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May 21

You just straddle it! Don't do... whatever you are doing to it! Click for full image

Good Show Sir’s Art Direction: I have to think of everything around here! Just put Paddington Bear in a cowboy hat on top of a thing… and I really mean a thing! I want readers to stop and say, “What the hell is that thing!?!” Got it?
Published 1970

Many thanks to CH@os!

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: 8.56 out of 10)
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May 03

Earlier versions... lightly illustrated!Click for full image

MisterBOB’s Art Direction: A Conceptual breakthrough book! So y’know the yin / yang symbol, shinny dolphins….
Published 1979

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: 5.31 out of 10)
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Feb 27

The Green Face strongly disapproves of fringes!Click for full image

Jason Comments: Thank God I started buying invisible eggs, that blonde would’ve ruined my red-heads omelette!
Published 1967

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: 7.76 out of 10)
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Jan 31

Space sheep, space humming bird whale... why not a horse! Away!!!Click for full image

Andrew Comments: Teddy bears in Napoleonic garb, riding on dragon-horses in space. Baen, naturally.
Published 2000

It has come to our attention that this book is comedy, which bends our rules.
We appologise, but the cover is still amazing!
– Good Show Sir

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: 7.17 out of 10)
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Jul 25

Never ever... stand on a bears encyclopedia!Click for full image

Joachim’s Art Direction: For our story about ALIEN talking space bears let’s mix it with some Earth myth — you know, Goldilocks and the Three Bears– and since it’s for boys, a SWORD and a HUGE glass of beer (bear beer?)…
Published 1983

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: 8.41 out of 10)
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Dec 21

He's wearing a Moonocle.. ah hahahaha!

Laura’s Art Direction: I want stars and planets! And… given the topic, there needs to be a christmas tree. No.. subtler. Just a single unadorned tree… maybe on some kind of moonscape? And we need the human element. Slap a brooding David Bowie up there. It’s missing something? Well give the title a science fiction font, and we should be good.
Published 1977

It’s almost Christmas!
Many thanks to Laura!

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: 6.34 out of 10)
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Sep 20

Click for full UNCENSORED image

Radiano’s Art Direction
Editor: Okay, the title is Sleepwalker’s World…
Artist: And what you want? An alien in pajamas who walks on a starship in construction? Please!
Editor: Well, no. See, this is a story about a superman-like astronaut in a world where every night everybody but a few elect acts like zombies, and he must stop some ancient conspirator ruled by a giant bug with a baby face with the help of the sister…
Artist: Whoa whoa whoa, too much information! Listen, I’ll put a naked girl on the cover, and maybe something else about the story. Any idea?
Editor: Well, the guy is helped by a super-intelligent lycaon…
Artist: What the hell is a lycaon?
Editor: It’s an african wild dog with Mickey Mouse ears.
Artist:
Editor:
Artist: Uhm, lycaon… lycon… lyon… That’s it! I’ll put a lion head in the corner, Trust me, it will be FABULOUS!!!
Published 1977

I give this two Jim Bowen’s and an Ian Rush!
Thanks to Radiano!

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: 7.95 out of 10)
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May 28

Ah May! How I love you with two bank holidays in one month and the final one falling on, my birthday. That’s right exciting stuff! So here to celebrate is a strange random collection of honourable mentions. And they are a random collection I assure you.

These covers break our well kept and hard hitting rules. There are some who even complain they are almost too hard. But these covers are generally excluded because they are part of a franchise or comedy.

Again thanks to everyone who visits the site and those who are submitting covers. Some of them are simply amazing, we’ll get to them eventually. Enjoy these great covers and to those who gain from it, have an amazing extended weekend!

As a bonus check out a vague picture of CSA (known in certain circles as ‘The Troll’)
Trolling through books to help me find covers at Christmas

Everything is in proportion. EVERYTHING!Click for full image

Dealing with the hard topic of zombies before the craze of 2009.Click for full image

Does that princess have the hots for that dragon? ewww.Click for full image

Shatner is comedy, right?Click for full image

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: 7.90 out of 10)
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May 10

Get into that ship or you'll have to sleep with the fat ewok!Click for full image

Hex Comments: The guy on the left is a sort of expert undercover first contact agent, whose job is to alter the course of developing cultures on newly-discovered worlds to suit the needs of Earth. How he manages to do it while being chafed by that jockstrap I will never understand. Sometimes I gaze at the Yeti in a jumper while I try to figure it out.

Incidentally, this book is spattered with grimly bad black and white illustrations that completely contradict the style of the cover. Nice work, Ace!

Excellent! Thanks Hex!

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: 7.27 out of 10)
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