Tim Kirk

Tim Kirk is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy fanartist. His art appeared in many fanzines from the late 1960s through to the 1980s, particularly Tolkien zines. In 1975 his Master's thesis portfolio, a series of paintings based on The Lord of the Rings was published by Ballentine Books as the 1975 Tolkien Calendar"Biography, Tim Kirk", at Kirk Design Incorporated (via Wayback Mar 24/13).
==History==
Born in 1947, Kirk became a science fiction fan as a fine arts student at the University of California - Long Beach during the 1960s. His work appeared in fanzines of the period, including Locus, Science Fiction Review, Nyctalops, Trumpet and HPL. He also was part of the winning Kansas City 1976 Worldcon bid and resulting convention. During his fanartist career, he was nominated for a number of awards, including the Hugos, winning many and earning himself a strong reputation among his fans. At the same time he provided cover for several DAW Books and Ballantine.
While selling some of his art professionally to science fiction magazines such as Amazing Stories and Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine as well as book publishers such as DAW and Doubleday, it wasn't enough to live on and he took a job with Hallmark, designing cards and wrapping paper. In 1980 he began working with Disney as an illustrator, designer and "imagineer", getting involved in the design of DisneySea in Japan. From there he joined with his brother, sculptor Steve Kirk, in amusement park design before they set up their own company with Steve's wife Kathy, Kirk Design Incorporated, which specialised "in design services for the leisure entertainment market, including theme environments, parks, attractions, shops, restaurants, museums, resorts and interactive play areas""Meet The Team" - Kirk Design Incorporated (via Wayback Mar 24/13); one of their commissions was the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture. The company - and Tim - retired in 2013. Tim has since rejoined fandom, attending conventions and contributing both essays and art for science-fiction publications. He has also recently appeared as a guest speaker on the Fan History Project's Evolution of Fan Art Zoom session in 2023"Pixel Scroll 10/5/23 The Fan-Kzin Scrolls" by Mike Glyer, File 770 (Oct 5/23) (via Wayback Oct 13/23) as well as a number of podcasts focussing on fanzine history. 
== Notable Works ==
A full(?) bibliography of Tim's fan and professional work - meta essays, fiction and art - is available on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
=== Calendars ===
*1969 Tolkien Calendar
=== Zines ===
* The Tolkien Journal v.3 no.2 (#8) [1967] - all art is by Tim Kirk, including front and back covers.
* 
=== Professional Publications ===
* The Trouble with Tribbles by David Gerrold (1973)
* 1975 Tolkien Calendar (pro work, published by Ballantine Books). This work was Tim's thesis project for his Master’s degree in Illustration from California State University, Long Beach.
* A Wealth of Fable (The History of Science Fiction Fandom in the 1950's), Volume 2 by Harry Warner, Jr. (1977) - interior art "The Art of the Hoax" and "The Demolished Fans".
* The Tolkien Scrapbook by Alida Becker (1978) - front cover and interior art 
==Interviews and Profiles==
*An Interview with Tim Kirk (1977) by Jon Gustafson - Science Fiction Review, May 1977
*Dreams of the Dreamer (1978) by Pat Cadigan and Arnie Fenner and Robert Haas and Vikki Marshall and Jan Schwab - Shayol #2 February 1978
*“The World of Tim Kirk” (1978) by George Beahm - Rocket's Blast Comicollector #144
*The Tim Kirk Interview (1980) by Gerald J. Brown - Night Voyages, #6, Summer 1980
*A Conversation with Tim Kirk (1980) by George Beahm - Kirk's Works: An Index of the Art of Tim Kirk
*Tim Kirk: Artist Profile essay by Arnie Fenner (1983) - Fantasy Newsletter, #56 
*"An Interview with former Imagineer, Tim Kirk" (2016) by Jacqueline Gualtieri at Reimagining the Imagineers, October 20, 2016 (via Wayback Aug 2/24).
*"Zeitgeist's The Spirit of the Time Episode 7: Tim Kirk" January 4, 2023, Zeitgeist podcast.
*"15 Years Of Trading Lessons With Tim Kirk" (2024) by Austin Silver on episode 132 of The Day Trading Show podcast June 24, 2024.
