Don Maitz
He painted the dreams of science fiction, defining the look of countless book covers and winning the field's top honors for his visionary art.
Born 1953 (age 73)·American science fiction, fantasy, and commercial artist·Birthday: June 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Don Maitz emerged from the American Midwest to become one of the most distinctive visual voices in speculative fiction. While his name might not be universally known, his art—often signed simply 'Maitz'—has imprinted itself on the imagination of a generation of readers. His career took off in the 1970s, a golden age for paperback science fiction and fantasy, where his painterly, often hauntingly lit scenes set a new standard. Maitz didn't just illustrate stories; he built worlds with oil and canvas, creating images that felt both ancient and futuristic. His work for authors like Roger Zelazny, particularly the iconic imagery for the 'Amber' series, became synonymous with the books themselves. Beyond novels, his creation of the dashing pirate figure 'Captain Morgan' for the rum brand turned commercial art into a lasting cultural mascot. Respected deeply by his peers, his mantlepiece holds the hardware of his craft: Hugos, Chesleys, and a World Fantasy Award, testaments to an artist who made the strange feel tangible and the fantastic feel real.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Don was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Don Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Don's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist twice, out of 21 career nominations.
- Received ten Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists for artistic achievement.
- Created the widely recognized 'Captain Morgan' pirate character for the rum brand's advertising.
- Awarded the World Fantasy Award for Artist in 1980.
- Honored with a Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators for excellence in illustration.
Did You Know?
His signature on paintings is often just his last name, 'Maitz', in distinctive script.
He was a Guest of Honor at the 1996 World Horror Convention.
He is married to fellow fantasy artist Janny Wurts.
Many of his original paintings are collected in the art book 'First Maitz'.
He frequently uses traditional oils as his medium of choice.
“The painting is finished when I stop seeing things to change.”
