Byron Preiss
Byron Preiss was born on the 11th of April 1953 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a city that would shape his early creative instincts before he ever held a pen to paper. His academic journey began at the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated magna cum laude in 1972. This high honor signaled a sharp mind ready for complex challenges beyond standard classroom learning. He then moved west to earn a master's degree in communications from Stanford University. The transition from East Coast urban life to West Coast academic rigor prepared him for a career that would bridge art and technology.
Preiss founded Byron Preiss Visual Publications in 1974 to publish original works that defied traditional boundaries. One early title called Weird Heroes appeared between 1975 and 1977 as a collection of illustrated pulp-inspired stories. The Fiction Illustrated series launched in 1976 with Schlomo Raven: Public Detective written by Preiss himself and drawn by Tom Sutton. Stephen Fabian provided artwork for Starfawn later that same year while Ralph Reese illustrated Son of Sherlock Holmes in 1977. Howard Chaykin adapted Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination into a two-volume graphic novel published in 1978. These projects established a reputation for blending text and image in ways few publishers dared attempt at the time.
In 1982 Preiss published The Secret which combined twelve short verses with twelve elaborate fantasy paintings by John Jude Palencar. Readers were expected to pair each painting with a verse to find clues leading to one of twelve plexiglass boxes buried in parks across North America. Each box contained a ceramic container holding a key redeemable for a jewel worth $1,000. One ceramic box turned up in Chicago in 1983 while another appeared in Cleveland in 2004. A third was discovered in Boston during October 2019 leaving nine boxes still missing today. Reports suggest that only Preiss knew where the remaining treasures lay hidden before
his death.
Preiss published children's books featuring celebrities like Billy Crystal Jane Goodall Jay Leno LeAnn Rimes and Jerry Seinfeld. He worked closely with established illustrators such as Ralph Reese William Stout and Tom Sutton throughout his career. Dragonworld served as a notable collaboration between Preiss and Michael Reaves featuring eighty illustrations by Joseph Zucker. This novel originally planned as the fifth Fiction Illustrated title became a standalone success published by Doubleday in 1979. The mix of famous names with skilled artists created a unique market niche that attracted both young readers and adult collectors alike.
On the 9th of July 2005 Byron Preiss died in a
traffic accident at East Hampton New York on Long Island. He was turning left onto Montauk Highway when he collided with a Hampton Jitney bus traveling around thirty miles per hour. The airbag failed to deploy and Preiss died almost instantly from the impact. Both Byron Preiss Visual Publications and ibooks Inc filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on the 22nd of February 2006 following his passing. His death marked the end of an era for innovative publishing formats while leaving behind a catalog of works that continued to influence digital storytelling decades later.
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Common questions
When and where was Byron Preiss born?
Byron Preiss was born on the 11th of April 1953 in Brooklyn, New York.
What did Byron Preiss publish in 1982 that involved hidden boxes?
In 1982 Byron Preiss published The Secret which combined twelve short verses with twelve elaborate fantasy paintings by John Jude Palencar to hide clues leading to plexiglass boxes buried in parks across North America.
How did Byron Preiss die and when did it happen?
On the 9th of July 2005 Byron Preiss died in a traffic accident at East Hampton New York after colliding with a Hampton Jitney bus traveling around thirty miles per hour.
Which company filed for bankruptcy following the death of Byron Preiss?
Both Byron Preiss Visual Publications and ibooks Inc filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on the 22nd of February 2006 following his passing.
Who illustrated Starfawn for Byron Preiss Visual Publications?
Stephen Fabian provided artwork for Starfawn later that same year while Ralph Reese illustrated Son of Sherlock Holmes in 1977.