78 Nebraskaland • June 2026
TO IMAGINE HISTORY AND PLACE
Although Nebraskaland is best known for its stories
on wildlife and outdoor recreation, history, culture and
tourism have long been subjects the publication regularly
covers. One artist rises above the rest in this regard — Frank
Holub, who began contributing to Outdoor Nebraska in
the 1960s.
Holub's most iconic work is arguably "Giganticus" —
also known as "The Monster of Walgren Lake" — which
appeared on the January 1962 cover: A green, dragon-like
creature with red eyes rising out of a rippling Walgren Lake,
startling cattle — its favorite food — that had been grazing
on the shore and causing a horse to rear on a nearby hill and
nearly throw its rider.
Like the Loch Ness Monster that has attracted droves
of curious tourists to the Scottish Highlands, the
accompanying tongue-in-cheek feature story cleverly
detailed the legend of the Sandhills' own monster, with
official reports dating back to 1921. No doubt, this piece
of creative genius captivated readers and succeeded
in attracting parkgoers to this state recreation area in
northwestern Nebraska — which also offered boating,
camping, fishing and picnicking, the story noted.
Humor aside, Holub was also talented in his ability
to capture the swashbuckling spirit of the West. For
instance, his April 1962 cover is an exciting reimagining
of a rare piece of Nebraska history: A flustered Grand Duke
Alexis receiving an assist from Buffalo Bill Cody during a
bison hunt.
"The homespun, buckskin west had never seen anything
like him, an honest-to-goodness Russian prince ready to
take on the prairie wilderness for a couple days of buffalo
hunting. Big and bewhiskered, as fancy a greenhorn as had
ever graced the Plains, the Grand Duke Alexis had come a
visiting, the royal emissary of Alexander I, czar of all the
Russias," wrote J. Greg Smith.
During Holub's, Meisenbach's and Curran's time with the
Commission, they produced an astonishing body of work
that featured Native Americans, scenes of pioneer life and
the Wild West. Their art reinforced Nebraska as a place
of history, adventure and "Where the West Begins" — a
tagline that appeared on Nebraskaland's cover from March
1964 through August 1972.
FRANK HOLUB
FRANK HOLUB
