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?

THE HOME IN ORBIT

There is some amazing and fabulously old sci-fi art on Pinterest. You could lose yourself in there for hours!

This is just one that caught my eye!

SILVER MACHINE

 

This spaceship 1241 is rather neat.

Old fantasy mags are a brilliant source of vintage space tech.

Do you like this ship?

PS.

Hong Da released this plastic spaceship, which superficially looks like the 1241.

UTOPIAN SPACE GLIDERS

 

I love covers on old sci-fi mags, especially European ones.

This German Utopia number 582 has this great cover showing that triad of sci-fi tropes: a robot, a pyramid and a squadron of space craft.

Those craft look ace too, a bit like Project SWORD Space Gliders!

Do you like it?

HAN R.O.T.O.R.

I was reading this Wiki entry about a film I don't know called R.O.T.O.R.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.O.T.O.R.#/media/File%3AR.O.T.O.R._(1989_movie_poster).jpg 

That poster art recalls so many other images, but especially Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry or even better Han Solo! What do you think?

SHOMBERG'S BOOSTER

I love this illustration by the late great Alex Shomberg for his Second Chance cover picture in Satellite magazine.

The tanks on the ship recall those of the Project SWORD Booster Rocket completely! Shomberg's craft could easily be a Booster re-fueller!

What do you reckon?

There's more Shomberg here:

https://images.app.goo.gl/YMB9iiqSeHTyo3tw8 

BOK COVER: THE WHEELS OF IF

 

I love Hannes Bok art.

His unusual style is unique. This beautiful book cover caught my eye and is a good example of Bok's distinct styling.

Do you like Hannes Bok?

HORRIBLY COVERED

 I do love seeing old European horror comics online.

They remind me of the comics I got as a kid in more ways than one. I bet a lot of continental kids grew up and had to get their collections back like I did.

The European covers are sometimes lifted from other publications and its fun to work them out. What can you see?

Here's a very Frank Frazettaesque cover on Escorpion. Is it lifted?

And this beastly fella has walked straight off a Creepy or Eerie cover, 'cos I had one!

This looks the same as Skywald's Psycho or Nightmare, if you're in the 'horror mood'! I had lots of 'Nightmares'.

And as for this, I'm pretty sure its a Creepy or Eerie cover just with different heads!

This monster should be Christopher Lee's Dracula but now its Wolfy!

These witches ring a bell too. Not sure why.

Another Christopher Lee pose. Beautiful colouring.

That looks like Barbara Steele up top. The raging lady looks familiar too.

The space-age Sophia Loren below reminds me of something, just unsure about it.

and finally, the big haired lady has an Aubrey Beardsley vibe I would say. Would you?

CHRIS FOSS TURBULENCE

Hi again Woodsy. Being a long time fan of the artwork of Chris Foss , The other day I found my old vinyl copy of Ian Gillian's bands clear air turbulence. Signed by the band. Those were the days! All the best.

Will Os.

UK

VALIGURSKY MAN: THE MALE COVER HERO OF ED VALIGURSKY

Ed Valigursky, US space artist and imagineer of the SWORD Booster Rocket, Spacex MEV2 and Spacex Nova Rocket, was a prolific pulp book and magazine cover illustrator during the 1950's and 60's. 

Looking further at his book cover art, Mr. Valigursky was obviously keen on rockets, robots and monsters. He was also keen on painting young people of both sexes and in particular a dark haired spaceman. 

His hero is classicly handsome, often uniformed and very versatile, a sort of Rock Hudson type in space. There's often a high collar or some red somewhere too. 

Here's a sample gallery of this Valigursky man below  - was it a self portrait? You will find many more googling the artist's name.

Similarly handsome and uniformed females graced Ed's covers and a good example was on the front of the Ace Double, Wandl the Invader.

Do you like Ed's space men and women readers?

HP MYSTERY MAN

I'm pretty sure I've seen the handsome chappie with the claw hands on this cover before but I can't think where. Can you readers?

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Got it!

Nosferatu!

Just not the head!

CIENCIA FICCION: THE MAN FROM PLUTO?

Here's a Spanish Sci Fi magazine cover, Ciencia Ficcion 24.

That alien in the bubble helmet looks familiar.

Is it this guy do you think - 

Electron +, the Man from Pluto released as part of the Outer Space Men by Colourforms?

CURTIS COVER CONFIDENTIAL: TWINKLE TWINKLE KILLER KANE

Continuing  my gander at vintage Curtis Book covers I've gone off-piste tonight with this one, Twinkle Twinkle Killer Kane by William Peter Blatty.

Blatty is of course famous for writing The Exorcist, which went on to become the scariest film of all time according to some critics.

I haven't read Killer Kane but I do have a copy in my vintage book collection. It has a different cover - below - to the Curtis copy above. Curtis focus on the space theme which must feature strongly in the book. Those that have read it will be able to relate to this.

My own book has a cover depicting a surreal house and grounds with a General's star as a flower. It reminds me of another book cover I have in my collection, The House on the Borderland, yet another I haven't read!

Have you read Twinkle Twinkle Killer Kane?

Do you collect books?

ACTION MAN GI JOE BOOK COVERS 1

The first of a series of old paperback covers by Curtis Books featuring the GI Joe/ Action Man astronaut in all his silver glory.

The use of photographing toys by contemporary book publishers for their covers has a long history and is similar to the photo-box art on many Sixties and Seventies toy boxes.

Does anyone know how the photographer achieved this cover?

TERRA: PULP SCIENCE FICTION

I love browsing the covers of old pulp sci-fi magazines.

Terra Utopische Romane is such an old German series and above is a cover I thought I recognised, at least the central figure that is.

He looks a little like Frankenstein in this much older Frankenstein meets Wolfman Universal cinema poster shown below.

What do you think readers?