William F. Nolan created Logan’s
Run, a benchmark science fiction novel of
a future world where life ends at age 21. 
Yet for all his success as a writer, Nolan
leads a double life--as writer and artist--
enjoying the best of both worlds.
          Since boyhood, art and writing have
been his twin passions.  At ten, he began
writing stories in his Missouri school
notebook and by high school in Kansas
City had tackled his first novel.
          In high school, he won four art
awards, performed as artist on his school
paper, and illustrated the school yearbook.  He also managed to capture First Prize in the All-city Press Council Awards of 1945.
          After graduation, he worked as an artist for Hallmark Cards--also crafting verse for them.  He went on to study at the Kansas City Art Institute.
          Moving to California, Nolan won another First Prize for his art at San Diego State College in 1948, followed by an Award of Merit at the San Diego County Fair.
          That same year, he opened his own art studio, selling watercolors and outdoor murals.  The head of the San Diego Fine Arts Gallery honored him with solid praise for his one-man show.  It seemed as if his art career had taken-off!
          Later, in 1956, he sold a short story to Playboy, one of the top fiction markets in the country at that time.
          The young would-be artist devoted himself from then on to professional writing.
          His extensive list of short stories, articles, screen- plays, and the crown of his career--Logan’s Run--testify to the rightness of that decision (almost 1600 sales!).
          Yet, Nolan never forgot his art nor ever ex-plained why he made the abrupt turnaround--until now.  
  
JA:  Why did you choose a writing career over one as an artist?  
  
WFN: For me, it was simple.  I was a better writer.  I had some problems as an artist--ones that would have gotten bigger if I’d tried to make a career of art.  I was semi-color blind.  No good with oils.  Could not master anatomy.  With writing I had (and have) no problems.  Stories, novels, essays, poetry, teleplays, screenplays--I can handle them all.  That’s why I chose writing.  
  
JA:  When you held that first big writing check in your fingers, did you decide then or later to pursue writing as a career?  
  
WFN:  That Playboy sale in 1956, was not my first story sale, but it was the first time I realized there was good money in writing--I could earn a $500 check for an afternoon’s work at the keys (Nolan still types all his work on a 1937 typewriter.)  Office work paid far less, and ditto my art sales.  So I put aside my artwork and went for a career as a writer.  Guess it was the right choice--I’ve been successful at it for over fifty years.
  
JA:  Why did you choose Playboy?  Was this the result of years of writing stories?  
  
WFN: I picked Playboy because my good pal, Charles Beaumont (known for his “Twilight Zone” stories), was selling to them, and they paid more than most magazines... So why not take a shot? I’d been writing stories since the age of ten but I didn’t

                  feel ready to submit. Then I met Ray
                  Bradbury in 1952, when I edited and
                  illustrated (cover and interiors) my Ray
                  Bradbury Review.  Besides encouraging
                  me to write, Ray gave me some valuable
                  pointers on my first “pro” story in 1954. 
                  So by 1956, I was ready for Playboy!  
    
                  JA:  In what way does your art
                  background help your writing?  
   
                  WFN: Since I “think” in images, as an
                  artist does, I can create more vivid word
“pictures” for my readers.  I’ve also designed and done the artwork for a dozen of my books.  In 2005, Hellbound Book Publishers collected some 80 pages
of my art sketches, plus prose and poetry for Ill Met By Moonlight.  I’m really proud of that book.  
  
JA:  Do you keep a sketchpad beside your bed and do you draw each day?  
  
WFN: I do a lot of “hobby” drawing--maybe not each day, but often.  They’re generally cartoons I include in letters to friends.  I don’t try and sell my art anymore.  It’s just a hobby, yet I do keep my hand in.  Logan’s Run (and my sequels) definitely benefitted from my “double life.”  The Logan books are all very visual.  I think that’s why MGM, CBS, and Warner Bros. bought screen rights.  
  
JA:  Did you contribute any sketches to the new Warner Bros. re-make of Logan’s Run?  
  
WFN: Warner Brothers didn’t consult me during the pre-production stage on their remake of Logan’s Run.  But I’m told their art department has created a new “future world” for Logan to run through-- though I’ve not seen any of the studio’s art as yet.  
  
JA:  When will the film be released?  
  
WFN:  It’s been “on the verge” of production several times over the past ten years but keeps getting postponed for other projects.  I had a recent talk with the studio people and they assured me the film will be made.  When?  Who knows?  
  
JA:  What advice would you give other writers, who have drawing talent, so they can make the most of both worlds?  
  
WFN: I would advise other writer/artists to focus on one career.  If their talent as artist is greater, then pursue a career in art--and make writing their “hobby.”  If they excel in writing, then go for that.  Speaking for myself, I feel happy when my writing profits from my artist’s eye.  I’ll never give up art entirely, it’s too much fun leading this double life!
       
    
     
                      About the Author
  
          Jerry Airth is a freelance writer and Calliope's Poetry Editor. His work has appeared in Calliope, The Writer, Arizona Highways, and many other publications. Jerry retired from his job with a defense contractor last October and is working on the second draft of a novel.
  
      
  
                                            Copyright © Jerry Airth