19 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Check out this fantastic SilverFin fan art from artist Leighton Johns. I've posted the cover on my site, but you should also check out Leighton Johns blog for more pics of the cover in progress and the story of how he made it. Really, really nice cover! I would love for Puffin to do a pocket book set of all five book in this retro style.

[Jim]

Check out this fantastic SilverFin fan art from artist Leighton Johns. I've posted the cover on my site, but you should also check out Leighton Johns blog for more pics of the cover in progress and the story of how he made it. Really, really nice cover! I would love for Puffin to do a pocket book set of all five book in this retro style.

Nice. Funny mock-up of the gunbarrel; not sure it could be done for all five books but an entertaining idea.

[Mister Asterix]

Stunning. I bow to Mr Johns' superior ability.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Fantastic! I didn't even notice at first that the eels were meant to represent the gunbarrel.

Hey, zencat, you should send this to Charlie Higson!

[zencat]

Hey, zencat, you should send this to Charlie Higson!

Oh, I don't want to badger poor Charlie with my fanboyness. However, I do think he'd get a kick out of this cover. I'm sure he'll see it. Takes about a month for things to age off my news page. I'm sure he'll stop by at some point.

[DamnCoffee]

That's phenomenal.

[Qwerty]

Retro indeed!

[sharpshooter]

Wow. That is an outstanding cover.

[Gobi-1]

That is EXACTLY that kind of cover the books should have had. Absolutely perfect. I hope he continues with the other entries in the series.

[zencat]

That is EXACTLY that kind of cover the books should have had. Absolutely perfect.

That would be cool, but we gotta understand that these books are aimed at a YA market and I don't think they'd quite understand or appreciate the "pulp" styling as we do. But there's no reason Puffin couldn't do some kind of collectors specialty set in this style.

Yes, I hope he does the others as well.

[Gobi-1]

I understand why they did it but I honestly think a cover like this, with an exciting colorful picture, would be far more appealing to young kids then the cover SilverFin had. If the original SilverFin cover hadn't said "Young James Bond" the majority of people wouldn't pay it any mind.

A cover like this fan made one just pops and would stand out on the shelf. I think kids would be obliviously to the "pulp" aesthetics but would certainly go for a book that has killer eels on the cover and then once they see it's James Bond as a kid they'd be inclined to actually read it.

[David Schofield]

Brilliant art work. And a very talented man. But COME ON!

This is surely a piss-take, or to our American CBners, meant to be ironic, no?

And surely the friendly little eel next to Master Bale should have his own kids TV show.

Sorry, not for me. But as a SPOOF of Young Bond "hey, get this, this 13 year old kid's meant to be James Bond!!!" - it works brillianly.

[Professor Dent]

A nice looking cover & great article explaining how he ended-up at the final product. The eels twisting into a gunbarrel is an interesting idea.

[zencat]

Brilliant art work. And a very talented man. But COME ON!

This is surely a piss-take, or to our American CBners, meant to be ironic, no?

And surely the friendly little eel next to Master Bale should have his own kids TV show.

Sorry, not for me. But as a SPOOF of Young Bond "hey, get this, this 13 year old kid's meant to be James Bond!!!" - it works brillianly.

I don't think it's meant to be a spoof at all. The eel man next to Bond is the character of Algar. I see exactly what I believe he intended. A plup adventure cover ala Doc Savage. This is how action-adventure-mystery was sold in the 30s. Sure, it's playful in the sense of how it draws from the past. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be seen as serious/authentic. It's not unlike the Richie Fahey covers of the Fleming books in that regard. It just draws from an even earlier time.

I understand why they did it but I honestly think a cover like this, with an exciting colorful picture, would be far more appealing to young kids then the cover SilverFin had. If the original SilverFin cover hadn't said "Young James Bond" the majority of people wouldn't pay it any mind.

A cover like this fan made one just pops and would stand out on the shelf. I think kids would be obliviously to the "pulp" aesthetics but would certainly go for a book that has killer eels on the cover and then once they see it's James Bond as a kid they'd be inclined to actually read it.

Yeah, that's a good argument, Gobi-1.

[Matt_13]

Wow very cool!

[zencat]

A very nice thank you from the artist to all of us.

http://leightonjohns...cyberspace.html

[marktmurphy]

That's awesome- the sort of thing I tried to do with mine. I think I need to get into digital painting; might try another one.

[zencat]

That's awesome- the sort of thing I tried to do with mine. I think I need to get into digital painting; might try another one.

This made me think of yours, markT. Always loved it.

[Mr. Blofeld]

That's awesome- the sort of thing I tried to do with mine. I think I need to get into digital painting; might try another one.

This made me think of yours, markT. Always loved it.

Wow, that's an awesome cover!

By the way, zencat, have you contacted Charlie Higson yet? I know it's up on the Young Bond site, but it's buried quite a ways down, so I don't know if he's gotten a chance to see it.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Very Good!