Good Show Sir

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MisterBob Comments: When i said a blindfold monkey could do the art, I didn’t mean…
Published 1970

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Andrew’s Art Direction: Okay, so here’s my idea.  Fonts.  This is a terribly confusing trilogy of books and we want the readers to know it.  So I want no less than 2 font types and 4 font sizes. The artwork?  Well it technically falls under sci-fi, so make sure there is a star-scape on there.  People will like that.  Then slap on just enough plot material to make the readers confused about what they are picking up. I smell an epic win with this one!
Published 1998

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Jaouad Comments: HULK ANGRY!!!! HULK THROW ALL HIS ACTION FIGURES ACROSS ROOM!!!
Published 2007

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MisterBOB Comments: Happy New Year … said the Rat?
Published 1978

Happy New Year!

Well another year is here, I am just about over my hang over and of course back in work! So it’s time to start again and see what exciting covers we can find to brighten our days. Last year didn’t see a cover which had the power to beat, I Sing the Body Electric. But maybe this year… maybe…

Thanks to everyone who has sent in covers and comments! You all bring such entertainment to our lives. And of course thank you to all those amazing publishers, without you and your art direction where would Good Show Sir be?

Last year was very exciting now that I think about it. And my quest for terrible Sci-Fi/fantasy book covers also led to the best conversation ever in a second hand book store.

Shop Assistant: Wow.. that cover is so bad!!!
Me: Yeah isn’t it? That’s kinda why I am buying it actually.
Shop Assistant: Really? Awesome. You should start some sort of website to show covers like these.
Me: I have…
Shop Assistant: ……
And nothing more was said. Here is the book I bought.

The top rated cover of the year:

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A Personal Favourite:

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CSA Chooses dragon crotch!

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And of course, how could we not mention the cover that started a censoring legend:

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Well it has come to that time of year again when we at Good Show Sir need to take a break to steal Christmas presents from children, eat an insane amount of other peoples food and of course, get stinking drunk and rant about book covers!

Not to worry though, we’ll be back first thing in the new year with a round up of the best of 2011′s covers!

Here we have some fantastic Hungarian covers sent in by Gabor and River, about 9 months ago! I appologise for keeping them hidden for so long but here they are, all six of them!

Have a great holiday! And again thanks to everyone who visits the site and all the specials ones who leave comments which brighten our days with witty banter!

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Alessandra Comments: Not, despite all appearances, a parody.  It’s a young adult story with paranoid overtones, but as far as Puffin is concerned it’s the Attack of the Stuffed Olive Aliens.
Published 1998

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Colette’s Art Direction: I want a colony of giant lavender termites- all with the same goofy facial expression- dragging an extremely khaki couple into their underground nest. Try and make the tunnel seem as reminiscent of a human colon as possible, as subtle subliminal foreshadowing of where a large purple ovipositor may soon find itself.
Published 1980

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Jami Comments: Me giant floating head and shoulders of Demolished Man. Me crush tiny stereotypical Hammer film type female vampire and tiny floating head version of me. Then me play with all the pretty animals and the tiny naked women. Tiny clothed men can get moon dust out of my giant ear. Me have glowy thing above knuckle. Me love glowy thing.
Published 1978

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Click for previous Penguin cover here

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Scott Comments: Elven stripper riding a giant flying owl-cat steed!  Or, tiny Elven stripper riding a normal-sized owl-cat steed?  Either way, that’s one terrifying/terrified owl-cat.
Published 1983