Probably best associated with science fiction cover art published from the 1950s through the 1970s – especially that of Ballantine and Dell paperbacks – Richard M. Powers’ body of work for science fiction magazines was, unfortunately (!) quite limited, albeit having the same combination of visual power, originality of style, and (yes, also!) sometime subtlety as his book art.
Specifically, his magazine oeuvre included covers for Beyond Fantasy Fiction and Galaxy Science Fiction, both of which were edited by Horace L. Gold, as well as a set of interior illustrations for a (for-now-unnamed!) third science fiction magazine from the early 1960s. Though unsigned, this interior work reveals its creator’s identity by the singular distinctness of its composition and style. (Which I hope to bring you in the future!)
For Galaxy, Powers created cover art for the magazine’s issues of February and April, 1952.
For Beyond, Powers created cover an absolutely stunning illustration for the magazine’s premier issue (July, 1953), and, cover art for the publication’s second issue, published in September of that year.
Akin to the first Beyond cover, the September illustration has no actual title, simply being listed in the table of contents as “Cover by: Richard Powers”. And, paralleling the magazine’s first issue, the composition bears no relationship to the publication’s content, which comprises novelets by Theodore R. Cogswell (“The Wall Around The World”), Robert Bloch (“The Dream Makers”), Philip K. Dick (“The King of the Elves”), as well as short stories by Joseph Shallit, Jerome Bixby, Theodore Sturgeon, M.C. Pease, John Wyndham, Joe L. Hensley, Isaac Asimov, and Margaret St. Clair.
So, the full cover, below…
Powers’ art, in detail:
The composition shows green-skinned humanoids in seeming battle against huge, levitating, tentacled, purplish organic entities, all of which share an identical body plan. What are these things?
Flying polyps? (Also see…!) ((And this…!!))
Veritably: Gadzooks!
References
Richard M. Powers, at Wikipedia
Richard M. Powers – February 24, 1921 – March 9, 1996 (essay by David Hartwell), at Internet Archive Wayback Machine (originally at RichardMPowers.com, dated April 13, 2015)