57 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Originally posted by MicroGlobe One
It's very likely that the true cover will eventually be created based upon the film's official movie poster, as was the case with The World is Not Enough, and will not be released until much closer the the book's release.

FYI: ALL the US novelizations of the Brosnan era have used the teaser poster for their cover, including TWINE.

Why all of a sudden am I treated like I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to the books!? :mad: And all of you who are so certain this cover is a fake need to explain to me how a fan is able to get their art on all the online retailers.

[Mister Asterix]

Originally posted by MicroGlobe One
This image is, as postulated earlier, either a fan made fraud or a poorly produced temporary cover.  If it's the former, Commanderbond.net needs to start thinking more critically when it comes to separating the true news from internet rumors and forgeries.

I would speculate that it was a fan made fraud also had it not been for the sources. Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble are both listing the novelisation with this cover. Now those are two pretty big sources. It is possible that some fan created this and some how fooled both Amazon and B&N into believing it is real. (If that is the case I suggest that that fan spend more time on design and less on evil schemes.) But I doubt it. That cover is really bad though.

[ShockTroop22]

Zencat im not being offensive saying it could be a fake, just bringing up a point which earlier on in the thread seemed like a possibility. Ive seen it happen before on amazon, i believe it was for the Rouge Leader Gamecube game. (it was some star wars game). Infact it was a fan poster, that they had used tempoarilly.

Your the master of the books, i'd be a fool to take you on at them.

[zencat]

I'm not referring to your posts, ShockTroop22, nor to the idea that this cover is suspect (to some). I'm referring to MicroGlobeOne's post where he said, "Commanderbond.net needs to start thinking more critically when it comes to separating the true news from internet rumors and forgeries." That really ticks me off! I was the guy who from day one said the Final Assignment script felt like a hoax. I feel like I have a very good instinct, based on a lot of experience, about what is legit and what isn't. This cover could very well be a temporary cover (as was the TND cover), but I don't think I'm spreading spurious rumors or advancing some fan-made art by alerting CBn readers that ALL the online retailers just posted this as the cover of DAD.

And as weak as it is, it feels very much like a typical novelization cover to me and aside from the tag-line I don't find anything suspect about it. (Frankly, I think a fan would have done a better job.)

[MicroGlobe One]

I certainly don't wish to personally offend you, Zencat, and I hope you won't take any of this as a personal attack, but I stand by the intent of my original comments.

This wouldn't be the first time that the site has posted erroneous or highly suspect information as a veritable news flash. The original article does not note the origin of the information or the image itself nor does it make comment regarding the facts which may legitimize it. There is, as usual, no reference made or links provided to sources of any kind. In point of fact, CBn readers were not alerted that all the online retailers just posted this as the cover of Die Another Day.

This is not an angry attack, just a critique being made of the way in which the news is conveyed to readers and the content of the news articles themselves. Regardless of all this squabble about a paperback proof cover, I deeply appreciate the hard work and dedication which is regularly being put into this website. Commanderbond.net is certainly one of the best Bond sites on the net and I only seek to hold its regular news coverage to the high standards that it merits.

[zencat]

What are you talking about? My original post sites Amazon.com and BN.com as the source of the covers (granted the article only sites "the internet"). And with sources like these, is it really CBNs job to argue for the legitimacy of the art? To call this "erroneous or highly suspect" is, well, ridiculous.

[MicroGlobe One]

The coverart for the US Paperback novelisation of Die Another Day has today appeared on the internet. And thanks to 'Zencat' here it is;

It feels now as if we're splitting hairs.

I linked to this thread, as I very often do, from the primary news article posted along with the other headlines on the main page of this website. That article makes none of the above references. Foolishly, I did not note the commentary in the entirely different text of the article which began this thread. Nonetheless, the primary article is lacking.

[zencat]

Well... I agree with you. The main page article should have sited Amazon and BN.com as the source of the art . In my mind I was remembering my original post. Had you only read the main page article I can see where you'd find this news suspect. Sorry, MicroGlobe One.

[zencat]

But with all this aside...I fear this may very well be the official DAD novelization cover (or very close to what it will look like). The reasons for this are:

1) The use of the teaser poster is consistent with GE, TND, and TWINE.

2.) The equal billing of Pierce, Berry and MGM feels correctly contractual. Remember the fuss made over the TND writing credits? Novelization covers are frequently massive compromises of credit sharing first, and design second.

3.) Which explains the use of the "James Bond" series logo. I see this as Putnam's (or maybe Glidrose's?) way of stamping their own credit on the cover.

4.) The bad font is actually pretty darn close to the bad font used on the TND paperback.

5.) It's just bad enough to be the work of MGM marketing.

The thing that does throw me is the "He's Never Been Cooler." If this was a fan created tag-line I find it very strange that MGM would adopt it.

