Three original works of art by Bernie Fuchs, created for and reproduced on the cover of TV Guide. Framed.

For millions of American homes from the 1950s through the 1990s, the most popular weekly magazine was TV Guide. Long before television scheduling regularly appeared in daily newspapers, TV Guide was what one looked to to plan an evening of viewing. Of course, TV Guide was far more than simply a series of lists, but rather a book that gave hints of what the increasing array of television programming had in store for the family that viewed together.

In the world of illustration, nothing is more prestigious to an illustrator than a “cover” story. Readers may skim through a magazine, missing half of the articles, photographs and illustrations, but they never miss the cover. Indeed, a large percentage of the public that may never purchase a given publication still is aware of its cover art by virtue of seeing the publication at a newstand, check-out counter or any of the many other places such magazines are sold.

By combining the unprecedented popularity of TV Guide with the importance of the cover illustration, the significance of the following offering begins to surface. Add to the mix the fact that TV Guide’s art directors, knowning the importance of the covers, opted for the very finest illustrators suited to each respective assignment. Accordingly, the following original artwork for TV Guide covers is “the best of the best of the best!”

Bernie Fuchs was a prolific and honored illustrator from the 1950s through the early 2000s, doing presidential portraits and postage stamps as well as advertising. He was one of the youngest illustrators ever elected to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1975 at 44, and named Sport Artist of the Year by the American Sport Art Museum and Archives.