Good Show Sir

Alessandra Comments: This is one of those subtly wrong covers. What’s up with the faces? And looking closer, the anatomy. His eyes are oddly round and oddly placed, a little too close together and a little too skewed to our right. Her right eye (on our left) is too low, giving her an odd one-eyed (or in the right light, three-eyed) look. Not a cover that screams its wrongness, but still eye-watering when you look closely.
Published 1983

(Average: 5.73 out of 10)

Loading...

Click for full image

Max Comments: I read the paperback version of this back in the day and it had a nice cover which represented the content of the book quite well. This original hardback, on the other hand, has none of those things. It’s a barbarian and perhaps an elf-woman on thrones, in hell, staring into a satanic-goat-festooned portal to THE COSMOS. The back’s got some crystal pyramids on it.
Published 1988

(Average: 6.22 out of 10)

Loading...

Click for full image

Colette’s Art Direction: I want an attractive couple on another planet who wear ribbons instead of actual clothing. But I guess we need something that will make it seem horrible AND sexy, so can you add a long trail of golden ectoplasm to the woman’s lower body? It should imply “you have radiant womb” and not “you should immediately see a doctor about that.”
Published 1973

(Average: 7.11 out of 10)

Loading...

Click for full image

Jeremy’s Art Direction: We need the most evil guy ever. Ever! And the goofiest looking assassin you can muster!
Published 1982

(Average: 6.95 out of 10)

Loading...

Click for full image

Durbin Comments: This is actually a pretty decent book. It’s the story of a golden sorceress dragon and a male cellist who battle an evil dragon in the Sierra Nevada mountains. There are no skateboards, blonde girls, rainbow dragons, Valley girl fashions, or palm trees. There is, however, a passing mention of cats.
Published 1990

(Average: 8.34 out of 10)

Loading...

Click for full image

Richard Comments: The spaceman in the foreground is both scared and turned on.
Published 1969

(Average: 6.93 out of 10)

Loading...

Here we are again! It’s been a while for the old honourable mentions but it’s come to that time of year when a can of irn-bru and chocolate is considered an acceptable breakfast!

So if you are having a weekend off I hope you enjoy it and if not… well enjoy these covers that don’t quite make our high standards but we think deserve a special mention.

Have fun!

Click for full image

Good Show Sir Comments: I love Mark Hamill’s pose on this one. It’s got that, “Why are you drawing me?” Look.

Click for full image

Good Show Sir’s Art Direction: Well I like these three drawings you’ve done. I know! Lets just put them all together on the cover.

Click for full image

Matthew’s Art Direction: I want the scariest-looking monster that you can think of on the front!

Click for full image

Stripey Baz Comments: I’m no purveyor of romance novels or indeed Norwegian literature, but I’m pretty sure that it’s not a good thing to have a mutton-chopped blaggard slap a fair maiden across her face. Given the angle that he’s standing at, his body must have twisted like one of those plastic toy action figures…

(Average: 7.92 out of 10)

Loading...

Click for full image

GK Comments: Alternate ending to The Lion King.
Published 1978

(Average: 7.53 out of 10)

Loading...

Alessandra’s Art Direction: Like early Dungeons and Dragons manual covers, but cruder, with an astronaut threatening Godzilla with a giant pencil tied to a notepad on his back. Oh, and a chick on an altar wearing a skintight rosy pink bodysuit, because this is spiritual writing, darnit!
Published 1996

(Average: 8.52 out of 10)

Loading...

Click for full image

MisterBOB’S Art Direction: Put an ad in a newsagent window for teenager model wanted for artist reference, do not scare him!
Published 1992

(Average: 5.93 out of 10)

Loading...