Biography
Though his name may not be familiar to the general public, William Stout is one of the most influential and prodigious fantasy artists of our time. Influenced by illustrators Frank Frazetta, Hal Foster, Norman Rockwell, Roy Krenkel, and others, Stout often works behindthe scenes. Beginning in 1971, Stout illustrated the Tarzan of the Apes comic strip and supplied artwork for Playboy and Heavy Metal. The artist created the iconic poster for Ralph Bakshi’s animated fantasy film Wizards (1977), and the poster for Roger Corman’s 1979 film Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, which featured punk-rock pioneers the Ramones. Stout’s other film work includes production and storyboard design for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Return of the Living Dead (1985), and Masters of the Universe (1987). More recently, the artist was key designer for Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth.
In 1977 Stout self-published the limited-edition portfolio The Prehistoric World of William Stout. Four years later, he illustrated the groundbreaking book The Dinosaurs: A Fantastic New View of a Lost Era, which transformed the public’s perception of dinosaurs. In the acknowledgments for his 1990 novel Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton noted the influence of Stout’s artwork. Stout has painted prehistoric-themed murals for the San Diego Natural History Museum, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.
Illustrations by William Stout
Additional Resources
Bibliography
Crichton, Michael. Jurassic Park. New York: Knopf, 1990.
Kowalski, Jesse. Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration. New York: Abbeville Press, 2020.
Leimbacher, Ed. Fantastic Worlds: The Art of William Stout. San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions, 2018.
Stout, William. Dinosaur Discoveries. Santa Cruz, CA: Flesk Publications, 2009.
Stout, William. The Dinosaurs: A Fantastic New View of a Lost Era. New York: Mallard Press, 1981.
Stout, William. Dragonslayers. San Diego, CA: Schanes & Schanes, 1979.
Stout, William. Inspirations. Santa Cruz, CA: Flesk Publications, 2010.
Stout, William. Legends of the Blues. New York: Abrams ComicArts, 2013.
Stout, William. New Dinosaurs. New York: Ibooks, 2000.
Stout, William. New Dinosaur Discoveries A-Z. Santa Cruz, CA: Flesk Publications, 2009.
Stout, William. Prehistoric Life Murals. Santa Cruz, CA: Flesk Publications, 2009.
