Frank Kalan

A Harlequin Legend

Artist Frank Kalan was one of Harlequin’s biggest cover illustrators. He was a prolific artist, producing two covers a month at his peak.

Life and Early Work

Frank Kalan was born in Ely, Minnesota, in 1922. He decided to pursue illustration in Chicago where he studied at the American Academy of Art. Soon after, he got his professional start working as an apprentice to the legendary pinup artist, Al Buell. 

Like most men of his generation, Kalan served in World War II. Upon his return to Chicago, he worked for a variety of clients including the Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Brown & Bigelow, and Playboy, under the direction of another noted artist, Art Paul. 

After a short stint in Atlanta, Frank moved to NYC where he worked in the advertising field for Fredman/Chaite Studios.

Among his colleagues were Frank McCarthy, Robert McGinnis, Bob Peak, and Jack Thurston. Clients included Chesterfield Cigarettes, Norelco, and Coca-Cola, for which he did several projects among them a series of paintings exhibited at the 1964 – 65 World’s Fair in Flushing Queens, New York. 

Book Cover Artist

Eventually, Kalan branched into book cover paintings that he would produce in oils. Like many other illustrators of romance covers, he started in pulp genres.

His early clients in romance included Pyramid Books, Avon Publishers, and Ballantine. Contrary to his later, more “wholesome” images he would create, these were true bodice ripper clinch covers.

In the mid-’70s one of the art directors at Harlequin was looking for additional artists, and fellow cover artist Lenny Goldberg, a friend of his, introduced Kalan into the fold.

He would spend the next three decades producing romance novel cover art for Harlequin Enterprises.

Kalan’s covers would have a wholesome aura around them, as he mostly produced work for the Harlequin Romance line which was low on the sensuality scale. His art placed the hero and heroine center stage, and his soft brush strokes made for a memorable style.  

Frank Kalan passed away in 2003.

The Legend Lives On

His family keeps his name and memory alive through a treasured collection of his artwork.

In 2017, they donated 130 covers and supporting materials to the Browne Popular Culture Library at BGSU in Ohio, which is now called The Frank Kalan Romance Cover Art Collection.

Frank Kalan Covers

The chart below lists just some of the many covers that Kalan illustrated for Harlequin. (List courtesy of Bowling Green State University )

