Meine Illustren Begegnungen

Hans-Martin Heider was born in 1961 in Bergisch Gladbach. The long-time managing director of the eponymous printing and publishing house has been interested in illustrations and adventures from the Wild West since childhood. This may stem from his Italian grandfather, who took him to the local cinema in Italy at a young age to watch American Western films. As a child, he discovered the popular Bessy comics from Bastei Verlag in 1969, just like many of his contemporaries. He was particularly fascinated by the cover illustrations of the legendary poster artist Klaus Dill, which he often copied as a child. When he unexpectedly met the artist in 1996, he was already well into his professional life. Here, he was able to successfully combine work and hobby and publish his first works about "the painter of his childhood." This led to a series of illustrious encounters with other artists and graphic designers. In this book, the author personally describes his encounters with Klaus Dill, Renato Casaro, and Hansrudi Wäscher, among others. Each chapter is illustrated with photographs as well as rare and partially unpublished works by the artists. With this book, a profession that has captivated millions with its work and often remained anonymous may finally receive the recognition it deserves.