==Awards==
===Hugos===
* 1969 - Best Fan Artist - finalist
* 1970 - Best Fan Artist - winner
* 1971 - Best Fan Artist - runner up
* 1972 - Best Fan Artist - winner
* 1973 - Best Fan Artist - winner
* 1974 - Best Fan Artist - winner
* 1976 - Best Fan Artist - winner
* 1977 - Best Fan Artist - runner up
===Locus Poll Award===
* 1971 - Best Fan Artist - second
* 1972 - Best Fan Artist - second
* 1973 - Best Fan Artist - second
* 1974 - Best Fan Artist - winner
* 1975 - Best Fan Artist - winner
* 1976 - Best Artist - fourth
* 1977 - Best Artist - sixth
* 1979 - Best Artist - ninth
* 1980 - Best Artist - eleventh
* 1981 - Best Artist - tenth
=== World Fantasy Awards===
* 1975 - Best Artist - nominee
* 1976 - Best Artist - nominee
* 1977 - Best Artist - nominee
* 1978 - Best Artist - nominee
===(Coveted) Balrog Awards===
* 1979 - Best Artist - winner
* 1980 - Best Artist - nominee
===Rotsler Memorial Fanzine Artist Award===
* 2021 - winner
=== Art Show Awards ===
(listed where information available - by no means an extensive list)
* Baycon - 1968
== Reactions and Reviews ==
== Gallery ==
File:Tolkienjournal3-1back.jpg|The Tolkien Journal v.3 n.1 back cover (1967)
File:Tolk3-2.jpg|"The Last Homely House", Tolkien Journal v.3 n.2, front cover (1967)
File:Tolk3-2back.jpg|"The Dead Marshes", The Tolkien Journal v. 3 n.2 (1967) back cover
File:Hobbit Colouring book cover.jpg|The Hobbit Coloring Book front cover (1969)
File:1969tolkiencalendar.jpg|Cover of the 1969 Tolkien Calendar
File:Granfalloontitlepage.jpg|Granfalloon Issue #7, interior art (1969)
File:Concordancesample4.jpg|Gav the Tellerite, Star Trek Concordance (1969)
File:Concordancesample9.jpg|The Romulan Commander, Star Trek Concordance (1969)
File:Tolk11.jpg|Cover of Orcrist 3/Tolkien Journal #11 (1970)
File:Logstar5-6.jpg|"Fan Film Funnies" (words by Bjo Trimble) from Log of the Starship Enterprise #5 (1972)
File:Westercon25.jpg|Cover of the program book for Westercon 25/Mythcon 3 (1972)
File:Filmcon1pr1-2.jpg|Cover of the Filmcon 1972 first progress report
File:Filmcon1pr1-1.jpg|Inside art from the Filmcon 1972 first progress report
File:Hplp6.jpg|"Arkham" from HPL (1972)
File:Nyctalops 7 Cover.jpg|Nyctalops #7 front cover featuring Clark Ashton Smith (1972)
File:Eq1973programbook-1.jpg|Equicon/1973 progress report #1 interior art - 'Lev the Andorian
File:Eq1973prog4-1.jpg|Equicon/1973 progress report #4 interior art - Chekov
File:Filmcon2progressreport1-1.jpg|Inside art from the Filmcon 1973 first progress report
File:Truthtribbles4.jpg|Sample interior page from The Truth About Tribbles (1974)
File:Truthtribbles5.jpg|Sample interior page from The Truth About Tribbles (1974)
File:Truthtribbles6.jpg|Sample interior page from The Truth About Tribbles (1974)
File:Nyctalops 18 Back Cover.jpg|Nyctalops 18 back cover (1983) 
== Archives/Zines/Collections ==
=== Zines ===
==== As Contributor ====
* Tolkien Journal 
** #7 (1967) - back cover and interior art
** #8 (1967) - all art, including front and back covers
** #9 (1968) - interior art
** #10 (1969) - interior art
** #11/Orcrist #3 (1970) - front cover "The Hornberg in Helm's Deep" with the dedication: For Deborah Webster: critic, composer, poet: "who has heard the horns of elfland" and interior art
* Anubis, #3 (1968) - cover
