Frank Kelly Freas was a comics, fantasy, and sci-fi artist best known for his work with MAD magazine – and for his part in creating the Alfred E. Neuman character. Beginning in the 1950s, he spent seven years as the main cover artist for MAD magazine. After his stint there ended, he embarked on what would become one of the most prolific and esteemed careers in science fiction to date.

Freas illustrated stories by some of science fiction’s greatest storytellers, including Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, A.E. Van Vogt, Poul Anderson, and Frederik Pohl.

He was the first artist ever to receive 11 Best Professional Artist honors from the Hugo Awards, considered the highest accolades of the science fiction industry. Five of the 11 were awarded consecutively. Throughout his career, he was nominated for 20 of the honors, an unprecedented feat.

Aside from his many science fiction accomplishments, he is also known for illustrating the official patch of NASA’s 1973 Skylab 1 orbiting space station.