Title	Author	Year
A Husband Made in Texas	Carter, Rosemary	1997
A Killing in Quail County	Cole, Jameson	1997
A Lake in Kyoto	Lewty, Marjorie	1985
A Man Untamed	Arthur, Katherine	1990
A Most Determined Bachelor	Macgregor, Miriam	1998
A Place Called Rambulara	Way, Margaret	1984
A Rooted Sorrow	West, Nicola	1985
A Second Loving	Jameson, Claudia	1989
A Time To Grow	Jameson, Claudia	1985
A Warning of Magic	Kingston, Kate	1993
Always Christmas	Rutland, Eva	1992
Amaryllis Dreaming	Harvey, Samantha	1985
Bittersweet Honeymoon	Lewty, Marjorie	1988
Bluebells On The Hill	McMahon, Barbara	1986
Breaking the Ice	Gregory, Kay	1990
Brides for Brothers	Macomber, Debbie	1985
Call Back The Past	MacLeod, Jean	1988
Call of the Mountain	MacGregor, Miriam	1986
Charlie’s Dad	Scott, Alexandra	1997
Christmas Angel	Beverly, Jo	1993
Colours of Love	Henaghan, Rosalie	1993
Contrasts	Kirby, Rowan	1986
Daddy’s Little Helper	Macomber, Debbie	1995
Deck The Halls	Allison, Heather	1990
Denial of Love	Kemp, Shirley	1992
Desert Rose	May, Wynne	1993
Distant Shadows	York, Alison	1992
Every Kind of Heaven	Campbell, Bethany	1991
Family Secrets	Michaels, Leigh	1994
Fiance for Christmas	George, Catherine	1998
Firm Commitment	Denton, Kate	1991
Flirtation River	Campbell, Bethany	1988
Force Field	Donnelly, Jane	1986
Foreign Affair	Rutland, Eva	1992
Forgive And Forget	Sinclair, Tracy	1987
Found: One Father	Waverly, Shannon	1996
From This Day Forward	Marton, Sandra	1985
Frozen Enchantment	Steele, Jessica	1989
Fully Involved	Winters, Rebecca	1990
Greek Island Magic	Bevan, Gloria	1984
He Was The Stranger	Strutt, Sheila	1986
Heart of Marble	Dawson, Helena	1988
Hijacked Honeymoon	Lennox, Marion	1997
Hitched: A Ranch, a Ring and Everything	Daniels, Val	1996
Home For Christmas	James, Ellen	1993
House of Mirrors	Whittal, Yvonne	1983
Impossible Inheritance	Murray, Annabel	1990
In Pursuit of Love	Bauling, Jayne	1995
Island of Love	Hammond, Rosemary	1992
Ivy’s League	Allison, Heather	1993
Jungle Antagonist	Gair, Diana	1982
Lake Haupiri Moon	Moore, Mary	1983
Last Chance Marriage	Gibson, Rosemary	1997
Legacy of Shadows	Lennox, Marion	1994
Living Next Door to Alex	George, Catherine	1996
Love Comes Stealing	Scott, Alexandra	1983
Love Is the Answer	Hammond, Rosemary	1993
Love or Money	Hart, Virginia	1991
Love’s Harbor	James, Ellen	1991
Maelstrom	Cooper, Ann	1984
Mail-Order Bridegroom	Leclaire, Day	1994
Man of Stone	Roding, Frances	1987
Master of Namangilla	Daveson, Mons	1990
Moreton’s Kingdom	MacLeod, Jean	1982
New Discovery	Ayre, Jessica	1984
New Lease on Love	Waverly, Shannon	1991
Night Of The Spring Moon	Hart, Virginia	1987
No Going Back	Howard, Stephanie	1993
No Love in Return	Barnes, Elizabeth	1989
No Ties	Gibson, Rosemary	1995
Not Part of the Bargain	Fox, Susan	1989
Once for All Time	Neels, Betty	1984
Once Upon A Wedding	Riggs, Paula Detmer	1993
One Reckless Moment	Allan, Jeanne	1988
Only A Woman	Campbell, Bethany	1988
Only My Dreams	Kirby, Rowan	1987
Outback Bride	Hart, Jessica	1996
Passion’s Vine	Graham, Elizabeth	1985
Place For The Heart	Leigh, Catherine	1989
Playing for Keeps	Hammond, Rosemary	1994
Preview of Paradise	Sinclair, Tracy	1986
Ready for Romance	Macomber, Debbie	1993
Red Hot Pepper	Denny, Roz	1990
Ride a Wild Horse	Donnelly, Jane	1985
Rites of Love	Winters, Rebecca	1990
Road to Love	Arthur, Katherine	1986
Season of Forgetfulness	Summers, Essie	1983
Secret Fire	Winspear, Violet	1984
Secret Wedding	Richmond, Emma	1996
Send in the Clown	Knoll, Patricia	1989
Send Me No Flowers	Arthur, Katherine	1987
Separate Lives	Jantz, Caroline	1986
Shadow of a Tiger	Donnelly, Jane	1993
Sight of a Stranger	Field, Sandra	1981
Silver Bells	Daniels, Val	1990
Stone Angel	Brooks, Helen	1992
Strictly Business	Michaels, Leigh	1986
Sweet Vixen	Napier, Susan	1983
Taming a Husband	Wallington, Vivienne	1996
Tarik’s Mountain	Janes, Dana	1987
Temporary Arrangement	Waverly, Shannon	1993
Temporary Paragon	Goldrick, Emma	1986
That Man From Texas	Wilder, Quinn	1985
The Apollo Man	MacLeod, Jean	1987
The Chain of Destiny	Neels, Betty	1988
The Cinderella Coach	Denny, Roz	1992
The Diamond Trap	Campbell, Bethany	1988
The Games People Play	Hadley, Liza	1989
The Heron Quest	Lamb, Charlotte	1986
The Long Way Home	Campbell, Bethany	1987
The Matchmaking Department	McKeone, Dixie	1985
The Only Solution	Michaels, Leigh	1994
The Passion and The Pain	Absalom, Stacy	1984
The Real Fantasy	Anderson, Caroline	1996
The Santa Sleuth	Allison, Heather	1993
The Singing Tree	Weale, Anne	1992
The Tiger’s Cage	Way, Margaret	1996
The Turn of the Tide	Day, Samantha	1984
Tidal Wave	MacLeod, Jean	1990
Trouble in Paradise	Green, Grace	1996
Turquoise Heart	James, Ellen	1990
Valley of Gentians	Rome, Margaret	1982
Verdict: Parenthood	McBride, Julie	1997
Walk Into Tomorrow	Carter, Rosemary	1985
Web of Fate	Dawson, Helena	1991
Wild For To Hold	Murray, Annabel	1985
Wildtrack	West, Nicola	1983
Winter Stranger, Summer Lover	McMahon, Barbara	1986
Winter Sunlight	Alexander, Susan	1986

LINKS:

• Frank Kalan Official Site
• BGSU The Frank Kalan Romance Collection
• The look of love: invented in Toronto? The unexpected Canadian history of Harlequin romance covers
• Print Mag: Frank Kalan Romance Was His Metier
• My Frank Kalan Pinterest