* Niekas 
** #20 (1968) - interior art
** #39 (1989) - back cover "Misty Mountain Goblin"
*Shangri L'Affaires, September 1968 (1968) - cover
* Amra
** V2n46 (1968) - interior art
** V2n47 (1968) - "lower case request"
** V2n48 (1968) - "The Short Hero"
** V2n50 (1969) - "Limericks"
** V2n51 (1969) - "A Portion of Lankhmar (map)" and "On Dinosaurs and Dragons"
** V2n52 (1970) - "Swackles", "The Loss of a Son"
** V2n53 (1970) - "Mundy's Vendhya"
** V2n57 (1972) - "French Crossbowman, c. 1425", "Turkish Janissary, c. 1400",
** V2n59 (1973) - "Blunders", "Japanese Swords", "The Other Cimmerian"
** V2n60 (1973) - "Review: Nils Holgersson"
** V2n62 (1974) - "Man about Tarantia²"
** V2n64 (1975) - "Armoured Cavalry, Tang Dynasty (China, C. 700)", "More Claymores"
* Star Trek Concordance First Edition (1969) - interior art
* Mythlore #1 (1969) - front cover, also associate art editor (issues #1-9)
* Trumpet
** #9 (1969) - interior art
** #10 (1969) - "Caution: Cigarette Smoking Is Still a Burning Issue" and "Gormenghast: A Portfolio" plus two other images
** #11 (1974) - ""Repent, Harlequin!" said the Ticktockman", "Pill Bugs and Mung Peas", "Stealing Tomorrow"
* Locus
** #20 (1969) - cover
** #22 (1969) - cover
** #25 (1969) - cover
** #26 (1969) - Cartoon: "Boston in '71"
** #27 (1969) - Cartoon
** #28 (1969) - cover
** #29 (1969) - cover
** #38 (1969) - cover
** #45 (1969) - interior
** #64 (1970) - cover
** #70 (1970) - interior
** #83 (1971) - cover
** #87 (1971) - cover
** #95 (1971) - cover
** #108 (1972) - cover
** #111 (1972) - interior
** #118 (1972) - interior
** #114 (1972) - cover
** #118 (1972) - cover and "Film Fan Funnies #2"
** #122 (1972) - cover
** #129 (1972) - cover
** #131 (1973) - cover
** #134 (1973) - cover
** #135 (1973) - cover
** #141 (1973) - cover
** #154 (1974) - cover
** #169 (1975) - cover
** #179 (1975) - cover
* Granfalloon
** #7 (1969) - interior 
** #8 (1970) - interior art, backcover and - letter of comment
** #9 (1970) - Art Portfolio (40th Anniversary Special)
** #11 (1971) - interior art
*Science Fiction Review 
** January 1969 (1969) - interior
** April 1969 (1969) - interior
** June 1969 (1969) - "Harlan Elephant Defends the Faith"
** August 1969 (1969) - interior
** October 1969 (1969) - "Annual S.W.F.A. Meeting"
** December 1969 (1969) - interior and "Michael Moorhen Ascends Golgotha" - essay
** February 1970 (1970) - interior
** April 1970 (1970) - front cover, "Book Reviews", "Dialog", "Monolog", "Noise Level", "Rotsler for TAFF", "Story at Bay", "Tim Kirk vs. Mike Gilbert Parts 1 and 2"
** June 1970 (1970) - interior
** August 1970 (1970) - "Tim Kirk's Page"
** October 1970 (1970) - interior
** November 1970 (1970) - interior
** January 1971 (1971) - front cover and interior art
** March 1971 (1971) - interior
** February 1975 (1975) - cover
** #16 February 1976 (1976) - interior
** November 1976 (1976) - cover
** #23 (1977) - letter of comment
* Return to Wonder, #9 1970 (1970) - cover
