John E. Alcorn, 56; Versatile Illustrator

John E. Alcorn, an illustrator whose work ranged from a U.S. postage stamp to credits for Fellini movies, died Jan. 27 of a heart attack. He was 56.

Alcorn died at the Laurence & Memorial Hospital in New London, Conn., his family said.

After graduating from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan in 1955, he worked for Esquire magazine, Push Pin Studios and CBS.

He moved to Florence, Italy, in 1971 and worked for Rizzoli publishing company on book typography, bindings, advertising, promotion and posters. He also helped redesign two Italian newspapers. He designed the title credits for “Amarcord” and other films directed by Federico Fellini.

After returning to the United States in 1977, he was selected by Dartmouth College as its first artist in residence in 1981. The U.S. Postal Service commissioned him to design a stamp for its Love series in 1987.