One of the few artists and illustrators from the golden age of science fiction still living is Edd Cartier. Along with Virgil Finlay, Kelley Freas, Hannes Bok, Lawrence Sterne Stevens and Ed Emsh, Edd Cartier drew the illustrations and painted the covers of the pulp magazines of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. You can pick up almost any copy of an Astounding Science Fiction magazine from the early 1950s and find the fantastic work of Edd Cartier.

This Saturday, before Erica and I went out garage sailing, I decided to bring my camera. I had not brought a camera along on my travels since last fall. I am glad that I did. We followed yard sale signs down through the small towns in New Jersey until I was thoroughly lost. We stopped on one street where there were three different sales. I stopped at the one at the end and bought two Galaxy magazines from the 70s. One thing led to another and I found that I was talking to the son of Edd Cartier, the writer Dean Cartier. The nice old guy “supervising” the garage sale was none other than Edd Cartier, himself.

Edd at 93 is sharp and friendly and was glad to talk about his friend John W. Campbell, Jr. and his friendships with Isaac Asimov, L. Ron Hubbard, L, Sprague deCamp and others. I am afraid that I made a pest of myself. I wound up Buying two books from Dean and having his father autograph them. I bothered Edd and Dean for at least 45 minutes and I wish that I had not had to leave.

Here I am with Edd checking out his book. (I’m the big doofy one.)

I am afraid that I was a little bit of pest and I got into the house and took pictures of the framed art.

The statuette is a bust of Lovecraft, the World Fantasy Award!

Edd is holding his book Edd Cartier: The Known and the Unknown. Dean wrote the text, and it is chock full of Edd’s art. It is a limited edition and mine is numbered 603 out of 2000.

One thing, I had to promise not to reveal Edd and Dean’s address. That is no problem because I had no idea where I was or how I got there.