Chris Kalb has been named the winner of the 2026 Munsey Award. Nominated by the general pulp community, Chris was selected by previous winners of the Lamont, Munsey, and Rusty Awards.
The Munsey is a fine art print created by David Saunders and published by Dan Zimmer of The Illustrated Press. It is presented annually to an individual or organization that has bettered the pulp community. The award was presented by Ray Walsh, winner of our Rusty Award in 2025. Last year’s Munsey Award winner, John DeWalt, was unable to attend PulpFest 2026.
Chris is well-known in pulp circles for his hero pulp websites, like The 86th Floor and The Spider Returns, ventures that have helped to attract people who are new to the pulps. There isn’t anyone out there making better use of all the new technology while still preserving the “oldness” of pulps and popular culture. He has become the person to go to for publishers who want a retro-design for their books or website, including Ed Hulse’s Murania Press. Chris is the lead designer for Age of Aces Books, a pulp reprint house that specializes in air war fiction. In 2010, Age of Aces received two National Indie Excellence Awards for Chris’s work on the bestselling The Spider vs. The Empire State. Chris was the designer of PulpFest‘s original website and for many years, put together the convention’s print advertisements. Additionally, he has been one of the leading members of New York’s Gotham Pulp Collectors Club, welcoming new members into a group of humorous, knowledgable, and engaging personalities. A freelance designer and illustrator, he was formerly the Art Director of Sci Fi Magazine. Chris has been a PulpFest presenter and panelist several times, including our salute to The Spider.
Congratulations to Chris Kalb for this most-deserved award.
Others nominated for our 2026 Munsey Award included John Betancourt, Brian Earl Brown, Henry G. Franke III, Steve Lewis, William Patrick Maynard, Jess Nevins, Audrey Parente, Sheila Vanderbeek, Chuck Welch, Howard Wright, and Dan Zimmer.
Nominations are now being accepted for our 2027 Munsey Award. To make a nomination for this prestigious award, please send a short paragraph or two explaining your reasons for the nomination to PulpFest marketing and programming director Mike Chomko. You can reach Mike at mike@pulpfest.com or via regular mail at 2217 W. Fairview Street, Allentown, PA 18104-6542.
Previous winners of the Lamont, Munsey, or Rusty Award are not eligible for the award. Click here for a list of our previous winners.
The deadline for nominations is June 7, 2027. Please click here for additional details. Thanks for your help.
The Munsey Award was created in 2009 by artist David Saunders, the son of legendary illustrator Norman Saunders. Dan Zimmer of The Illustrated Press produced a limited signed and numbered edition of the award. The PulpFest Organizing Committee is indebted to both David and Dan for their generous support of our community.
