So which do you prefer, the most recent UK covers or the most recent US covers?
#1
Posted 27 May 2003 - 09:44 PM
Both sets of covers are superb, IMO, but perhaps I just slightly favour the UK set. Here's my favourite:
OTOH, the US covers just look better and better. For me, the best of the bunch (far and away) is:
#2
Posted 27 May 2003 - 09:48 PM
#3
Posted 27 May 2003 - 09:54 PM
#4
Posted 27 May 2003 - 10:15 PM
Originally posted by Coop
(The US covers) sum up the contents of the books, the era in which they were written and for me they finally wrench the books out from under the shadow of Eon. Since the films began, the cover art has usually aped the style of the films (scantily clad girls, futuristic abstract design). But these take us back to a cool 1950s before the films existed, to when James Bond was a literary hero.
Very well put. The US covers strike me as what artists of the period might have done had they been allowed to "get away with" more (I wasn't around in the 50s and 60s, but I imagine that most of those covers - if not all of them - would have been considered far too sexy). At the same time, they're not just exercises in titillation. As you point out, Coop, they sum up the contents of the books and take us back to Fleming's time, and so do very cleverly. As for the UK covers, I love the way they seem simultaneously retro and modern.
Both sets are quite, quite brilliant. Some really terrific design. When you think what they might have looked like....
#5
Posted 28 May 2003 - 03:26 AM
#6
Posted 28 May 2003 - 04:50 PM
I'd better get out of this thread before I have to open my wallet again and buy those US books.
#7
Posted 28 May 2003 - 05:38 PM
Originally posted by Turn
The UK covers are just bland. If you had never heard of James Bond or didn't see it was a Bond book in the smaller print, whatever would draw you to the UK books?
Well I'm starting to favour the US set, but I still think the UK covers are extremely classy, certainly by comparison to earlier UK covers.
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#8
Posted 28 May 2003 - 10:42 PM
I don't really like the whorish "PLEASE BUY US WE HAVE NIPPLES" US covers.
#9
Posted 29 May 2003 - 12:14 AM
I am going to be very tempted to buy the US ones once they start hitting the larger book retailers here in Jakarta.
#10
Posted 18 June 2003 - 09:28 PM
But I cant get over my crush for the woman on the cover of From Russia With Love. I wish I knew who the model for that picture was. I would accept her Lektor any time of the day.
#11
Posted 19 June 2003 - 11:05 AM
#12
Posted 21 June 2003 - 08:03 PM
I don't mind the 'controversial' content at all, rather it just adds to the flavour of the time in which they were written. But trying to make it look modern is just, I dunno...pointless to me. These books are not based in 2003 ya know.
I do like the simple UK designs also, and I ussually prefer subtlety (even though most of the UK ones are boring to me). However, when lucious designs are done as well as many of these books I cannot resist.
If they are done well, and these were.
#13
Posted 22 June 2003 - 03:08 AM
#14
Posted 22 June 2003 - 07:09 PM
#15
Posted 23 June 2003 - 05:40 PM
The plain and simple covers are intriguing without being too plain, the us covers just seem to cry out pulp fiction (no not the film the literature).
#16
Posted 23 June 2003 - 05:49 PM
#17
Posted 29 June 2003 - 04:44 PM
#18
Posted 29 June 2003 - 09:47 PM
Originally posted by Loomis
[B]Well I'm starting to favour the US set, but I still think the UK covers are extremely classy, certainly by comparison to earlier UK covers.
Remember those bizarre late 70's covers featuring girls draped across a giant, golden, automatic pistol?
That was the first (only, now I come to think of it) complete set I owned with matching covers.
One of the Sunday supplements did a feature on the photo-shoot for those covers, as the relaunch of the Bond novels was considered quite a big deal back then.
#19
Posted 29 June 2003 - 10:22 PM
Originally posted by Roebuck
Remember those bizarre late 70's covers featuring girls draped across a giant, golden, automatic pistol?
I certainly do remember them (UK series from Panther). As a kid, I used to think they were very racy indeed! Here's one of them:
However, some of the 1960s Pan covers were arguably even sexier. For instance:
(All artwork and information taken from this site: http://www.artofjame...d.com/index.htm)