HACKENSACK, N.J. — Edward Cartier, who illustrated classic science fiction, fantasy, mystery and pulp fiction by such authors as Isaac Asimov, L. Ron Hubbard and Walter Gibson of “The Shadow” fame, died Dec. 25. A decorated World War II veteran, Cartier was 94.

“He was one of the very last illustrators from the golden age of science fiction,” said Cartier’s son Dean, 55, of Ramsey, N.J. “He did over 800 illustrations for ‘The Shadow’ and was still signing autographs … one for a fan just last week. He was sharp to the very end of his life.”

Cartier is considered the definitive illustrator of “The Shadow” and Unknown magazines, and illustrated extensively for numerous publications, including Astounding Science Fiction, Doc Savage, Other Worlds and Red Dragon Comics.

Cartier, whose nickname was “Edd,” was the premier artist for the Fantasy Press and Gnome Press publishing houses.

His pulp fiction illustrations of the 1930s through the 1950s and his art appeared in works by authors Robert Heinlein and Theodore Sturgeon.

He was a friend of Hubbard’s in the heyday of Hubbard’s career and for the past 20 years was a judge for the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest. Cartier was also the art director for the Mosstype Corp. for more than 25 years.

Born in an apartment above his father’s saloon in North Bergen, N.J., Cartier was introduced early to the rapidly advancing 20th-century technology, flying in his oldest brother’s airplane from Teterboro Airport and with aviation legends Anthony Fokker and Igor Sikorsky in the 1920s.

“My parents both grew up in North Bergen, and my grandfather had the Cartier Saloon on the corner of Grand Avenue,” Dean Cartier said. “It was a massive structure my grandfather built in 1914 which had the saloon, an indoor parking garage, machine shop, gas station, watch repair shop and dance hall. On the huge flat roof, there was a huge wind sock and arrow pointing to Teterboro Airport, where my dad’s oldest brother was a mechanic.”

Edward Cartier was surrounded by inventors, engineers and aviation greats Howard Hughes and Charles Lindbergh, who would call him “the kid,” his son said.

Illustrating career

A 1936 graduate of Pratt Institute, Cartier had his sights on becoming a Western artist but landed a job illustrating “The Shadow” magazine.

“He and Tom Lovell shared the credit, then Lovell moved on,” his son said. Cartier became friends with science-fiction editor and writer John Campbell, who asked him to leave “The Shadow” and come to Unknown Magazine.

Cartier’s career includes more than 200 illustrations for Unknown and 300 for Astounding Science Fiction.

Though his name was Edward Daniel Cartier, “Ed D.” quickly became “Edd” because of fans of “The Shadow,” Dean Cartier said.

“The fans did it … they’d write to ‘Ed D.’ which became ‘Edd,’ and my dad liked it. … It became his pen name,” he said.

Cartier served as an infantryman and heavy machine gunner for a tank battalion in France and Germany during World War II.

He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and again when his hospital train was blown apart. He earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service.

A 59-year resident of Ramsey, Cartier joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 682 in 1960 and quickly became captain of the VFW color guard.

He led the borough’s parades for 26 years and organized Veterans Day ceremonies for years.

He was a member of the Eastern Science Fiction Association and First Fandom, and won the World Fantasy Convention’s 1992 Life Achievement Award.

Cartier was an active participant in Ramsey’s local affairs and a member of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer and the Ramsey Historical Association.

He produced a Christmas card — usually depicting gnomes and elves — through 2005, his son said. The cards went out to about 250 friends.

“We’d go to the local print shop, get it made, then send it off to everyone,” his son said. “The very last card was a drawing of Santa Claus handing The Shadow a wrapped gift.”