[RossMan]

I don't really mind the cover too much. My only real problem is the James Bond logo. It looks out of place and draws attention to itself (not in a good way, of course)and was stuck on as an after thought just so the book could fit in with the other Benson paperbacks.

If that were changed and they took out "He's never been been cooler" it'd look a lot better. I just hope this isn't the final product.

[zencat]

Of course this isn't the first time a novelization has tried to fit in with the official series. Take a look at how they handled LTK in '89...

[RossMan]

That LTK fits a lot nicer with the Gardner paperbacks than DAD does with the Bensons.

[Mister Asterix]

Originally posted by zencat
Of course this isn't the first time a novelization has tried to fit in with the official series. Take a look at how they handled LTK in '89...

Yes and while the Licence To Kill cover was no masterwork. It was pretty much the style of the paperbacks and ignored the movie poster. This Die Another Day cover seems to be a bastard son of the Benson paperback covers and the teaser poster.

[MicroGlobe One]

Originally posted by zencat
Sorry, MicroGlobe One.

No hard feelings, Zencat. I didn't mean to sound as if I was on the offensive. Sounds like you've been having as rough a week as I have.

Indeed, the use of the "He's never been cooler" tagline is the most bizarre element of this peculiar situation. Time will reveal all.

If only all paperback designers were as talented as our own Mr.*.

[Mister Asterix]

Originally posted by MicroGlobe One (edited)
If only all paperback designers were as talented as our own Mr.*.

Thanks MG1.

[Xenobia]

I've read through the many different angles at which we are discussing this cover...and the only conclusion I can some to is, Amazon wanted a cover, so they (the publishers) came up with one based on the teaser poster to tide Amazon over until the final one can be fixed.

This is all too jumbled together to stand as the final one, IMHO.

-- Xenobia

[Evil Doctor Cheese]

It's a bit of a mess but it looks about as bad as can be expected. Just retreading over all the other comments. Oh and personally I take everything reported on CBN as read as they check out all the sites. It's James Bond gospel to me. C'est la vie.

[Dmitri Mishkin]

Originally posted by zencat
5.) It's just bad enough to be the work of MGM marketing.

LOL! Somehow I agree . . .

The thing that does throw me is the "He's Never Been Cooler." If this was a fan created tag-line I find it very strange that MGM would adopt it. [/B]

And equally here too. It's this tagline that is the main cause of my skepticism. That and the outrageous billing of MGM (billing up Halle Berry is alright, as she is a legitimate star now ... but MGM?). However, at the end of the day . . . I trust your instinct. . . you seem to be quite in the know in this area.

Really, after giving it some thought myself, I look back, and I remember many "corny" novelization covers... covers with "Based on the Sensational Hit Movie!!" or "The Brilliant Story of Revenge from Touchstone Pictures!!!" So this one isn't all THAT out of the ballpark. But darn if it doesn't score points for mangling a good teaser poster concept.

[zencat]

Originally posted by Xenobia
I've read through the many different angles at which we are discussing this cover...and the only conclusion I can some to is, Amazon wanted a cover, so they (the publishers) came up with one based on the teaser poster to tide Amazon over until the final one can be fixed.

This is all too jumbled together to stand as the final one, IMHO.

-- Xenobia

Ah, Xen, the voice of reason. You could very well be right. After all, Amazon has had a history of posting advance Bond jacket art (see my TND cover). And check out the pic below. This is from my collection. It is not a fan made fake, but a real prototype cover created by Coronet for GoldenEye. Obviously, this was not used.

And as far as billing the studio on the cover, this is very typical of novelizations.

[Blue Eyes]

You know, aside freom being a very differnet cover, the most interesting thing about that cover is the incusion of that hideous 007 Logo with the sillhoutte Bond in it (really hate that logo) and the very different GoldenEye logo. I wonder if it was based on preconceptional art for the logo?

[zencat]

Yes, I've seen that GoldeEye logo before...I think in Cannes.

[Jim]

It's not the cover I'm worried about.

[rafterman]

I think it might change, like the TND one did, the only thing that really gets me are the font for James Bond and the tagline, which I've only seen on IMDB and fan posters, never on anything official, so I always thought it was fake...overall it's not that bad and it will do the job...

[Harmsway]

Just quickly re-did the cover on my own in about 5 minutes to see if I could out-do the original (even though I wouldn't nessecarily want my re-do as the cover of the book anyway). Any opinions on it?

[zencat]

Nice one, Harmsway.

[rafterman]

yeah, not bad, more uniform...

[Harmsway]

I've got a theory on the "He's never been cooler" tagline. Remember the surveys that went around a long time ago regarding posters and those titles (If Looks Could Kill, DoubleCross, and Black Sun), well what if the tagline was used in the survey thingy, only to be discarded and picked up by this fan artist somehow?

I probably don't know what I'm talking about, so take it worth a grain of salt.

[PaulZ108]

Nice work on the cover, Harmsway. I'd definately buy that one before I bought the official one.