17 replies to this topic

[zencat]

How do we feel about the COVER ART on the current Benson/Bond books? I for one think the U.S. cover art is a VAST improvement over the Gardner books. Each cover reflects the content of the book; each has a nice defining color scheme

[White Persian]

A lot of the early [pre movies] British/Australian Pan paperbacks had painted representations of Bond. Pan then used a quite classy series of still life covers [Thunderball had cool diecut bullet holes]. Pan followed these with photographs of well chosen models dressed (or semi-dressed) as the heroines combined with a single image [a shark for LALD, etc.]on a white or black B/G. Believe me the almost nude Tatiana on FRWL set a few adolescent hormones racing. Then came the classic wraparound still life photographs [which to my GREAT regret I never bought]. The odd man out during this period was "Colonel Sun", which DID depict Bond, out of focus, in white tux, about to spin and fire, reflected in Colonel Sun's dark glasses.

[zencat]

Blue Eyes (06 Jun, 2001 01:38 a.m.):
Can anyone recall, out of interest, how many covers have actually contained an image of Bond? (excluding the movie prints)

Great question! Excluding the novelizations, and looking only at the UK hardcover first editions, the answer is ZERO. Unless you count Bond's wrist on the cover of WIN, LOSE OR DIE.

There's a face on the U.S. first edition of CASINO ROYALE, if that's Bond, that's the only apperance he's made on a U.S. Fleming hardcover first. ALL the U.S. Gardner book have a Bond silhouette, and he appears on High Time to Kill and Doubleshot.

Paperbacks are a whole different story.

[Blue Eyes]

Most of them are available on Amazon aren't they? You can always post them from there.

[White Persian]

...and yes the NDOD cover is an absolute dog's dinner!
I'd been watching for it in the shops and hadn't seen it. It was probably there but I just didn't recognize it.

[mccartney007]

zencat (06 Jun, 2001 04:38 p.m.):
Great question! Excluding the novelizations, and looking only at the UK hardcover first editions, the answer is ZERO. Unless you count Bond's wrist on the cover of WIN, LOSE OR DIE.

Or if you count Bond's eye on FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.

[Blue Eyes]

Well as a general rule of hand the US coverart was no where near as good as that of the UK. I think with the original Garder coverarts they were going for the feel of the Fleming covers (some reprints were very identical in feel).

As for the UK coverart. Sheerly brilliant and intriguing until NDOD. I thought the same, that it was a text book cover. And I haven't read the book, but now you've said it's an inside of the eye I can sort of see it!



Let's hope the next book has a much better cover.

Can anyone recall, out of interest, how many covers have actually contained an image of Bond? (excluding the movie prints)

[RossMan]

The US hardcover of Doubleshot has an image of Bond staring into his impostor's face.
The copies of From Russia With Love, Dr. No, and Casino Royale that I have (the old Signet paperback editions from, I think, the mid sixties) have images of Bond's face. And the copy of Thunderball that I have has a picture of Bond in his wetsuit and scuba gear swimming under water.
But what was the cover art for the Gardner books in hardcover like? I haven't seen those, I only have his books in paperback which have the Bond silhoutte on the cover.

[zencat]

RossMan (21 Jun, 2001 10:59 p.m.):
But what was the cover art for the Gardner books in hardcover like? I haven't seen those,  I only have his books in paperback which have the Bond silhoutte on the cover.

The U.S. hardcover Gardners all have a Bond silhouette. None of the UK hardcovers have Bond on the cover, except of course for LTK and GoldenEye.

[Blue Eyes]

I've got two Gardner Coronet paperbacks sitting next to me. They both have Bond's shiloutte. And it's obvious that it's of Roger Moore.

[zencat]

The weirdest paperback I have is a Hungarian THUNDERBALL with Timothy Dalton on the cover. I also have a Norwegian paperback of LICENSE RENEWED w/ Roger Moore on the cover.

[WhitePersian]

The Australian Gardner hardcovers (which I believe matched the British versions) were in the style of the famous Richard Chopping "trompe d'oeil" covers of the Fleming hardcovers, though not actually by Chopping. When the publisher changed, both the cover style and the size of the hardcovers changed- completely stuffing up my bookshelf display!

[zencat]

WhitePersian (23 Jun, 2001 05:56 a.m.):
When the publisher changed, both the cover style and the size of the hardcovers changed- completely stuffing up my bookshelf display!

Did the publisher change, or did Jonathan Cape change it's name to Hodder & Stoughton? I've never been too sure.

[zencat]

From Ajay Chowdhury's Raymond Benson interview @ http://www.ianflemin...questions.shtml

AC: Do you have any input in the design of the jacket?

RB: Sometimes the American editor (Putnam) asks me for a suggestion of what to put on the cover... it was my idea to do mirrored faces on Doubleshot and the Corsican knife on Never Dream of Dying... but once they decide on something it's pretty much set. I have no say in the UK edition jacket.

[zencat]

Blue Eyes (06 Jun, 2001 04:41 a.m.):
Apart from taht the novelisations of GE, TND, TWINE and FRWL are about all Ive seen!

If there's a specific cover you want/need to see, let me know. If I have it I can scan it and send you a jpeg.

[RossMan]

A large portrait of Bond appeared on the cover page of Benson's short story, Live At Five, which was published in TV Guide, It kind of looks like an older Sean Connery from Never Say Never Again.

[Blue Eyes]

The only one I can say I've seen Bond on is High Time To Kill paperback. It has a shiloutte. Apart from taht the novelisations of GE, TND, TWINE and FRWL are about all Ive seen!

As for attaching images they need to be already on the web.

[Jim]

One of the oddest things about the Never Dream of Dying cover is that although the majority of the book is set in and around Corsica, the UK edition cover with its green map of Europe...misses Corsica off. Most curious. Slightly sloppy. Bit like the book.