That has to be the worst “catgirl” I’ve ever seen.
I think the artist has simply brushed the dust off a Man From UNCLE cover that failed to sell, overpainted the girl’s skin with “fur” and put stars in the window!
Oh, and added Star Wars bling to Napoleon/Han Solo’s gun . . .
Aside from that, it looks like the artist — although obviously capable, observant, and quite good at the tricky job of rendering people — had no understanding or sympathy with the science fiction genre.
What the hell is that spacehip/satellite thingy in the window? I swear it’s a pushbroom bristle section, a couple of vacuum cleaner attachments and a baseball cobbled together.
As the unfortunate victim of this cover, I have considered it long and hard, and I believe the cat-woman to be Doris Day in fur (don’t you love the little pink nose?) and the guy behind her to be a young John Travolta in a stunning purple jumpsuit. Further, examine in detail the brilliant Escher-influence in the mid-distance, where the floors and walls just, don’t, quite, entirely come together. And to finish off the entire ensemble, observe the object in the spacious window (!) which resembles nothing so much as a barbell pierced by a dildo. Or is it the other way around?
You have been spared another horrendous detail: the pickled babies wrap around to the back of the cover.
More hideousness available at my website. Click on Links & Ephemera and it will be the top entry.
It might be the colour balance on my monitor, but the light off of her bum is the same tone as the carpet in the hallway…making his left leg disappear into an ungainly wide stance.
Oh, she’s a cat person! My first thought was that when she grabbed that jar she set off a dye pack (but had brought along a change of clothing just in case of such an eventuality).
They let these doofuses into a game for the entire universe? I suppose it’s the usually SF Blurbs Have No Sense of Scale issue.
Maybe the artist or the writer heard of test tube babies and really didn’t understand what that meant? (“Hmm. Must move them to a larger glass container once they get too large for the test tube.”)
Let’s not assume she’s stealing that baby. [1] Maybe it’s a baby automat and she put a coin in the slot, while the guy just likes posing with his gun.
[1] Swapping it out for one of the regular babies? I would think people would notice, even if she shaves it first.
February 9th, 2012 at 8:41 am
Brilliant. I can just imagine the art direction.
“I told you she is supposed to be a cat person damn it!! Ah… just draw some fur on her and we’re sorted!”
February 9th, 2012 at 8:47 am
“After your Dangerous Game don’t forget to visit our light and airy gift shop for space posters, replica lugers and a vast array of pickled goods.”
February 9th, 2012 at 9:43 am
Anyone else getting an unfortunate Barbara Bain in Space: 1999 vibe from the catlady?
February 9th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
That has to be the worst “catgirl” I’ve ever seen.
I think the artist has simply brushed the dust off a Man From UNCLE cover that failed to sell, overpainted the girl’s skin with “fur” and put stars in the window!
Oh, and added Star Wars bling to Napoleon/Han Solo’s gun . . .
February 9th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Towrope’s comment at #2: WINNER!! 😀
February 9th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
The journey continues, and the Universe is the prize for those who play…
JEOPARDY!!
February 9th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
“Leave the pickled babies, grab the cookie jar!”
February 9th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Aw, she’s got a cute little pink kee kat nose.
Aside from that, it looks like the artist — although obviously capable, observant, and quite good at the tricky job of rendering people — had no understanding or sympathy with the science fiction genre.
February 9th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
What the hell is that spacehip/satellite thingy in the window? I swear it’s a pushbroom bristle section, a couple of vacuum cleaner attachments and a baseball cobbled together.
February 9th, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Hand over the cash or the pickled baby gets it.
February 9th, 2012 at 7:12 pm
How much for that fetus in the window?
My cat-wife would like one with fur
How much for that fetus in the window?
We’ll take it before it will stir
February 9th, 2012 at 8:47 pm
As the unfortunate victim of this cover, I have considered it long and hard, and I believe the cat-woman to be Doris Day in fur (don’t you love the little pink nose?) and the guy behind her to be a young John Travolta in a stunning purple jumpsuit. Further, examine in detail the brilliant Escher-influence in the mid-distance, where the floors and walls just, don’t, quite, entirely come together. And to finish off the entire ensemble, observe the object in the spacious window (!) which resembles nothing so much as a barbell pierced by a dildo. Or is it the other way around?
You have been spared another horrendous detail: the pickled babies wrap around to the back of the cover.
More hideousness available at my website. Click on Links & Ephemera and it will be the top entry.
February 9th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Oh its a cat person baby/midget in the jar.
I thought perhaps she was just taking the jar where she keeps her loose change down to the bank.
February 14th, 2012 at 7:41 am
Cat People, do you ever not show up in bad Scifi cover art?
March 1st, 2012 at 6:38 pm
The Baby-Cat-Jar seems to have some sort of instructions on it. I wonder if it tells you to “just add water”…
January 6th, 2015 at 3:21 am
Hey, it looks like this one’s missing an “author in the comments” tag! That’s a bit of a rare find.
October 26th, 2015 at 7:08 pm
It might be the colour balance on my monitor, but the light off of her bum is the same tone as the carpet in the hallway…making his left leg disappear into an ungainly wide stance.
October 26th, 2015 at 8:02 pm
@DSWBT—hey, that’s muh shootin’ stance!
October 26th, 2015 at 9:04 pm
@BC: ah, so, you’re the Time Twister fellow!
January 31st, 2020 at 9:23 am
Oh, she’s a cat person! My first thought was that when she grabbed that jar she set off a dye pack (but had brought along a change of clothing just in case of such an eventuality).
January 31st, 2020 at 2:32 pm
If they don’t name the kid Mason I want a really good reason why not.
January 31st, 2020 at 4:27 pm
‘The jellicle journey continues, and the jellicle universe is the jellicle prize for those who play, The Jellicle Game’
Soon to be a major motion picture featuring creepy humanoid cats spouting nonsense and stealing babies.
January 31st, 2020 at 5:23 pm
They let these doofuses into a game for the entire universe? I suppose it’s the usually SF Blurbs Have No Sense of Scale issue.
Maybe the artist or the writer heard of test tube babies and really didn’t understand what that meant? (“Hmm. Must move them to a larger glass container once they get too large for the test tube.”)
Let’s not assume she’s stealing that baby. [1] Maybe it’s a baby automat and she put a coin in the slot, while the guy just likes posing with his gun.
[1] Swapping it out for one of the regular babies? I would think people would notice, even if she shaves it first.
February 1st, 2020 at 2:30 am
Hey, this had “author in the comments” originally. Glad she hated it as much as us, though I’m sorry she got stuck with this.
@ARY (way back at 11): GSS!
@fred (21): Me too. GSS!
@Bruce: All good thoughts.