Look Here: Two more SF covers with art by Don Ivan Punchatz

2 December 201310 August 2016 RC1 Comment

Only a day after I almost apologized for not posting more often since the summer, and I’m back with two more covers scanned from the magnificent mouldering heap that I laughingly refer to as my personal library:

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**ABOVE:** John Jakes, *On Wheels* (NY: Warner, 1973), 75-123, with cover art by Don Ivan Punchatz.

**ABOVE:** Mike Resnick, *The Three-Legged Hootch Dancer* (NY: Signet, 1983), 451-AE2082, with cover art by Don Ivan Punchatz.

To view all of the covers with art by Don Ivan Punchatz (1936 – 2009) that I’ve posted so far, click here and scroll down.

Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Charles Moll · Illustration Art · Look Here

Look Here: Four more F/SF covers with art by Charles Moll

14 December 201213 June 2017 RCLeave a comment

I featured scans of four Malzberg novels with terrific cover art by Moll on 02 December 2012, and this is sort of a follow-up to that post. Although I’m not a huge fan of his work in general, Charles Moll has produced some very strong covers over the years for various fantasy and science fiction novels, along with many weak ones. Combined with the images in my previous post, the following covers, scanned by me from the old paperbacks in my personal library, should give you an good idea of Moll’s weaknesses and strengths as an image maker:

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**ABOVE:** David Mason, *The Return of Kavin* (New York: Lancer, 1972), with cover art by Charles Moll.

**ABOVE:** Poul Anderson, *The Queen of Air and Darkness and Other Stories* (Scarborough, ON: Signet, 1973), with cover art by Charles Moll.

**ABOVE:** Norman Spinrad, *No Direction Home* (New York: Pocket Books, 1975), with cover art by Charles Moll.

**ABOVE:** John Jakes, *Brak the Barbarian* (New York: Pocket Books, 1977), with cover art by Charles Moll.

Moll’s sombre, psychologically engaging surrealist cover art for Spinrad’s No Direction Home is the clear winner here. The other covers are nothing special, although Moll’s art for Brak the Barbarian (1977) gets points for featuring a pretty-boy protagonist who does not conform to reader expectations for a Conan-esque barbarian hero who lives “in the savage age of blood and barbarism.” It’s an interesting choice, though the sterile execution leaves much to be desired.

With his painting for the cover of Twilight of the Serpent from the same year (1977), Jeffrey Jones produced an image that goes against the grain of heroic fantasy in a similar way but he really made it work, not merely by means of a superior concept but also by means of his superior grasp of the expressive potential of his chosen medium (here’s a link to the full post).

Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Frank Frazetta · Illustration Art · Look Here

Look Here: A fifth obscure paperback cover by Frazetta

29 May 201211 August 2016 RCLeave a comment

Yes, here it is, another “treasure” from my very own library of folded, spindled, and mutilated SF&F pulperbacks:

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Obscure for a reason, obviously…

Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Book/Magazine Covers (Jones) · Illustration Art · Jeffrey "Jeff" Catherine Jones · Look Here

Look Here: Six more early paperback covers by Jeffrey Jones

18 November 200911 August 2016 RCLeave a comment

Yes, there are some serious creases and wear marks on some of the covers, but it is difficult to find pristine copies of thirty-nine-year-old-plus paperbacks, especially when one limits one’s search to local bookstores:

**ABOVE:** Andre Norton, *Star Hunter And Voodoo Planet* (New York: Ace, n.d.), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

**ABOVE:** Andre Norton, *Sorceress of the Witch World* (New York: Ace, 1968/1978), with cover by Jeffrey Jones (mis-credited to John Pound).

**ABOVE:** John Jakes, *The Planet Wizard* (New York: Ace, 1969), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

**ABOVE:** Lin Carter, *Thongor Fights The Pirates Of Tarakus* (N.p.: Berkley Medallion, 1970), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

**ABOVE:** Andre Norton, *The Zero Stone* (New York: Ace, n.d.), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

**ABOVE:** Andre Norton, *Uncharted Stars* (New York: Ace, n.d.), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

I don’t really like any of the above covers, with the exception, perhaps, of the Uncharted Stars cover, which I feel is a step up from the others in terms of draftsmanship, composition, technique, originality, and wit.

Book/Magazine Covers (All) · Book/Magazine Covers (Jones) · Illustration Art · Jeffrey "Jeff" Catherine Jones · Look Here

Look Here: Four more early paperback covers by Jeffrey Jones

13 April 200911 August 2016 RCLeave a comment

I don’t much care for any of these covers from 1968 and 1969, but since I have yet to break out of the collector/completist mentality — and believe me, I’ve tried — here they are, scanned and posted for your “enjoyment”:

**ABOVE:** Lin Carter, *Thongor at the End of Time* (Paperback Library, 1968), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

**ABOVE:** Robert Lory, *Master of the Etrax* (Dell, 1968), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

**ABOVE:** Robert Moore Williams, *Zanthar at Moon’s Madness* (Lancer Books, 1968), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

**ABOVE:** John Jakes, *The Hybrid* (Paperback Library, 1969), with cover by Jeffrey Jones.

To make up for the lacklustre art this time round, my next post will feature two covers by Jones from the early 1970s that I think are very strong, along with one that I have mixed feelings about, so stay tuned for that!