Draft:Rafael de Soto

Rafael de Soto
Born	Rafael Maria de Soto y Hernandez (1904-02-18)February 18, 1904 Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Died	December 24, 1992(1992-12-24) (aged 88) Long Island, New York
Area(s)	Illustrator Artist Magazine writer
Spouse(s)	Frances Mason ​ ​ (m. 1939; died 1946)​
Children	4
Catalog

Rafael de Soto (born Rafael Maria de Soto y Hernandez; February 18th, 1904 - December 24th, 1992), was a Puerto Rican artist and pulp magazine writer. He is most famously credited with writing most of the pulp magazine fiction story, The Spider.

Early Life

Rafael Maria de Soto y Hernandez was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on February 14th, 1904. According to Catalog, he was born to parents Milagros and Domingo de Soto, with them also being related to Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto. In his family, he also had six siblings.

In 1915, when Rafael was just eleven, his father died of a heart attack. Since his father was a noble Spanish banker, the family was broken financially at the loss. So, because of the loss, he was sent to St. Joseph's Seminary in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. In this school, he was taught to be a priest. Though, due to his artistic talents noticed by Father Noel, he was sent to private art lessons with another talented artist, Diaz Mckenna. When he eventually finished his training to be a priest, he pursued art instead of leaving to Rome to fully finish his priest training.

Beginnings of Work

At the age of 19, he moved in with his Uncle, who was presiding in New York City. Later, he found work at an advertisement company. He began doing illustrations for the pulp magazine company, Street & Smith. During this job, he also began to illustrate, write, and publish his own magazines in the dime novel industry. Some of these magazines were: Detective Book, Five-Novels Monthly, and Western Story. Like others in the dime novel industry, issues of these stories were sold weekly for a dime.

In 1932, he met his future wife Frances Mason. She was a model and a seamstress who worked at the company Bergdorf Goodman. For six years, they dated, and after those six years, they married in 1939 and moved to Sunnyside, Queens, in New York City.

Later, in 1941, DeSoto found his protégé, Richard Lillis. Richard Lillis became a studio assistant of his, and even became a role model for him, making DeSoto find another future pulp magazine artist, Gloria Strolls, who he inspired to pursue the arts.

Early Middle Life and Works

When 1942 came around, when he was 38, DeSoto registered for a physical exam, attempting to join the army. But, he was found out to have Type 2 diabetes, so he was considered unfit to join the army. So, because he was unfit to join, he was considered "one of the only pulp artists to stay working during the war."

In 1944, he and Frances moved from Sunnyside to East Patchogue, Long Island. But, a problem in this marriage was that he and Frances never had children, which is why when she died of cancer in 1946, he had no bloodline until if he married again and had children.

From the late 40s, and throughout the 50s, DeSoto continued making pulp magazines.

In 1951, he met a local model in Long Island, named Audrey Skaare. And they were also married in 1951. With her, DeSoto had four children: Rafael de Soto Jr, John de Soto, Maria de Soto, and Lisa de de Soto Rafael de Soto Jr art website: Other Content

In the 50s, during the "demise" of the dime novel industry, started slowing down and only made pulp magazine covers. This was until 1964, where he completely retired from the illustration industry, at the age of 60.

Life After Retiring From Illustrations

After retiring, DeSoto began to teach at the State University of New York at Farmingdale. In this public college, he taught art for ten years, up until 1974. In 1974, due to his love of art and teaching, so he held private art class sessions up until his death.

According to DeSoto: "I love painting. It's not only because I like to paint and I have spent my whole life doing it, but I recommend it for everyone. When you are painting you forget all of your troubles. Your brain can only concentrate on one thing at a time, and when you are concentrating on that painting, you forget everything else! That's good therapy! I am still looking forward to doing the most interesting painting I have ever made. I have some more to do. I'll be going after it until I die."

Death and Legacy

On December 24th, 1992, after having a long battle with pneumonia, he died to the disease at the age of 88. Rafael's death place is unknown, but it is said he died in a Long Island hospital.

Rafael de Soto was very unknown in the world of arts and dime novels, and though his works have not left much of an impact, his arts are still well respected and liked by people who know his art.

References

Catalog, Rafael's Works, More Works, Son's Website