30 replies to this topic

[Dr Niles Crane]

Sometimes newer, shinier, bigger just isn't better.

Most of my Fleming books are about twice as old as I am and a little frazzled around the edges (much like James). Some have the inscriptions of previous owners and many have travelled half way around the worls (much like James),but I still love them. They are the firsts. A little tricky to get nowdays, but if you have a bit of money to spare you can pick up a nice little Casino Royale for only twenty grand.

Ever picked up a first edition Bond book? They look nothing like the hard action packed gun barrell books most of you guys are used to. The artwork is pale and very kinky (lots of skulls n stuff. Done by a guy called Richard Chopping) and they really make you think about a guy slaving over a typewriter at Goldeneye on a hot Jamacan afternoon rather than a team of marketing guys looking at the new ad layouts for the new phillishaver.

There are lots of great ways to get some really special Bond books without waiting. For example, nearly every time there was a film released they used to release the books with movie tie in covers so there is a Thunderball paperback full of cut out bullet holes and a painted lady edition of Goldfinger.

There is a website called abebooks.com. This is where all the second hand book sellers in the world go to sell their books. You can get everything there from a nice clean reading copy to a signed Ian Fleming first.

[General Koskov]

I was in a second-hand bookstore t'other day where I bought James Bond and Moonraker (missing pp 19-30!) and saw some nice old prints of YOLT, TMWTGG, TB, and an omnibus of CR, FRWL, and DN. There was also a strange paperback of MR featuring a photo of some snadwich (?) wrapped in a white towel 'sitting' in a winged, leather chair one might find at blades. Cards were scattered on the armrest, or on a table, not sure.

Anyone seen this, or know what the photo is supposed to mean? Sandwiches, nuclear rockets... am I missing something?

Anyway, compared to the new prints, these are so beautiful. Cover art for the new Fleming's is blessedly abstract and devoid of a big, bold 'JAMES BOND 007!!!!' overshadowing all other facts (though 'James Bond' does appear at the bottom).

[Dr Niles Crane]

Oh really Georgi? No wonder they sent you home in the diplomatic bag.

Don't you remember the scene before Drax shoots the moonraker off to destroy Great Britain. He was hungry and he ate a sandwhich. A homocidal arch villian intent on world domination needs some sustinence, hence the cover of that book.

In all seriousness...

Can't help you with the sandwich sorry and I have only vague and disturbing imaginings as to why it would be wrapped in a towel and sitting on a wing backed leather chair as one might find at blades (told you some of that art was odd though didn't I).

However if you have got your stickies on a James Bond and Moonraker (HB) by Mr C Wood - keep a hold of it.

[Jim]

Given that the book is set close to Sandwich, one wonders whether the artist was told "Sandwich" and...misinterpreted (slightly)

[Dr Niles Crane]

My Mookraker knowledge is a bit rusty, but then theoretically shouldn't the sandwich be playing golf instead of cards?

And anyway - do sandwichs play bridge? And if so do they cheat at it?

Intriguing questions...

[flares]

One thing that always amuses me about Moonraker, is Fleming romantically talking about Bond taking a swim in the sea off St Margarets, and clearly seeing jellyfish etc. He never reported seeing faeces floating around on a dark grey sea, which is what it is like here, not to mention freezing.

I do love the descriptive of driving down the A2 before the age of the motorway.

[zencat]

Originally posted by General Koskov
...Anyone seen this, or know what the photo is supposed to mean?  Sandwiches, nuclear rockets... am I missing something?

Anyway, compared to the new prints, these are so beautiful....

I am familiar with this cover, GK. Pan put out all the books with this same style of book specific "montage art" in the early 70s (except Live and Let Die with was released with a movie edition cover that year). They even did one for James Bond The Authorized Bio of 007. Seek them out. They make a very nice set.

[zencat]

Originally posted by Dr Niles Crane
...Can't help you with the sandwich sorry and I have only vague and disturbing imaginings as to why it would be wrapped in a towel and sitting on a wing backed leather chair as one might find at blades (told you some of that art was odd though didn't I).

Aren't Gala and Bond having a picnic on the beach when Drax's henchmen collapse the cliffs on them? Hence, sandwichs on a blanket.

[Red Widow Dawn]

I saw a Brazilian edition in which Bond had a moustache and looked like a pørn star. It was Doctor No, I believe.

[Dr Niles Crane]

I think you may be there Mr zencat - Sanwichs on a blanket - sandwichs wrapped in a blanket... or a TOWEL, perhaps - on a beach, as they may have been swiming and need to dry themselves off?!

But I am stumped by the chair. Anyone have any suggestions, wild or otherwise as why a wing backed leather chair would be on a South England beach, or even why you may have put a sandwich wrapped in a towel on one. Any suggestions welcolme.

