Born in Tucson, Arizona and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, George Barr has lived the last thirty five years in California: Los Angeles, San Jose, and - currently - Livermore.
He discovered science fiction (AMAZING STORIES Magazine) at age thirteen and has declared, "It was like finding my way home."
He lists as influences the artists of the golden age of storybook illustrating, principally Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and Maxfield Parrish, plus a number of the pulp era illustrators: Virgil Finlay, J. Alan St.John, Hannes Bok, and Kelly Freas.
George did the poster for the X-rated classic cult film, FLESH GORDON, and designed a couple of the animated creatures in it. Uncredited, he did some body paint makeup for one episode of the original Star Trek: "The Way to Eden."
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First published professionally in FANTASTIC STORIES in 1960, he has worked for Ballantine Books, Ace Books, DAW Books, Donald M. Grant Publications, Leisure Books, Dell, Dell-Yearling, Pyramid Books, Mirage Press, Arbor House, Cheap Street, Underwood-Miller, Pulphouse Publications, Alyson Press, Fedogan & Bremmer, Strawberry Hill, Ganley Publications, Phantasia Press, Starblaze, Owlswick Press, Newcastle Books, Borgo Press, TSR Inc., IF, FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, VERTEX,GALILEO, AZIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION, AMAZING STORIES, FANTASY BOOK, EXPANSE, STARDATE, FORGOTTEN FANTASY, MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY'S FANTASY Magazine, WIERD TALES, WORLDS OF FANTASY & HORROR, DRAGON, DUNGEON, ADVENTURES OF SWORD & SORCERY, and others, as well as producing artwork for computor games such as Star Control II, Archon Ultra, The Horde, and Alien Logic.
Short stories published by MZB'S FANTASY MAGAZINE, Pulphouse, several convention program books, and one in a book entitled Lesbian Short Fiction, (though he swears he isn't one) and several novels making the rounds of publishers, are evidence of his skills as a writer as well as an illustrator.
Though approaching the age where most people are contemplating retirement, George has no wish to stop drawing, painting, playing, composing, or writing. "As long as my eyes and hands work," he says, "assuming my mind still does, so will I. I have no descendants, so the things I can make are all I can leave behind."
