Fred Otnes: A Collage

Fred Otnes’s collage works have appeared on magazine covers, movie posters, and postage stamps. Born in Junction City, Kansas in 1925, the family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska when Fred was still a child. He began working as an artist at The Lincoln Journal as a teenager where he later credited his early interest in graphics and type. He joined the Marines in 1942, just before his eighteenth birthday, and Ffollowing his military service, Otnes studied at the Art Institute of Chicago on the G.I. Bill. In the late 1940’s he began creating illustrations for national magazines including The Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s. His professional career spanned five decades that later included designs for many high-tech computer companies.

Among Otnes’ most recognizable magazine illustrations was the 1967 Post cover about conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He also created iconic movie posters for several studios, including films A Fistful of Dollars and The Rose.