Utpatel, Frank

   (1905–1980)

   artist and late correspondent of HPL (1936–37). Utpatel, a Wisconsinite, was a friend of August Derleth, and in 1932 Derleth asked Utpatel to prepare some illustrations to HPL’s “The Shadow over Innsmouth,” even though that tale had not been accepted for publication. The whereabouts of these illustrations are unknown; but HPL, remembering them, urged William L.Crawford of the Visionary Press to commission Utpatel to make illustrations for the upcoming book publication of The Shadow over Innsmouth(1936). Utpatel prepared four illustrations, one of which appeared on the dust jacket. HPL professed to like them, even though the bearded Zadok Allen was portrayed as cleanshaven. In later years Utpatel became a distinguished fantasy illustrator, doing much work for Arkham House; he took many years to draw illustrations for HPL’s Collected Poems (Arkham House, 1963) but produced some of his best work there. He also drew the dust jacket for DBand for Frank Belknap Long’s Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Dreamer on the Nightside (Arkham House, 1975).