William Rotsler

Charles William Rotsler was a prolific artist, cartoonist, pornographer and science fiction author. Rotsler was a four-time Hugo Award winner and one-time Nebula Award nominee. He was drafted into the Army at the end of the war, attended art school in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, and made a living as an artist for some time thereafter. He made wrought iron sculptures, some of which still exist. he was one of the creators of the sculpture at the entrance to the 1950s-2000s Los Angeles Police Department. Rotsler, active in fandom for years, was known for his illustrations for fanzines, many of which he gave away for free. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist four times: 1975, 1979, 1996, and 1997. He also won a "retro-Hugo" for his work in 1946 and was runner-up for 1951. Rotsler's best known novelette, Patron of the Arts, was published in 1972 and was a finalist for the 1973 Nebula Award, losing to Goat Song. Rotsler was a well-known attendee at west coast science fiction conventions where he would give away his illustrations. He is also the author of "Rotsler's Rules for Costuming" to address the cosplay often found at these conventions. He regardless quipped that "people are making rules for themselves and always finding loop-holes." Through his illustrations Rotsler also helped perpetuate the image of science fiction fans wearing propeller beanies. In 1982 Rotlser published through Wanderer Books canonical backstories for the characters of Star Trek: The Original Series. In the process he gave Uhura her first name, Nyota. Rotsler was the source of the title of Harlan Ellison's short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream." This was adopted, with permission, from a caption of a Rotsler cartoon of a rag doll with no mouth. The Rotsler Award, named for Rotsler, is given annually at Loscon by the Southern California Institute for Fan Interests to recognize "lifetime work of outstanding fan artists." The award comes with a US$300 honorarium.