Dec 10
Art Direction: Now now, the naked gladiator in a helmet theme is completely in this season, so I insist! Make sure to cover his giblets in shadow because we don’t want a meat and two veg hanging out to offend readers. Side bum, is acceptable.
Published 1971
December 10th, 2010 at 10:38 am
“Biiiirdman!!! Will not tolerate nudism!”
December 10th, 2010 at 11:07 am
“You should see where I sheath my sword…..”
December 10th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Actually, the layout of the cover is very clever.
The wings form a symmetric curve, and the placement of the bird foot makes it look like something dangles from the naked warrior’s crotch…
So, uh, this book is about a desert nudist colony fighting a monstrous mutation of the Blue Man Group??
December 10th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Between the cover itself and the author’s last name, I have to admit I giggled.
Because I’m twelve years old, yo.
December 10th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Coincidentally, you can study for a Masters of the Pit at my university, one year full-time, two years part-time.
December 10th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
The greatest twist would be if this book was about present day humankind and those dreams we get of somehow forgetting to wear clothes.
December 10th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
@ Seamyst
I had a similar reaction. In fact on this cover due to the positioning of the model’s body, rather than a Moorcock novel this is a Less…you know what I’m going to stop now.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
At first, I was searching for the title. I thought they had dubbed Moorcock the Master of the Pit.
Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop
Michael Moorcock, the Master of the Pit
Like that. Given his history here on goodshowsir, I would think him more like the Master of the Gratuitous Naughty Bits Book Cover.
December 11th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Given the long tradition of “recycling” cover art for other books, which titles other than “Masters of the Pit” would suit this particular artwork?
Take your pick:
– Frank Miller’s 300 VS. HYDRAS
– Piers Anthony’s EXANTHED BY HYDRAS
– Larry Niven’s RIDICULOUSLY FAR BEYOND RINGWORLD: A RINGWORLD NOVEL
– Tom Kratman’s GOLDEN GLADIATORS OF THE WAFFEN-SS
– John Norman’s LOST UNDERPANTS OF GOR
December 12th, 2010 at 1:47 am
A.R. Yngve, you really shouldn’t have put those last two together. My brain decided to combine them into GOLDEN UNDERPANTS OF THE WAFFEN-SS, causing me to bust a gut before I realized my mistake.
December 12th, 2010 at 7:21 am
You mean, like THIS?:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gEszzJUeC98/TQR3e_DWsUI/AAAAAAAAAcw/sxO9fMwoGNA/s400/mastersofthepit.jpg
December 13th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Clearly that blue harpy is swooping down on his naked barbarian man for a little sexy rough and tumble with a sword. And can you blame him? Check out that page boy haircut and those bulging beefy thighs. Rrowr.
I love how the naked man’s face is obscured in shadow, as though he was like, “Alright, but I’ll only pose like this is if no one can recognize me.”
December 13th, 2010 at 11:52 am
“The wings form a symmetric curve, and the placement of the bird foot makes it look like something dangles from the naked warrior’s crotch…”–A.R.Yngve
And the human figure returns the favour. Specifically, his left arm.
December 13th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
I’m not sure I see what you mean by OH MY GOD THERE’S A BONER POKING OUT OF HIS CHEST WHAT UNGODLY MUTATION IS THIS?!?!?
December 13th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
If you compare the above cover with this one, for THE FAR ARENA, you’ll notice a striking similarity of themes:
http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/2010/07/the-far-arena/
Somewhere, there’s an unhappy artist who gets ALL the “draw a nude gladiator with helmet and sword trying not to show his privates” assignments…
December 13th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Lost Underpants of Gor made my day!
December 15th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Note to self: Write Golden Gladiators of the Waffen SS, give credit to A.R. Not a super high priority, however.
December 19th, 2010 at 3:36 am
What is that thing he’s waving his sword in the general direction of even supposed to be? A vampire, a birdman, a demon, an alien? And where’s its torso?
December 20th, 2010 at 9:21 am
It’s…
[Monty Python theme plays]
December 26th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
“You’ll get a taste of this sword, birdman, once I’ve done pooping!”
March 31st, 2016 at 6:09 pm
I didn’t know that Michael Moorcock wrote a book about barbecue and barbequing. Guess it brings up the question of which one of the cover figures is the “Pit Master” and which gets cooked in the barbecue pit…..