And don't forget the fact that the sandwich appears to be playing cards, preumably bridge as it is Mookraker... while wrapped in a towel of some sort.

And if someone could work in Bond as a mustached pørn star sitting on a wing backed leather chair on the South Coast of England, perhaps eating a sandwich while wrapped in a towel (and only a towel?) and playing bridge, we would be cooking.

[zencat]

Weirder yet, the sandwich seems to be of the Pita variety. Hmmm...

Just so we know what we're dealing with. Here's the cover.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Originally posted by zencat
Weirder yet, the sandwich seems to be of the Pita variety. Hmmm...

Just so we know what we're dealing with. Here's the cover.

Interesting, zencat. That cover looks like one produced for the Australian market. I'm only saying that because of the asterisk next to the Aussie price.

The still-life series is the best cover series ever done for the Bonds, in my opinion.

[Cybr]

Being a new Bond fan I want to read the novels. I went to one of my local used book stores and managed to find all of the Fleming novels except Octopussy (they were not in unread shape but in very good condition). I also found License Renewed and For Special Services. 15 books for $17.00. I was quite happy....

Just finished Casino Royale. Got a lot of reading to do now.

[Dr Niles Crane]

Oh my god

We must remember that a lot of people did a lot of drugs during the sixties, seventies and eighties, but...

It really is a Lebanese type pita bread sandwich sitting on a wing backed leather chair wrapped in a towel. Now James Bond aside and all I don't think I have ever seen anything as odd in my life as a sandwich reclining on a chesterfield.

Go see the picture of your possible lunch playing cards... I am sorry I am still in shock. But I am not kidding am I? It really is a lebanese sandwich wrapped in a towel on some type of expensive chair playing cards?

Flamboyant paranoic mysterious pasts aside, that must be the funiest and most ridiculous James Bond cover I have even seen. I thought it would have some hidden meaning, but it really is a sandwich wrapped in a towel on a wing backed leather chesterfield type chair (and it looks like the sandwich has just put down its hand at cards and is having a relax, as one does if one is a card playing sandwich).

I am quietly having hysterics.

But even better read the blurb on the book...

Implaccable desire for revenge

Incredibly erotic in the tight emphasis of close fitiing bikinis and pants?

Drugs and lots of them.

That is soo up there on the wierd meter, but to be fair it did look like a very nice sandwich.

[zencat]

Maybe we should take a closer look at all the titles of the "still-life series" (thanks for the name, Brett. If I get a chance today, I'll scan them all.

[Red Widow Dawn]

The other ones were all pretty normal, from what I can remember.

But what's that thing wrapped in black and tied with rope?

[Red Grant]

Originally posted by zencat
Maybe we should take a closer look at all the titles of the "still-life series" (thanks for the name, Brett. If I get a chance today, I'll scan them all.

If my memory serves me right the sandwich type thing in question is a marrowbone. I believe M orders one when he dines wiht Bond at Blades. I have scans of all the covers on my site on this page:

http://www.artofjame...paperbacks2.htm

I must get round to scanning both sides and updating the page as I realise they work much better when you can see the whole image. I have a few proof copies of these paperbacks that are unfolded covers and they are superb. My favourite series by far and the versions that I originally read in the 70's (was it that long ago....)

[Jim]

Originally posted by Red Grant


If my memory serves me right the sandwich type thing in question is a marrowbone. I believe M orders one when he dines wiht Bond at Blades.

On second thoughts ... yes it is, isn't it?

Urr.

Frankly.

[Dr Niles Crane]

On the marrow bone front I think you guys are right. M has the marrowbone and James has a little too much champagne with some benzedrine.

But to pick up on what Jim so eloquently started musing on with his Urr. Frankly...

Anyone have any marketing or advertising friends or may be involved in the advertising industry?

I have heard the phrase sex sells things, chicks in bikinis sell things, large sumptuous pieces of chocolate cake sell things (especially all those large heavy cooking books people give you that your never going to use anyway so you just end up passing them off to your maiden aunt Fanny for her next birthday), however I have never heard the phrase "marrow sells".

Lets just review Mookraker for a sec - there is a guy trying to destroy most of London, intrigue, excitment and really wild things happening... and they stick M's lunch on the front cover?

Yeah Urr?

[Jim]

Originally posted by Dr Niles Crane
...however I have never heard the phrase "marrow sells".

.

To-Marrow Never Dies

[Dr Noah]

But would the people at Blades allow a sandwich to play? Wouldn't the sandwich need to be a member? Perhaps the sandwich was involved in Sir Hugo's card cheating schemes? If so, did the sandwich ever get it's just desserts?

[Dr Niles Crane]

Perhaps it snuck in the back way... through the kitchen?

[walther ppk]

If im right Drax used the sandwich in blades, bond caught him cheating because he saw that drax had a highly polished sandwich resting on the table and he could see each card that he passed over it.
He never got caught before because he usually ate the evidince but after having a pickled onion before the game he wasn't hungry.

