Leo Dillon (1933 — 2012) was an American illustrator and artist, best known for his long partnership with his wife, Diane Dillon. He was born on March 2, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York to Trinidadian parents and grew up in the city. He studied art at the Parsons School of Design in New York, where he met Diane in 1953; they married in 1957 and began a creative collaboration that lasted more than fifty years.
Leo and Diane Dillon worked together on children’s books, science fiction and fantasy paperback covers, and magazine illustrations. In their combined career they produced over 100 book and magazine covers and much interior artwork, usually as a seamless collaboration that blended both their contributions into a unified style.
Their work on children’s picture books earned them the Caldecott Medal in consecutive years — Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (1976) and Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions (1977) — a unique achievement in the history of the award. They were also runners-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1978 and again nominated in 1996.
Leo Dillon passed away on May 26, 2012.
Amazon | Leo Dillon
