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May 07

As It Is PaintedClick for larger image

Good Show Sir Comments: I am only going to use the space sheep for J’ai Lu tit covers. This is a work of art. But I’m not convinced Krupowicz can draw feet.

Published 1982

Actually, that cover IS a classical work of art!I would touch it without protective gloves.I've seen worse. Far, far, worse.Interesting, but I would still read it in public.Middlng: Neither awful nor awfully goodWould not like to be seen reading that!Awful... just awful...That belongs in a gold-lame picture frame!Gah... my eyes are burning! Feels so good!Good Show Sir! (Average: 7.72 out of 10)
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23 Responses to “As It Is Written”

  1. THX 1139 Says:

    “I got a lion in my pocket and baby, he’s ready to roar!”

  2. Christopher Reynolds Says:

    I was surprised to see this, because I’m a big fan of Clark Ashton Smith and thought I’d read all of his work, but had never heard of this before. A quick Google reveals that this book is actually written by De Lysle Ferrée Cass, but the publisher attributed it to the wrong person.

  3. Tat Wood Says:

    Would those scales work as scales if the things being weighed are holding hands and tied together?

  4. Bibliomancer Says:

    Police Report: “The naked body of the deceased was found in a Tallahassee motel room. Preliminary reports are he died of asphyxiation. Two female persons-of-interest were last seen leaving the room wearing size 15 shoes and carrying Gideon bibles.”

  5. fred Says:

    Love me some CAS.
    Generic Thanos cosmic scales to balance comment.

  6. Francis Boyle Says:

    The bird-woman has mutant camel feet and the I-don’t-know-WTF-she-is woman has bird feet. Krupowicz may or may not be able to draw feet but she’s definitely, er, interested in them.

  7. B. Chiclitz Says:

    His triceps are even weirder than his weird pecs. And the girls seem to have gotten a little carried away with the botox lip treatments. Oh, and, is he defecating sand?

  8. Ryan Says:

    I clicked to get a closer look, and then I immediately came to regret my decision.

  9. A.R.Yngve Says:

    “Welcome all delegates, to this year’s International Psychiatric Conference. The conference committee has unanimously agreed that our main topic, which is sure to generate discussion and controversy, will be this book cover…”

  10. A.R.Yngve Says:

    Ever heard of Graham’s Number?
    This cover is as weird as that number is large.

  11. GSS ex-noob Says:

    what is this I don’t even.

    @Tat: I don’t see how the two, erm, bipeds can weigh the same. The whatever it is coming out of the head of the left one looks heavier than the whatever it is etc. of the right one. In any case, the answer would be “Magick”.

    @B’man: GSS.

    @BC: It sure looks like it. Either that or it’s all his desiccated body fat, because he doesn’t seem to have any. Thus the pecs, arms, and hoo-boy, the kneecaps. And the internal organs, judging by the waist. That lion head is hiding a multitude of sins. Also, he’s probably blind from staring at the glow.

    @Ryan: same here.

    @ARY: We may need to go TREE (3) to compare.

  12. Verylatetotheparty Says:

    I find this cover mostly works for me as it looks like it’s meant to be stylised rather than realistic. The feet of the right hand figure however, make me snort coffee out of my nose.

  13. Anti-Sceptic Says:

    I hope that’s sand filling the hour glass.

  14. Tor Mented Says:

    Bad as this is, I’m betting that someone out there decided to get a tattoo of it.

  15. Emster Says:

    Looks like one of those college art projects that was getting tiresome/not what artist really wanted to do, but with deadline looming and prof requesting he get more creative, this is the result.

    One of Krupowicz’s more colourful pieces:
    https://www.amazon.com/Magazine-Fantasy-Science-Fiction-February/dp/B000ITAAVC

  16. fred Says:

    If you told me this was one of grifting Trump’s collectible cards I would believe you no questions asked. ‘Trump as the God of Justice’.

  17. Bruce Alexander Munro Says:

    @various: Space Sheep for erogenous zones, Space Lion for scatology.

    I’ve read most of CAS’s short stories, but I’ve never heard of this one. From Amazon:

    “a long forgotten Oriental fantasy from the early pen of Clark Ashton Smith. As it is Written was accepted for publication by the fabled magazine, Thrill Book, in 1919, less than a month before its final issue. The story of its miraculous discovery and rescue is revealed here for the first time, along with a presentation of the work itself.”

    No surprise, then.

  18. GSS ex-noob Says:

    Is there some sort of electrical field between dude’s collar, the wires going to the women, and the glow above his head?

    I don’t think the gals would be improved by switching their feet. And I will never cease finding the feet on the right to be laughable.

    I can’t help but hear Yul Brynner intoning “So let it be written, so let it be done.” (Followed by him adding “WTF is this painting, CB?”)

    @Tor: Not taking that bet. Too true.

    @fred: Looks more like “Tr*mp in bondage with the really, really weird hookers”. And he’s staring straight into the sun, just like the real thing did.

    @Bruce: I looked at the Wiki article, which says, “The novel concerns the adventures of Datu Buang who, as a fugitive, stumbles across the remains of an alien lost city in the jungles of Malaysia and battles furiously with a semi-intelligent ape-creature.” And that it is indeed Cass’ work. He was a busy guy, did a lot of different writing jobs, and died at 86.

    I’d like to read the article in the footnotes for this and him. Lovecraft hated an earlier book of his for being too sexy, so now I want to know more about that one. But it’s not online. I guess HPL was put off by all the swarthy Persians who really didn’t care for the Viennese.

    Now, is Mr, Weird Pecs Datu Buang (who looks paler than I’d expect, with a name like that), or is he the ape-creature?

  19. Ryan Says:

    @GSS – just to enliven your understanding, please note that “Datu Buang”, approximated to an English name, would be “Sir Throw-Away”.

  20. Tor Mented Says:

    After looking closer at the feet on the right, I find myself obligated to make a “camel toe” reference.

  21. GSS ex-noob Says:

    @Tor: GSS! Can’t believe it took us/you 3 years to make that reference.

    @Ryan: That… makes sense inasmuch as anything else about this does. OK, at least it’s consistent? And refers to what should have been done with this cover.

  22. B. Chiclitz Says:

    Sir Lion doesn’t look nearly as ferocious once you notice his cute little button nose.

  23. GSS ex-noob Says:

    @BC: Still not gonna boop it. The teeth are fearsome.

    But good point, every lion I’ve seen has a long nose that isn’t round.

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