Michael Whelan was born in Culver City, CA, on June 29, 1950. Michael is one of the world’s premier painters of imaginative realism. For 40 years he has created book and album covers for authors and musicians like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Isaac Asimov, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, the Jacksons and MeatLoaf. His clients have included every major U.S. book publisher, the National Geographic Society, CBS Records, and the Franklin Mint.

Michael is known for his dedication to bringing an author’s words to life and Whelan covers dominated the science fiction and fantasy field throughout the 1980s and '90s. He was largely responsible for the realistic style of genre covers of that era, and his stunning colour and composition have influenced many artists to this day. He continues to do cover art for bestselling authors, but since 1995 he has also pursued a fine art career. His non-commissioned works are in established collections throughout the world.

Michael Whelan had received countless awards during his career. He was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, June 2000 -- the first living artist to have been inducted.

In 1979, Del Rey/Ballantine/Del Rey Books commissioned Michael Whelan to paint new covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars novels, succeeding Gino D’Achille‘s 1973 series.