Mel Hunter

Born Milford "Mel" Joseph Hunter on July 27, 1927, Mel Hunter built a wide-ranging career as an American illustrator. He became especially known for science-fiction imagery, creating artwork for writers including Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein, while also working as a technical and scientific illustrator for organizations such as Northrop Aircraft, the Pentagon, Hayden Planetarium, and NASA.

Alongside his illustration work, he created books for children and general readers, often centered on science, space, wildlife, and the natural world. That mix of accurate detail and visual imagination helped make complicated subjects feel inviting and easy to explore.

Hunter died on February 20, 2004. He is remembered as an artist who could make both futuristic ideas and real-world science look exciting, clear, and wonderfully approachable.