Today in Star Trek history: Star Trek story records comic artist Russ Heath was born in 1926

Russ Heath and Terry Austin Star Trek: Passage to Moauv #PR-25 Partial Story Original Art Group of 3 (Peter Pan, 1975). Image Heritage Auctions

On September 29th, 1926, Russell Heath was born in New York City. Heath was a well-respected comic book artist, known for his realistic imagery. He became interested in drawing at an early age and, because his father had been a cowboy, he was influenced by Western artists of the time, such as Will James and especially Charlie Russell. Heath was drawn to Russell’s work because of its authentic look, which undoubtedly influenced Heath’s later work.

By the time he was 20, Heath was fully employed as a comic book artist for Timely Comics, the publishing company who would eventually become Marvel Comics. His first work for them had a Western theme, but, since he was not credited, it is not definitively known what that story was. His first superhero story, however, is believed to be the 1949 story “Fate Fixed a Fight,” in Captain America #71.

In the 1960s, Heath began drawing for DC’s All-American Men of War and this is where he really began to shine. His work in military comics became known for its authenticity. According to fellow comic book artist Joe Kubert, “He would build models of the things he would draw prior to drawing them and his stuff would come out right on the button.”

Heath’s work in the Star Trek universe took place in 1975, when he worked for Peter Pan Records, a record label who became known for creating records packaged with storybooks. The company did a number of licensed releases, including a number of Star Trek stories. Heath contributed artwork to some of Peter Pan’s releases, including at least two Trek stories, “Passage to Moauve” and “The Crier in the Emptiness.”

Heath was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009. He died of cancer in 2018 at the age of 91. You can read his entire biography on Wikipedia, you can view and purchase some of his work at ComicArtTracker.com and you can see and hear the Trek Peter Pan records on YouTube.