Good Show Sir

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Tally ho! Well good chap I’ll have the one with swords and those smashing old wizards praising a big wolf in the clouds!
Published 2000

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Good show old bean, I’ll go for the one with double swords, a buxom beauty and a mighty cape. Spiffing!
Published 1993

(Average: 6.33 out of 10)

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Amy Comments: Letters invoking Art Nouveau is an interesting choice for a book where a modern man travels back to ancient Rome. Speaking of which, those are Roman sandals he is wearing. I just wanted to point that out because you might think he has his feet jammed into slimy cornucopias. Also, he is -traveling- -back- -in- -time-, people, not being served for dinner. Note the collaged photograph of an ancient city, how it is juxtaposed against the crudely watercolored landscapes and forms in the foreground, making us question, which is the -real- world?
Published 1969

Many thanks to Amy!

(Average: 8.20 out of 10)

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Happy New Year!

Well it’s 2011 and that means we have an entire year of quality book covers behind us. So here we will have a few of the best covers chosen by the Good Show Sir staff, helper monkeys or whatever.

Just want to say thanks to everyone who visits the site! I would have never have thought so many people would be interesting in joining us sharing these wonderful covers. Thanks to all the commenter’s out there, where would we be without your generous sarcastic undertones? Also want to say thanks to all the artists and writers we’ve had come along to the site, we love all these covers but sorry if we’ve caused any tears!

Finally, special thanks to the all those who have sent in and continue to email me covers! I apologise that I haven’t got back to everyone who has sent covers in and I do have quite the backlog but we’ll get through them all.. probably!

How could we not mention:

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A personal favourite:

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Everyone loves cat people!

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CSA chooses magic, wizards, unicorns and fairies:

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Finally, well… maybe we should come back later:

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(Average: 8.28 out of 10)

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Libraryman comments: I love how it seems as if the characters are just randomly placed around this dead body. Kind of like a cluedo clue. “It was Sinbad with the scimitar in the dungeon!”
Published 1995

This cover… is perfect!
Libraryman, good show sir!

(Average: 7.49 out of 10)

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Knautwerks art direction:

Okay, so, its an anthology of stories on ghosts, witches and demons. Cover ideas anyone?
How about a brain damaged dragon frolicking in a lake?
GENIUS!

Published 1971 (maybe)

(Average: 6.91 out of 10)

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Art Direction: Evil prophets go together with men wearing eyeliner like… Anyway that’s easy! Lets make any text on the cover like some sort of cryptic puzzle which will have to deciphered. What’s the book called? What’s the name the of author again? Ha! They’ll be stumped! The money will roll in!
Published Date Unknown

(Average: 8.33 out of 10)

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John Comments: Sentient killer smog in Los Angeles of course requires occult defense. Only in the 80s.
Published 1985

Many thanks to John!

(Average: 6.59 out of 10)

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Tom Noir’s Art Direction: That’s a really nice painting you did for the Le Guin cover, but you know what would really sell it? Incorporating this photograph of my nephew and I at the Ren Faire. Don’t be silly, my mod seventies mullet-ponytail combo looks COMPLETELY medieval.
Published 1981 (maybe)

Many thanks to Tom!

(Average: 4.17 out of 10)

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Jeweleya Comments: This cover is so off-putting to me that I can’t bring myself to read the book. A few highlights –

• The sword dissolving into blue dust
• The barbarian’s barely-decent rags (it’s refreshing that the woman is wearing more than the man, for once)
• The utterly generic, swirly, rainbow-threw-up-on-it background
• And my personal favorite: the horse that looks like it’s just been flung backwards from a giant slingshot

…Indeed, a cover for the ages.
Published 1978

Many thanks to Jeweleya!

(Average: 7.13 out of 10)

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Art Direction: The London underground, Pink Floyd concerts and the queue for Return of the Jedi. Do you know what they all have in common? They’re all… busy!! We don’t just need a strange bird attacking a unicorn, we need a full on boarder! With as much busyness as possible. I’m sure that’s sound logic… well pretty sure.
Published 1983

(Average: 5.71 out of 10)

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