* The WSFA Journal #76 (1971) - "The Science Fiction Review Memorial Art Portfolio"
* Log of the Starship Enterprise (Star Trek: TOS zine by Sylvia Stanczyk) #5 (1972) - "Fan Film Funnies", words by Bjo Trimble, illos by Tim Kirk
*Nyctalops
** #7 (1972) - cover
** #18 (1985) - back cover
* Despatch #17 (1972) - interior art 
*Richard E. Geis, September 1972 (1972) - cover
* HPL (1972) - "The Terrible Old Man", "Innsmouth", "Notes on Collecting Lovecraftiana", "Arkham", "Wilbur Whateley's Death", "Gallery"
*From Beyond the Dark Gateway, April-May 1972 (1972) - "From the Sea"
*Etchings & Odysseys (1973) - "A Man of Discretion (A Tale of Gai Paris)", "First Love"
*The Alien Critic
** May 1973 (1973) - cover
** #7 (1973) - "Alien Thoughts", "Noise Level", "The Alien's Archives"
** February 1974 (1974) - cover
** May 1974 (1974) - cover
** August 1974 (1974) - cover
** November 1974 (1974) - cover
*Whispers 
** Volume 1, number 2 (Issue #2) (1973) - interior art
** July 1973 (1973) - cover
** July 1974 (1974) - cover
*Anduril, #4 (1974)
* The Truth About Tribbles (1974) - interior art
*Nickelodeon #1 (1975) - "Famous Last Lines of M. M. Moamrath"
*REH: Lone Star Fictioneer (1975) - "Vultures over Cross Plains"
* The Middle-earth Songbook (1976) - interior art
*Chacal 
** #1 (1976) - "Kirk's Corner"
** #2 (1977) - "Kirk's Corner / Hard Times"
*Fantasy Crossroads 
** #7 (1976) - "Epistle Express"
** #15 (1979) - "Drool", "Trell"
*Shayol 
** #1 (1977) - "Kirk's Corner", "Spawn of the Ruins"
** #2 (1978) - ""Close Encounter" Close-Ups", "Dreams of the Dreamer"
** #3 (1979) - "... Homecoming...", "Kirk's Corner"
** #4 (1980) - "Kirk's Corner: Shayol's Condidate Profiles, 1980"
** #5 (1982) - "The Secret to Being a Sci-Fi Guy"
** #6 (1982) - "Kirk's Corner", "Middle Earth: A Look at K. C.'s Fantastic Artists"
** #7 (1985) - "Fantasy Portfolio"
*The Silver Eel (1978) - front cover and "Notes from the Editor" banner
* Fantasy Newsletter #62 (1983) - Letter (Give Credit to Stephen King)
*SF & Fantasy Review, Volume 7, No. 2 (#65) (1984) with George Barr - cover
*The Naked Id #6 (1985)
*Controversy in Review 
** #15 (1987)
** #16 (1987)
** #17 (1987)
*Sword & Fantasy #7 (2006) - "Blasts from the Past"
=== Program Books ===
* Westercon 25/ Mythcon 3 Program Book (1972) - front cover
* Filmcon I Progress Report #1 (1972) - cover and interior art
* L.A.Con Progress Report #0 (1972) - cover
* L.A.Con Progress Report #1 (1972) - cover
* L.A.Con Progress Report #2 (1972) - cover
* L.A.Con Progress Report #3 (1972) - cover
* L.A.Con Progress Report #4 (1972) - cover
* L.A.Con Program Book (1972) - "I Pinglot, Who You?".
* Equicon 1973 Progress Report #4 (1973) - interior art
* Equicon 1973 Program Book (1973) - interior art
*MidAmeriCon Program Book (1976) - "The Star Beast" and biography of GOH George Barr.
*L.A. Con II Program Book (1984) - "18th Annual Fanquest Program Book " (1971); "WHAT THIS CONVENTION NEEDS IS SOME CULTURE ...", "WHAT THIS CONVENTION NEEDS IS SOME SOCK AND BOFFO!", "Marketplace at Mandaroon", "18th Annual Fanquest Program Book (cover)"
* Sasquan: The 73rd World Science Fiction Convention (2015) - art for the profile of David Gerrold.
