Psychedelic Pop Artist Peter Max Dies at 88

Peter Max, the German-born pop artist whose psychedelic designs marked 1960s visual culture, died Monday, Sept. 14, at 88. His son Adam Max said the family would remember his creativity, warmth and curiosity, and that the father they loved is whom they will miss most. One report placed the death at a Manhattan hospital; no cause was given. Max created the official 1994 World Cup poster, unveiled Oct. 12, 1993, at his Manhattan studio, showing a scissor-kicking soccer player in space with an American flag and heart. He said all of five or six submitted versions had the flag, the heart identified Americans, and the space setting looked ahead to the year 2000. His work also covered the Super Bowl, World Series, Olympics, postage stamps, a Boeing 777, a cruise ship, and portraits of U.S. presidents, Nelson Mandela, Taylor Swift and Pelé. Born Peter Max Finkelstein in Berlin in 1937, he fled the Nazis, spent childhood years in Shanghai, and reached New York at 16. He traced his animal-rights stance to leaving his cat behind as a child, saying he cried for hours. In 2002 his offer of artwork won sanctuary for the runaway cow Cincinnati Freedom after an 11-day pursuit. PETA honored him in 1988. What is contested: the record shows no disputed facts among the sources.