Ballantine Baggins

I love this fabulous cover art on the American Ballantine paperback releases of Lord of the Rings.

The slipcase too, what a beauty!

I think it's the same artist on my Ballantine Worm Ouroboros, but yet to look the artist up.

Have you these or anything similar?

Cover Story

 I love old pulp covers. There's a trove of spaceship designs on them.

Here's a few a spotted of late.

A gorgeous white Space Glider on this Utopia From Germany.

Another Utopia, this one with a neat red space buggy with MEV2 wheels.

This book cover art is reminiscent of the SpaceX LAMA space canon.

And this Thrilling Wonder Stories has 1 Man space scooter similar to a toy LP released in the 1960's.

Have you any favourite space pulp covers?

Foreshadowing the Equinox Boy

 Looking up video sleeves of late I saw this one for the early monster movie Equinox on Mountain video and thought, hmm, I've seen that boy's posture before. 

It's this diver on the Warren Eerie cover #3.

Similar? It's the hand that does it for me.

I wonder which came first?

The girl looks familiar too!

Kelly's Cover

 You can spot a Kelly Freas a mile off. It's those twinkling stars and the fluid limbs.

This ANALOG cover is a great example of his fantastic style. I don't fancy the explorers' chances. Those panthoids look hungry. Is one riding the other?

Do you like Kelly Freas's style?

Mystery Monster

 

Here's another Spanish CI FI cover and I bet that monster is lifted.

Anyone know?

The Price of Karloff

 I love browsing the old Spanish sci fi pulp Ciencia Ficcion, there are so many ace lifted covers! 

These two use old monster masters!

Vincent graces this one! 

Not seen the robot before. You?

And here's Boris! The Bride too! Not sure about the glass case or the thing at the back. You?

Skin Deep

 When I saw this Galaxia 2001 cover it rang bells. I've seen that skin diver before.

In fact , I've got it iny Eerie comics collection, the very same frogman on the superb cover of Eerie #3! 

Waddaya reckon?

Footnote:

You can get prints and copies of Frazetta's original cover art. Here's one online from 1975.

Galaxy April 1957

 

Here's another fabulous Galaxy cover from April 1957. I love the image but I'm unclear what's going on. Are the whales chasing cockpit-tipped whale subs?

Incredible art!

What do you think?

Amazing Science Fiction Spacecraft

 

I have to say I love the design of this spaceship on the cover of Amazing Science Fiction March 1976.

I don't know who the artist is.

I really like the organic bat-like wings and there's hints of Vader's personal shuttle that would come along a year later. Maybe other things too?

Do you like it?

Galaxy 59

 

I love this Galaxy 59 cover art. Not sure who the artist is. The dark, light and shadowing is fabulous.

The spacecraft looks so familiar but I just can't put my finger on it.

You?

Space Agent from the Lost Planet

 

I'm always intrigued by yellow tracked vehicles in space. I blame the SWORD Moon Ranger I adored as a kid.

So this strange covert art caught my eye. One of a series of Lost Planet books by Angus McVicar published by Burke in the 1960's, this cover has me scratching my head. What is that vehicle and what is it doing?

What do you think?

Anyone read this book?

Perry Rhodan Thunderbirds Covers

 I picked these up last year in Germany, old Perry Rhodan comics. Interestingly the cover artists have included Thunderbirds 1 and 3 in the artwork. They really do get everywhere!

I imagine Thunderbirds 2 and 4 are out there somewhere on Perry Rhodan covers too.

I know there's a Project SWORD Nuclear Ferry on one. I've seen it. 

Again, of interest, this comic is the longest running sci-fi comic in the world!

Have you got any readers?

Window SIL and other Giger Covers

In between ALIEN filming HR Giger was in demand for record sleeves too.

One I recall when I was young is ELP's Brain Salad Surgery, it's cover boasting the spikes and bones of Giger's biomechania. The central window gives you a glimpse of ....

A high-cheekboned lady reminiscent of SIL in SPECIES. 

More cheekbones appeared on Debby Harry's Kookoo cover and this time Giger's gone skewer crazy.

 I'm sure there are more Giver sleeves. Do you know any readers? Has he designed anything else? Book covers? Wallpaper? God forbid, Bathroom furniture? 

Worm Wishes

Cleaning up my attic I found my paperback copy of The Worm Ouroborous, which, despite owning for 50 years, I've never read!

My copy is the 1967 edition by American publisher Ballantine. It's a chunky novel.

The fantastic cover art, which made me buy it all those years ago, is by Minnesota-born Barbara Remington, who sadly passed away in 2020.

Barbara Remington also illustrated the covers of the first official (although not the first overall) American paperback publication of The Lord of the Rings on 1965.

Painted in her fabulous style these three books would find a happy home at Moonbase if I found them at a boot sale, although I must say I've never seen them here in Blighty.

Do you like these covers? 

Have you got the books readers?

SPACE JOCKEYS ANYONE?

 With ALIEN ROMULUS creeping up on us I can't help thinking about one of my favourite ALIEN characters, the derelict pilot, the space jockey.

What a guy!

Googling for skeleton space pilots I came up with these cool covers.  Can you think of any more space jockeys?

There's an interesting pictures essay here about the origin of Giger's Space Jockey. What do you think?

https://alienexplorations.blogspot.com/2009/02/paintings-that-inspired-space-jockey.html

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tinkering with an image of a micronometer I added a statue figure!

COVER TO COVER

I took this snap in Swaledale and raised the reds in it.

I immediately thought of the album cover of one of my fave LP's, Black Sabbath's 1970 debut, Black Sabbath, the birthplace of heavy metal!

Now I wonder if Louisa Livingstone would pose in my photo?

 Have you got shots that look like album covers or box art?

WILL'S MODERN WONDERS

Having a sort out at my mums, I came across these modern wonder comics of my fathers from the late 1930s. I just love the futuristic / retro designs of the vehicles. 

Will O.

UK

What do you think?

Space Moos

 I had to chuckle when I saw these space cattle pics!

.. Especially Belly up and backside

TAJ ROBBIE

 

Its not often I see a stylised illustration of Robbie the Robot but this book cover caught my eye. It looks a fairly awkward stance for the big guy but I like this action scene. Looks like it was signed Taj from 1970.

Do you like it? Have you read the Neural Atrocity?

PAINT FLIPPERS

 

Always on the look out for cover stories, here's some subaquatic serendipity from the Sixties.

In 1968 the rather sleazy Action for Men mag pictured a lady diver on the cover, bikini clad and red lipped.

A year later a similar skin diver graced the cover of the much better known Eerie, issue 22. I don't know, do they have the same face and hair?

Despite any similarities there may be on these covers, I think the likely inspiration for the above Eerie cover might be the cover for the 1954 mag Collier's. See what you think. There's even an angel fish!

They could even be the same artist?

and maybe add a little of this movie poster?