Hugh Doak Rankin, born Hugh Dearborn Copp (July 2, 1878— January 3, 1956) was an American artist who illustrated the science fiction magazine Weird Tales in the 1920s and 1930s.
Ellen Rankin Copp and her son Hugh, in an 1893 publicationWeird Tales (October 1929); cover illustration by Hugh Rankin
Hugh Dearborn Copp was born in Loda, Illinois, the only surviving son of William H. Copp and Ellen Rankin Copp. His mother was a sculptor.[1] His great-grandparents Jean Lowry Rankin and John Rankin were noted abolitionists and hosts on the Underground Railroad in Ohio. When his parents separated, Ellen and Hugh went to live in Munich and study art.[2] On June 28, 1897, his father went to his wife's house in order to get her to sign a document confirming their reconciliation. He then attacked his wife's family with a razor and a revolver. Rankin's grandfather and mother were injured in the ensuring fight, but there were no fatalities. The police intervened and arrested Copp.[3] After this event, Hugh Copp distanced himself from his father's family and changed his name to Hugh Doak Rankin.[4] He served in the United States Army during World War I.[4]
Careeredit
Hugh Copp got an early start as an exhibiting artist; as a teenager, his panel sculpture of "brownies" racing through hurdles was displayed in the children's room of the Women's Building at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.[5] After the Exposition, he was granted $300 to continue his art studies.[6]
As an adult, Hugh Rankin started making illustrations for newspapers in Ohio and Chicago, before World War I. He was best known for his covers and interior illustrations for Weird Tales beginning in 1927.[7] Sometimes he signed his work "H. R." or using his middle name only, as "DOAK." He illustrated works by authors E. Hoffmann Price, Edmond Hamilton[8] and Robert E. Howard.[9]
It was primarily the nature of Rankin's artwork for Weird Tales covers which made young Robert Bloch's parents disapprove of the magazine, causing Bloch to cease reading it from 1928-1931, until he resumed reading it in 1932.
Rankin's style was called "strange, imaginative – if almost abstract — art-deco work" by a nostalgic fan many years later.[10] He also copyrighted a children's toy, the "Ziggity-zoo", which involved "drawings of animals with interchangeable heads."[11]
Personal lifeedit
He lived with his maternal grandmother Susanna Rankin, his mother's sister, Louisa, and her husband Paul E. Hermes, in Chicago after his mother's death, and later in adulthood in Los Angeles, California, where he was still living at the time of his death in 1956, aged 77 years.[4] As a World War I veteran, his remains were buried in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. His name was also added to his mother's tombstone in Logan County, Illinois.
Referencesedit
^"Mrs. Ellen Rankin Copp" 2016-10-13 at the Wayback Machine Illinois Women Artists Project.
^"Chicago Boy Abroad" 2016-10-13 at the Wayback MachineChicago Daily Tribune (December 16, 1894): 46. via Newspapers.com
^"To Slay a Family". Chicago Tribune. 1897-06-29. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-01-03 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcSaunders, David (2017). "Hugh Rankin". www.pulpartists.com. from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
^"Genius of Mother and Son" Columbian Exposition Illustrated (April 1893): 40.
hugh, doak, rankin, born, hugh, dearborn, copp, july, 1878, january, 1956, american, artist, illustrated, science, fiction, magazine, weird, tales, 1920s, 1930s, ellen, rankin, copp, hugh, 1893, publication, weird, tales, october, 1929, cover, illustration, hu. Hugh Doak Rankin born Hugh Dearborn Copp July 2 1878 January 3 1956 was an American artist who illustrated the science fiction magazine Weird Tales in the 1920s and 1930s Ellen Rankin Copp and her son Hugh in an 1893 publication Weird Tales October 1929 cover illustration by Hugh Rankin Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editHugh Dearborn Copp was born in Loda Illinois the only surviving son of William H Copp and Ellen Rankin Copp His mother was a sculptor 1 His great grandparents Jean Lowry Rankin and John Rankin were noted abolitionists and hosts on the Underground Railroad in Ohio When his parents separated Ellen and Hugh went to live in Munich and study art 2 On June 28 1897 his father went to his wife s house in order to get her to sign a document confirming their reconciliation He then attacked his wife s family with a razor and a revolver Rankin s grandfather and mother were injured in the ensuring fight but there were no fatalities The police intervened and arrested Copp 3 After this event Hugh Copp distanced himself from his father s family and changed his name to Hugh Doak Rankin 4 He served in the United States Army during World War I 4 Career editHugh Copp got an early start as an exhibiting artist as a teenager his panel sculpture of brownies racing through hurdles was displayed in the children s room of the Women s Building at the World s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 5 After the Exposition he was granted 300 to continue his art studies 6 As an adult Hugh Rankin started making illustrations for newspapers in Ohio and Chicago before World War I He was best known for his covers and interior illustrations for Weird Tales beginning in 1927 7 Sometimes he signed his work H R or using his middle name only as DOAK He illustrated works by authors E Hoffmann Price Edmond Hamilton 8 and Robert E Howard 9 It was primarily the nature of Rankin s artwork for Weird Tales covers which made young Robert Bloch s parents disapprove of the magazine causing Bloch to cease reading it from 1928 1931 until he resumed reading it in 1932 Rankin s style was called strange imaginative if almost abstract art deco work by a nostalgic fan many years later 10 He also copyrighted a children s toy the Ziggity zoo which involved drawings of animals with interchangeable heads 11 Personal life editHe lived with his maternal grandmother Susanna Rankin his mother s sister Louisa and her husband Paul E Hermes in Chicago after his mother s death and later in adulthood in Los Angeles California where he was still living at the time of his death in 1956 aged 77 years 4 As a World War I veteran his remains were buried in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego His name was also added to his mother s tombstone in Logan County Illinois References edit Mrs Ellen Rankin Copp Archived 2016 10 13 at the Wayback Machine Illinois Women Artists Project Chicago Boy Abroad Archived 2016 10 13 at the Wayback Machine Chicago Daily Tribune December 16 1894 46 via Newspapers com nbsp To Slay a Family Chicago Tribune 1897 06 29 p 1 Retrieved 2022 01 03 via Newspapers com a b c Saunders David 2017 Hugh Rankin www pulpartists com Archived from the original on 2021 05 10 Retrieved 2022 01 03 Genius of Mother and Son Columbian Exposition Illustrated April 1893 40 Untitled item Kindergarten Magazine 6 8 April 1894 662 Summary Bibliography Hugh Rankin Archived 2016 10 13 at the Wayback Machine Internet Science Fiction Database Richard W Gombert World Wrecker An Annotated Bibliography of Edmond Hamilton Wildside Press 2009 ISBN 9781434457264 Everett Franklin Bleiler and Richard Bleiler eds Science Fiction The Early Years Kent State University Press 1990 335 ISBN 9780873384162 Ray Russell Of Human Brundage Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine Playboy 38 2 February 1991 106 109 Catalog of Copyright Entries 1948 20 External links editHugh D Rankin s actual gravesite in San Diego at Find a Grave Hugh Doak Rankin at Find a Grave Hugh Doak Rankin at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hugh Doak Rankin amp oldid 1220410987, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
