Apr 02
David J’s Art Direction: These cat people are so pass. Let’s try a hyena man. But they are dangerous, so let’s cover our bodies with armour. Except for the thighs. They never go for the thighs. Add in a laser that looks like you have an estate agent measuring your loft and you have 1980s sci-fi heaven.
Published 1980
You might remember The Battle of Forever from here!
April 2nd, 2013 at 9:51 am
“Sorry, it just went off in my hand!”
April 2nd, 2013 at 12:10 pm
The perspective is so wonky, everything looks like it’s happening in a single plane.
April 2nd, 2013 at 12:15 pm
That is one long light saber. He must be compensating for something.
April 2nd, 2013 at 12:19 pm
looks more like the battle of whatever
April 2nd, 2013 at 12:33 pm
“Looks like I didn’t go to broadway dance school for nothing… time to shine….”
April 2nd, 2013 at 12:49 pm
I salute the artist. Not easy to take a battle, a ‘space battle’ mind you, and remove any trace of action, motion, or tension in your depiction. Take that, conventional dictates of composition!!
April 2nd, 2013 at 2:10 pm
“You there! Move more to the left, so my soldier’s ray blast can hit you!”
April 2nd, 2013 at 3:45 pm
I’m not surprised the composition is somewhat lacking. The soldier on the right appears to be firing directly at the artist. How would you feel if somebody took a shot at you while you were painting them?
April 2nd, 2013 at 5:41 pm
Captain: “Human to my right, FIRE!!”
(Gomer and Goober fire, missing badly)
Captain: “Damnit, no MY right.”
(Goober blasts the Captain in the thigh)
Captain: “Agggghhhh…”
Gomer: “Nice shooting Goob….aggghhhhh”
(Goober blasts Gomer)
Goober: “Take that you filthy human!”
Captain: “Damnit Goob, you shot us both.”
(Goober blasts again, hitting the ships vending machine, chocolate bars spray everywhere)
Human: (laughing) What planet are you all from?
Goober: “Blindtopia! Long live the republic!!!
(Goober salutes by bringing the blaster to his head, blasts his head off)
Human: (facepalm) Oh boy…..
April 2nd, 2013 at 5:55 pm
I am trying to think of a logical reason why they have paper towel dispensers attached to the back of their helmets.
April 2nd, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Nothing says “best protection in a space battle” like spray-on silver swimsuits…
Or maybe they lost a bet to green jumpsuit-guy and had to take off their uniforms, and that’s why laser-guy is angry and firing at him (and apparently is a lousy shot).
And what in the world is that lying on the floor? The cast-off uniforms?
April 3rd, 2013 at 12:11 am
@Stevie: the parts, maybe?
‘When Steve Greenjeans, Interplanetary Explorer, found the easily assembled human remains in the Corridor of Extreme Flatness, he had no idea that they would turn on him in…THE BATTLE OF FOREVER!’
April 3rd, 2013 at 10:24 pm
Their boots! Their boots are clearly much too tight! It’s painful to look at.
April 4th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
That week’s episode of ‘Knightmare’ was blighted by someone in a green leotard wandering in and asking for directions to the studio where they make ‘Gambit’ with Fred Dinage.
April 4th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
It seems like each of these hyena-men has a different agenda.
April 4th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
I know that John W. Campbell Jr. (famous editor of ASTOUNDING) insisted that humans should always outsmart aliens in every story… but surely this cover took the edict too far.
April 5th, 2013 at 6:08 pm
@ Dead Stuff: ….Heh…”the Corridor of Extreme Flatness” Indeed!
“We thought they were just harmless shapes, but our illusions were shattered when they invaded in the riveting sequel to Flatland, THE BATTLE OF FOREVER”
Of course, maybe the simple explanantion is that Lt. Greenjeans there has just put up some stylish vinyl wall artwork and has just stepped back to admire his handiwork, including lining up one of the guns with the randomly firing laser probe. The stuff on the floor are the discarded vinyl rolls….
April 28th, 2013 at 3:12 pm
David J. comments “Add in a laser that looks like you have an estate agent measuring your loft and you have 1980s sci-fi heaven.”
I almost could have believed they WERE real estate agents… if only for the fact that they don’t look inhuman and sinister enough.
April 29th, 2013 at 6:58 pm
Serious alien codpiece action going on here. Forsooth!
July 10th, 2014 at 1:48 pm
“This battle is taking forever”
“You can say that again…”
March 24th, 2015 at 11:07 am
Hyena people? That does explain the hairy legs, but shouldn’t there be some other indications as well?
March 24th, 2015 at 12:07 pm
@anon: ‘prehensile clitorises’ is a difficult idea to convey on the scale of the cover.