18 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

So which do you prefer, the most recent UK covers or the most recent US covers? (http://www.artofjame...paperbacks3.htm)

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:

[zencat]

US covers by a mile.

[Coop]

Yeah, the UK covers are fine, if a little bland, but the US covers are the most fantastic pieces of artwork I've ever seen. They 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. They are superb.

[Loomis]

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....

[rafterman]

US

[Turn]

The US cover are great, probably the best art since the '60s Signet series at least. 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?

I'd better get out of this thread before I have to open my wallet again and buy those US books.

[Loomis]

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.

I prefer


to


and

[Truman-Lodge]

I like the UK covers more. They have a subdued classiness to them.

I don't really like the whorish "PLEASE BUY US WE HAVE NIPPLES" US covers.

[Blofeld's Cat]

I have the UK set, and as much as I like the US set better I still like the design uniformity to my set.

I am going to be very tempted to buy the US ones once they start hitting the larger book retailers here in Jakarta.

[Uncle Duke]

I LOVE the US covers much better, but I do like the UK's also, because they look like they were captured to be part of the credits in the film. Like a still.

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.

[Tanger]

I prefer the UK covers. They're stylish, not to loud and they don't give away the plot of the book in any way. They also look good next to any otehr books and to me have a modern look.

[White Tuxedo]

The UK covers are nice to me, but I'm not into 'modernizing' books like LALD, with chapter titles such as 'Nıgger Heaven' and such.

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.

[Mister Asterix]

No contest. The U.S. version by a mile. A lot of love was put into the art of the U.S. Penguin covers. The U.K. Penguin cover are nothing more than someone spending a couple hundred pounds for a CD filled with some abstract stock photography. Not much love there, just ‘hey, picture number 105 would work with Thunderball.’

[Tanger]

Is it just me or does the Thunderball cover look like a fur-coat?

[walther ppk]

UK Covers are much classier and therefore get my vote.
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).

[MrDraco]

I actually like this US cover this time around usually the British (You bastards i envy you) get the cool cover like Red Tattoo.....

[TGO]

I like the US covers the best...though I only own one book from the US set, From Russia With Love. The UK covers are very, very unappealing, though modern, but the US covers are retro, but great to look at.

[Roebuck]

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.

[Loomis]

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)