Category: Book/Magazine Covers (All)

Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Illustration Art · Leo and Diane Dillon · Look Here · Obituaries

Rest in Peace: Leo Dillon (1933 – 2012)

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In a post on the Tor.com blog dated 29 May 2012, Irene Gallo announced the passing of Leo Dillon, one half of the legendary husband-and-wife illustration team of Leo and Diane Dillon. Leo was 79 years old.

Here, in remembrance of Leo Dillon, is a teeny-tiny sampler from the magnificent body of work the Dillons created together (although the Tolstoy cover from 1961 is just signed “Dillon,” so I suppose it might just be rare example of a solo cover illustration by Leo; yes, Leo and Diane were married in 1957, but my understanding is that they didn’t immediately begin to do all of their illustration work as a team); the covers have been scanned by yours truly, from books in my own collection:

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Not that it matters, but I have to say 1) that Who’s in Rabbit’s House? is one of my favourite children’s books of all time, and 2) that my enduring affection for the book is entirely due to the Dillon’s expressive character designs and sly, energetic, innovative staging of the story.

To view all of the covers with art by Leo and Diane Dillon that I’ve posted so far here at RCN, click here.

BONUS IMAGE:

From an online auction, here’s a scan of Leo and Diane Dillon’s original art for the cover of John Brunner’s The Traveler in Black:

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Keywords: The Cossacks and the Raid, The Traveler in Black, Justice and Her Brothers, Dustland, The Art of Leo & Diane Dillon, The Snow Queen, World’s End, Honey, I love, Ashanti to Zulu, Who’s in Rabbit’s House.

Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Illustration Art · Look Here · Peter Cross

Look Here: Three John Boyd novels with cover art by Peter Cross

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I only have three paperbacks with covers by Peter Cross, and here they all are:

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Truth be told, I don’t think any of the above covers is really very good. They deliver an immediate visual punch, and so are well-suited to their purpose, which is to attract attention on crowded bookstore shelves, but they don’t reward close examination for the simple reason that the drawing is weak, and the technique, much too simple. They’re the cover-illustration equivalent of black-light posters and black-velvet paintings, both of which were at the height of their popularity in the 1970s, which is when those editions of John Boyd’s novels were published.

Keywords: The Last Starship from Earth, The Rakehells of Heaven, The Girl with the Jade Green Eyes.

Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Comics · Harry Lucey · Here, Read · Illustration Art

Look Here, Read: “Cottage of Love,” with art by Harry Lucey

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From Darling Love #8 (Summer 1951), here’s “Cottage of Love,” with art by the incomparable Archie artist and 2012 Eisner Hall of Fame inductee, Harry Lucey, and script by the great unknown, and since the cover of Darling Love #8 is also by Lucey, I’ve included it as well, though it’s obviously just a recoloured version of the opening panel of the story:

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Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Heads Up! · Illustration Art · Joe Kubert

Heads Up: JOE KUBERT’S TARZAN OF THE APES: ARTIST’S EDITION

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Coming in September from IDW:

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From the press release:

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic creation

San Diego, CA (May 18, 2012) – Joe Kubert is one of the most lauded artists in the history of comics, a true living legend. He has been a vital creative force since the 1940s and remains so to this day. He has had defining runs on Hawkman, Enemy Ace, Tor, Sgt. Rock, and many others. Among his career highlights is Tarzan of the Apes, and Kubert’s rendition could arguably be called the definitive comic adaptation of the Ape-man.

“To have the Tarzan stories I drew commemorate the 100th anniversary of a strip I fell in love with as a kid is the thrill of a lifetime,” said Joe Kubert, writer and artist of all the stories in this Artist’s Edition.

This Artist’s Edition collects six complete Kubert Tarzan adventures, including the classic four-part origin story. Each page is vividly reproduced from the original art and presented as no comics readers have seen before. For fans of Kubert and Tarzan, this new entry in the Eisner-winning Artist’s Edition line must be seen to be believed!

2012 is the centennial year for Tarzan. Created by master storyteller Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan is instantly recognizable to countless fans around the globe. Other notable creations of Burroughs include John Carter of Mars, Korak, Carson of Venus, and At the Earth’s Core.

“I first read these comics when I was 10 years old, and they remain some of my favorite stories ever,” said Editor Scott Dunbier, “this is Joe Kubert at his absolute best.”

What is an Artist’s Edition? Artist’s Editions are printed the same size as the original art. While appearing to be in black & white, each page has been scanned in COLOR to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art—for example, you are able to clearly see paste-overs, blue pencils in the art, editorial notes, and art corrections. Each page is printed the same size as drawn, and the paper selected is as close as possible to the original art board.

JOE KUBERT’S TARZAN OF THE APES: ARTIST’S EDITION ($100, hardcover, black and white, 156 pages, 12” x 17”) will be available in stores September 2012.

Of all the Artist’s Editions IDW has released so far, Joe Kubert’s Tarzan of the Apes is the one that I MOST want to own. When the book is available for pre-order, I’ll be there, credit card in hand.