Art Paul, Playboy magazine’s founding art director credited for designing the iconic Playboy bunny, has passed away at the age of 93 on Saturday at the Presence St Joseph Hospital in Chicago after battling pneumonia, as reported by Mirror.
“He was Playboy’s first art director responsible for some of our best covers. He illustrated the Rabbit and contributed a tremendous amount to the brand. You will be missed, Art Paul. The world lost a design legend. Playboy lost a family member," tweeted his son Cooper on Sunday, as reported by Mirror.
The designer’s association with Playboy for 23 years from its first edition in 1953 till 1982, is considered integral to the success of Playboy, and he was known for his lasting influence on the magazine and his contributions to Playboy’s success was acknowledged by the founder of Playboy Hugh Hefner, who died last year, when he had said, "I couldn’t have done it without him."
Paul, who was born in Chicago, studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago after he earned a scholarship in recognition of his talent. He served in World War II and returned to Chicago in order to resume his studies. He was approached by Hefner to work for Playboy when he was working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, and agreed only when he was allowed to buy art from talented illustrators who were not selling well in the 1950s economy. He went on to work at Playboy for 30 years, during which he commissioned artists like Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali, as reported by Mirror.
Paul’s design for the first Playboy magazine cover was a photograph of Marilyn Monroe taken during a parade as she waved to the crowd. However, it is the ubiquitous Playboy bunny logo that is considered to be Paul’s most iconic work and exemplified the Playboy brand till date.
Updated Date: May 02, 2018 12:06 PM