The Twilight Zone Writers in Playboy Magazine

A Gallery of Illustrations

I’ve previously written about the excellent fiction published during the early years of Playboy, at which time Ray Russell served as fiction editor for the magazine. Under Russell, Playboy was a showcase for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, several of whom also wrote for The Twilight Zone. Below is a selection of illustrations which accompanied the fiction of The Twilight Zone writers in the pages of Playboy. This is not intended as a definitive list as there are appearances for which I do not have the issues. I’ve also included some bonus illustrations for writers who did not write for The Twilight Zone but who will likely be familiar to readers here in the Vortex. 

Note: Some artists are listed by last name only, the method by which their work was signed or credited. Some artists are not credited and their signatures are illegible. If anyone can identify the uncredited artists, please let me know in the comments.

-JP

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 

Artist: Ben Denison

Issues: March, April, May, 1954

 

"The Flying Machine" by Ray Bradbury 

Artist: Franz Altschuler

Issue: August, 1954

 

“The Concrete Mixer” by Ray Bradbury 

Artist: Franz Altschuler

Issue: January, 1955

 

"The Next in Line" by Ray Bradbury 

Artist: Richard Tyler

Issue: December, 1955

Note: A detail of this illustration was used as the cover for the paperback edition (1968) of The Playboy Book of Horror and the Supernatural (1967). 

 

"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury 

Artist: Franz Altschuler

Issue: June, 1956

 

"The Illustrated Woman" by Ray Bradbury

Artist: Sullivan

Issue: March, 1961

"Heavy-Set" by Ray Bradbury 

Artist: uncredited

Issue: October, 1964

 

"Black Country" by Charles Beaumont

Artist: LeRoy Neiman

Issue: September, 1954

 

"The Hunger" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: uncredited

Issue: April, 1955

 

"The Crooked Man" by Charles Beaumont

Artist: LeRoy Neiman

Issue: August, 1955

 

"A Classic Affair" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: Howard Mueller

Issue: December, 1955

 

"The Monster Show" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: Ron Bradford

Issue: May, 1956

 

"You Can't Have Them All" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: uncredited

Issue: August, 1956

 

"The Dark Music" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: Robert Hodgell

Issue: December, 1956

 

"Night Ride" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: Zeke Ziner

Issue: March, 1957

 

"The Deadly Will to Win" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: Robert Christiansen

Issue: November, 1957

Note: Reprinted as “A Death in the Country”

 

"Perchance to Dream" by Charles Beaumont 

Artist: Carl Koch

Issue: October, 1958

Note: Adapted for the first season of The Twilight Zone

 

"The Music of the Yellow Brass" by Charles Beaumont

Artist: Robert Christiansen 

Issue: Jan, 1959

"Sorcerer's Moon" by Charles Beaumont

Artist: Barr

Issue: July, 1959

"The Splendid Source" by Richard Matheson

Artist: Franz Altschuler

Issue: May, 1956

 

"The Distributor" by Richard Matheson 

Artist: Robert Christiansen

Issue: March, 1958

 

"No Such Thing as a Vampire" by Richard Matheson

Artist: Jurgens

Issue: Oct, 1959

"First Anniversary" by Richard Matheson

Artist: Rothlein

Issue: July, 1960

"Prey" by Richard Matheson

Artist: Martin Hoffmann

Issue: April, 1969

"Side by Side" by John Tomerlin

Artist: uncredited

Issue: September, 1964

Note: Tomerlin scripted the fifth season episode, "Number 12 Looks Just Like You," based on "The Beautiful People" by Charles Beaumont. 

 

"Examination Day" by Henry Slesar

Artist: Leon Bishop

Issue: February, 1958

Note: Adapted for the first revival Twilight Zone series (1985)

 

Bonus:

Title: “The Voice in the Night”

Author: William Hope Hodgson

Artist: Franz Altschuler

Issue: July, 1954

 

Title: “I Like Blondes”

Author: Robert Bloch

Artist: uncredited

Issue: January, 1956

 

Title: “Taste”

Author: Roald Dahl

Artist: Richard Tyler

Issue: April, 1956

 

Title: "Sagittarius"

Author: Ray Russell

Artist: Franz Altschuler

Issue: March, 1962

Title: The Tale of the Body Thief

Author: Anne Rice

Artist: Mel Odom

Issue: October, 1992