Although i MAY be wrong...

[PaulZ108]

That IS bizarre. But by far the most bizarre piece of Bond artwork is the Salvidor Dali style Colonel Sun cover painted by Tom Adams. Now THAT is strange.

[Dr Niles Crane]

Yes oo7 nightfire centre Paul - I agree, the Daliesque ear/nose thing with the breasts, standing in the desert by a beach with little corkscrew type thingies around it next to a giant gun melting over some nearby rocks while being oggled by a giant eye ball and a cloud dragon in the sky is strange, but doesn't have the same completely whacked out resonance of the card playing sandwich/marrowbone reclining on a chesterfield. For some reason I have yet to pin point, that is even odder...

Mind you Mr Nightfire I have the upmost regard for your obvious ability at the Bond computer games. I have the most unfortunate knack of generally skiiing James into a tree when I play... my Bond is suave, sophisticated, I generally get him through a few levels, but then he has this problem of being unable to avoid large unmoving chunks of wood, and with a computerised "oof" he is dead as a dodo, as he skis suavely and sophisticatedly into the side of a tree at about the same speed it took to dispatch Sony Bono.

Sometimes I just save myself the worry and simply ski him off the side of the cliff - less time and worry and he does those little jump/flip things on the way down, so I feel that perhaps he did infact enjoy the last few moment of his life. Why else would you go to all the trouble of doing a tripple somersault while falling 3 miles to your death.

I reackon Dr Noah (a DSN fan by any chance?) and mr ppk may be on to a hidden plot thread of Mookraker...?

Just think... Hugo Drax's entire evil scheme foiled by a .... wait for it ... pickled onion!

This opens up a whole new dimension to preserved fruits... and perhaps a complete revamping of the Bond films.

I have just had an epiphany... Call Michael and Barbara

We all know that no matter what continent you live on, turn on the TV and you are blasted with cooking and lifestyle shows (I personally would like to find the creative genius who invented the "Groundforce" concept and bury them under a lovely pergola/outdoor dinning area with all year round flowering plants. And if you don't understand the reference - don't worry, you soon will my poor innocent friend. Like infectious diseases popular lifestyle shows know no boundaries).

But my vexations aside, their popularity could signal a new direction for the Bond franchise? No longer would he have to save the world, instead James could be saving Jean's dinner party with his simple to prepare taragon roast or Bob's horribly bare backyard with a 24 hour make over...

The new ad for the next Bond film:

You know the name, you know the number, you know the recipe...

Pierce Brosnan is....

James Bond, 007

A man with a recipe for death and a great white wine sauce that is great when you are throwing that imprmptu dinner party

Nigella Bites as the latest Bond girl ... Ms Cocktail Onion

and introducing Jamie Oliver as...

the irritating east end cockney villian who never pays for his vegetables.

Coming soon...

"Cook for me another day"

Mr Bond better keep his spatula ready or it will be "lovely jubbley" for Mr Bond



.... Well - Barb and Mick?


Think of the recipe book revenue alone? Think of the change in Bond's image...

Boys wanting to be Bond:

No longer will you have to save the world to get the girl, merely cook her some stuffed tomatoes, garlic chicken and a home made sorbet and girl will be yours


Yes, no?

Well it was just a thought


And relatively seriously... did anyone notice that the sandwich had been also hitting the martinis, judging by the cocktail shaker?

[Dr Noah]

"I reackon Dr Noah (a DSN fan by any chance?) "

More a Woody Allen buff...

Perhaps the sandwich could be the villian in Bond 21? It's bound to give a better performance than Ms Berry...

[General Koskov]

Perhaps this is what James Bond envisions when he mixes benzadrine and champagne? Sir Hugo Draxwich? Sir Sandwich?

Suddenly Bond has beaten the Earl of Sandwich at his own game?

But then it's a marrow-bone? M. says it's no good for him. Neither is Sir Hugo. Just as he polishes his cigarette case, Drax polishes his Moonraker? Marrow-bone gives old men problems, so do nuclear bombs...

This is really frustrating. The marrow bone also appears to be looking at Gala's photo. Maybe 'he''s the fiancee of Gala. Isn't it 'Steve'? Steve the Marro-Bone? Bond's rival for Gala? Constable Marrow-bone?

[Ellingson]

Sorry to change the subject from hallucinogenic sandwiches, but I've got a '57 edition of Casino Royale. Think it's worth anything?

[zencat]

Hardcover or paperback? UK or US? What's on the dust-jacket, or cover art? Need more info. There's just so many editions of CR.

[Dr Niles Crane]

My apologies Nr Noah

"It looks like an aspirin, it tastes, like an aspirin, but its really a nuclear bomb and you just swallowed it"

I had completely forgotten about that. You aren't short by any chance?