A Summer's Treat
$450.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
She arrives like a burst of sun in a smoky room — the yellow polka-dot dress and wide-brimmed hat making her impossible to ignore. The scene feels pulled from a mid-century moment: a confident woman holding a drink, dark-gloved hand raised, and a man in suspenders turned toward her with a look that mixes curiosity and admiration. Glen Orbik’s careful modeling of faces and fabric gives both figures a tactile presence; the hat’s shadow, the sheen on the cocktail glass, and the patterned tie add small, telling details that suggest character and story without spelling it out. The muted city skyline in the background and the warm, slightly faded palette lend a film-noir nostalgia, where glamour and danger seem to share the same air. It’s a composition that delights in personality and atmosphere — lively, stylish, and quietly suggestive of an encounter you wish you could overhear.
The Artwork
About Manhattan Heat
Orbik starts each piece with a pencil study. Then using models, vintage costumes and props, Orbik sets the scene and photographs it. Using these photographs and carefully crafted studies, he then meticulously renders the image in oil paints.
Orbiks art instills memories of times gone by. From the clothes style of his characters to the inferences of love, romance and danger, his themes depict qualities that are almost of a film noir style.
Glen Orbiks art has appeared in DC Comics publications such as œAmerican Century, œPulp Heroes, as well as in Superman, Batman and Flash titles. His art has also been showcased in Marvel Comics, Image, as well as Universal and Sony, in addition to creating art for Star Wars and the œDungeons and Dragons series. Orbik has also rendered many book covers, including Ray Bradbury and Stephen King titles.
Orbiks art instills memories of times gone by. From the clothes style of his characters to the inferences of love, romance and danger, his themes depict qualities that are almost of a film noir style.
Glen Orbiks art has appeared in DC Comics publications such as œAmerican Century, œPulp Heroes, as well as in Superman, Batman and Flash titles. His art has also been showcased in Marvel Comics, Image, as well as Universal and Sony, in addition to creating art for Star Wars and the œDungeons and Dragons series. Orbik has also rendered many book covers, including Ray Bradbury and Stephen King titles.
Collector Details
What to Know About This Piece
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About the Collection
Glen Orbik (1963–2015) was a distinguished American illustrator celebrated for his masterful noir illustrations and pulp fiction art. His dynamic compositions and commitment to figurative realism brought to life numerous comic book covers and paperback novels, notably for the Hard Case Crime series. A protégé of renowned illustrator Fred Fixler, Orbik not only excelled in his craft but also contributed to art education, teaching figure drawing and inspiring a new generation of artists. His legacy endures in the realm of contemporary pulp art, where his work remains a benchmark for quality and storytelling.
Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Glen Orbik.
Authorized Source
Authenticity & Documentation
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Glen Orbik (1963 – May 11, 2015) was an American illustrator known for his fully painted paperback and comic covers, often executed in a noir style.
In the 1970s, Orbik and his mother moved to Douglas County, Nevada. He is a 1981 graduate of Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada. He studied art at the California Art Institute then located in Encino, later Calabasas, California, and now located in Westlake Village. He studied under the school's founder, retired movie and advertisement illustrator Fred Fixler.
Orbik eventually took over the classes when Fixler retired from teaching and taught figure drawing after returning from an extended hiatus.[citation needed] His work has been compared to Alex Ross and Robert McGinnis,[citation needed] and he was a popular teacher among fine art, comic, and video game artists.[citation needed] He most recently worked on a series of paperback covers for the Hard Case Crime series of novels.
Orbik resided in Van Nuys, California.[1] He died on May 11, 2015 of cancer.
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