Lot 87096: EMERY CLARKE (American, 1911-1990) The Living Fire

EMERY CLARKE (American, 1911-1990) The Living Fire Menace, Doc Savage cover, January 1938 Oil on canvas 30.75 x 21.75 in. Signed center right With this galvanizing masterwork, Emery Clarke produced one of the most iconic images of Doc Savage to ever appear on a pulp cover. "Nations arming for international conflict engage in a behind-the-scenes mineral war that threatens to disrupt the natural balance of the universe. Doc Savage rises to the peak of his strength and wit to uncover the secret of the cavern with the living fire." In the thirties Emery Clarke painted covers for the pulps Action Stories, Fight Stories, Love Romances, Short Stories, Rangeland Romances, Star Western, Ten Detective Aces, 10-Story Detective, and Top-Notch, as well as his highly celebrated series of covers for Doc Savage. By 1940, Clarke had largely left the pulps behind and built a successful career illustrating for such mainstream magazines as Look, This Week, and Liberty.