansion or castle, often with a single lit window in the attic. A number of popular illustrators of the time did these covers over theirs careers including below Victor Prezio, George Gross, Lou Marchitti, Robert McGinnis, and Enric Torres Prat, and other unknown artists. I never knew of anyone who read these tomes, but perhaps in this case, you really can judge a book by its cover, and I dare say none of these gals ever became realtors.
Born in Brooklyn, Don Spaulding talent started early as he excelled in his high school art class and then spent four years at New York's Art Student League where he studied with Robert Beverly Hale, William McNulty, and Frank Vincent DuMond. His biggest influence though was invited to work under Norman Rockwell in his Vermont Studio. That experience with Rockwell instilled in the Spaulding his passion for authenticity and excellence that has remained with him throughout his long career. Widely known for his U.S. Military art, his pictures are displayed in the West Point Museum, the U.S. Army War College, and the Pentagon. As the artist strives for detail and accuracy in the dress, gear, and weapons of his subjects, Spaulding relys heavily on his extensive collection of Western and military artifacts for the task. Particularly interested in the regalia and equipment of the calvary trooper, the Plains Indian and the cowboy, they can all be seen in his lush covers produced for Dell Publications in the 1950s. The Lone Ranger was the artist's favorite and shown here is his Lone Ranger's Companion Tonto #26 cover art. Though all details are accurate and authentic, the focus always remains on the person, a holdover from his early Rockwell days. As the artist says "I was put on this earth to paint the historical West. It's my great love and passion." 