=== Small Press Publications ===
==== As Editor/Author ====
* Kirk's Works: An Index of the Art of Tim Kirk (1980) with George Beahm [Heresy Press]
* Ghosts and Goblins (1982) - as editor and artist [Platt & Munk]
==== As Artist ====
* The Making of Monsters • essay by Tim Kirk
* A Conversation with Tim Kirk • interview of Tim Kirk • interview by George Beahm
* Kirk's Works: An Annotated Index • essay by Tim Kirk
*The Asimov Science Fiction Bibliography by M.B. Tepper [Chinese Ducked Press] (1970)
*Forgotten Fantasy, April 1971 eds Douglas Menville, Robert Reginald [Nectar Press] (1971)
*A Guide to Middle-Earth by Robert Foster [Mirage Press] (1971)
*Phantoms & Fancies by L. Sprague de Camp [Mirage Press] (1972)
*An Atlas of Fantasy by J.B. Post [Mirage Press] (1973)
*Tigers of the Sea by Robert E. Howard [Donald M. Grant Publishing] (1974)
* "The Myth and Fantasy Calendar" (1974) [Faun Fantasy Press] - interior art
*A Gent from Bear Creek by Robert E. Howard [Donald M. Grant Publishing] (1975)
*Dreams from R'lyeh by Lin Carter [Arkham House] (1975)
*Nameless Places ed Gerald W. Page [Arkham House] (1975)
*International Classified Directory of Dealers in Science Fiction and Fantasy Books and Related Materials by Frank M. Halpern [Haddonfield House] (1975)
*The Compleat Feghoot: The Many Lives and Greatest Exploits of History's Punniest Space-Time Traveller by Grendel Briarton [Mirage Press] (1975)
*Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy by L. Sprague de Camp [Arkham House] (1976)
* "Foreword" - Upon the Winds of Yesterday, and Other Explorations: The Paintings of George Barr (1976) [Donald M. Grant Publishing] - released in commemoration of Barr being a Guest of Honor at the 34th World Science Fiction Convention
*The Purple Dragon and Other Fantasies by L. Frank Baum [Fictioneer Books] (1976)
*Tales of Three Hemispheres by Lord Dunsany [Owlswick Press] (1976)
*The Pride of Bear Creek by Robert E. Howard [Donald M. Grant Publishing] (1977)
*Rime Isle by Fritz Leiber [Whispers Press] (1977)
*Half in Shadow by Mary Elizabeth Counselman [Arkham House] (1978)
*Heroes and Horrors by Fritz Leiber [Whispers Press] (1978)
*The Gothic Horror and Other Weird Tales by George T. Wetzel [W. Paul Ganley Books] (1978)
*Tales From Gavagan's Bar by L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt [Owlswick Press] (1978)
*Mayhem on Bear Creek by Robert E. Howard [Donald M. Grant Publishing] (1979)
*A Dreamer's Tales by Lord Dunsany [Owlswick Press] (1979)
*The Ghosts of the Heaviside Layer and Other Fantasms by Lord Dunsany [Owlswick Press] (1980)
*The (Even More) Compleat Feghoot: The Many Lives and Greatest Exploits of History's Punniest Space-Time Traveller by Grendel Briarton [Mirage Press] (1980)
*Heroes and Hobgoblins by L. Sprague de Camp [Donald M. Grant Publishing] (1981)
*Pathways to Elfland: The Writings of Lord Dunsany by Darrell Schweitzer [Owlswick Press] (1989)
*The Harlan Ellison Hornbook by Harlan Ellison [Mirage Press] (1990)
*The Collected Feghoot by Grendel Briarton [Pulphouse Publications] (1992)
*Rat Tales ed. Jon Gustafson [Pulphouse Publishing] (1994)
*Mecca | Mettle ed. Alice Schmidt [Payseur & Schmidt] (2005)
*Worlds of Cthulhu by Robert M. Price [Fedogan & Bremer] (2012)
*The Horse of Another Color by Hannes Bok [Sidecar Preservation Society] (2014) - chapbook
*Awaiting Strange Gods: Weird and Lovecraftian Fictions by Darrell Schweitzer [Fedogan & Bremer] (2015)
*Not All a Dream by Manly Wade Wellman [Haffner Press] (2023) - chapbook
*The Complete John the Balladeer by Manly Wade Wellman [Haffner Press] (2023)
*The Knight and Knave of Swords by Fritz Leiber [Centipede Press] (2023)
==References==
Category:Fanartists