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Post by killercrab on May 31, 2008 23:32:46 GMT
I think the cover artist might be Richard Clifton-Dey? It's a wrap around piece spelling out Breed isn't to be trifled with - lookit that damned knife?! High Plains Drifter anyone? CLAW has to be the most outrageous idea of the lot! ade
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 1, 2008 2:11:12 GMT
I think the cover artist might be Richard Clifton-Dey? If I remember, the first dozen or so Breed covers were by Colin Backhouse. I think Mike Adams, who later provided covers for the series himself, confirmed this. Richard Clifton-Dey certainly did Jubal Cade, I don't think anyone put their name to the Herne 'High Plains Drifter' poster rip-off (Chris Collingwood possibly?), and I'm told that Roger Payne, who did the Claw covers, now specialises in gay porn/erotica. Some very talented artists worked on these books, producing some great covers. Looking forward to seeing this thread grow.
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 1, 2008 4:21:05 GMT
HERNE THE HUNTER #23: TEXAS MASSACRE by John J McLaglen (Laurence James), Corgi, 1984 Cover: Chris Collingwood Jed Herne had come across the Cheyney family in a remote Virginian forest, where they were being terrorised by two very strange men. He offered to lead the family to safety – for a price, of course – but first they had to go through the small town of Texas, a town where few people survived to tell of the horrors they had seen there…Herne meets Christopher Lee? HERNE THE HUNTER #17: THE HANGING by John J McLaglen (Laurence James), Corgi, 1981 Cover: Chris Collingwood Herne meets Laurence James (left). BODIE #2: BLOODY BOUNTY & BODIE #3: HIGH HELL by Neil Hunter (Mike Linaker), Star, 1979 Never did find out who did the covers for Mike Linaker's Bodie series, but I've always been very taken with them.
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 1, 2008 13:56:00 GMT
EDGE #25: VIOLENCE TRAIL by George G. Gilman (Terry Harknett), New English Library, 1978 Tony Masero provided most of the covers for the Edge books, and his artwork was surely a big part of the ongoing success of the series. However, it was Richard Clifton-Dey's work on the early titles (pictured below) that really established the presence of Edge as a series and a character. I think some of Tony Masero's best work was for the other big 'George G. Gilman' series, Adam Steele (even if Steele himself perhaps sometimes looked a little too 'Clint' for comfort). EDGE MEETS STEELE #1: TWO OF A KIND by George G. Gilman (Terry Harknett), NEL, April 1980 Cover: Tony Masero
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Post by killercrab on Jun 1, 2008 16:37:06 GMT
If I remember, the first dozen or so Breed covers were by Colin Backhouse. I think Mike Adams, who later provided covers for the series himself, confirmed this. >> I was taking a wild guess at RCD for Breed - I'm sure you're right! Never seen any Bodie covers - so that's a treat Steve - I agree they have something about them. Looks like watercolour or gouache maybe? I was reading the last ish of PF - the Haining interview. He made a great comment about cover art. Illustration suited westerns and horror - whilst the skinhead and biker books required the reality of photography to give them street cred. Apparently the photographers weren't always enamoured of these gigs -lol In regard to horror - I think there is an argument for photography too - the Pan series really worked well in that respect - but I can't for the life of me imagine the Crabs series done with a camera ! An Action man in the claws of a Billingsgate fresh crab ... uhm . Top posts Steve! ade
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 1, 2008 19:34:34 GMT
Never seen any Bodie covers - I agree they have something about them. Looks like watercolour or gouache maybe? The Bodie covers had a unique look to them, and I like the mirror idea (even if maybe it was a bit played out by #6). I still remember buying my first Bodie book, #2, around the time it first came out. The cover was certainly what caught my eye and made the series stand out from all the other westerns vying for space on the bookshelves and display stands of the day. Sadly the series was short lived and the individual titles not always that easy to find. Took me about 20 years to find #1...
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 1, 2008 19:54:37 GMT
I was reading the last ish of PF - the Haining interview. He made a great comment about cover art. Illustration suited westerns and horror... For The Undertaker series, NEL did experiment with combining illustration and photographic backgrounds. Never entirely convinced - I've always thought they had something of the look of travel books about them (give or take the odd heavily armed 19th century gravedigger...) THE UNDERTAKER #3: FUNERAL BY THE SEA by George G. Gilman (Terry Harknett), NEL, October 1981 Cover art by Tony Masero
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Post by carolinec on Jun 1, 2008 20:01:54 GMT
This is probably going to be a really daft comment to the rest of you, but this thread got me thinking about my old grandad. I remember he had loads of westerns like these when I was a kid. I never liked westerns on telly. I used to hate my dad watching westerns and war films when I was a kid - bored me to death, and disturbed me with all the violence - and here I am a horror fan! . But I loved the covers of these old books my grandad had - and the smell too; I've always loved the smell of musty old books. Anyway, I don't know what became of these books. I've got a nasty feeling they will have been thrown out when grandad died. Pity, as there would have been quite a collection there.
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Post by killercrab on Jun 2, 2008 1:48:30 GMT
A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS - Frank Chandler , TANDEM , 1978 reprint edition. BLOOD FOR A DIRTY DOLLAR - Joe Millard , TANDEM , 1974. Tandem's Dollar books might not have been as OTT as other offerings - but the covers by Chris Achilleos are things of minimalist beauty. I only have these two to show... ade
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Post by killercrab on Jun 2, 2008 2:01:24 GMT
ADAM STEELE #5 GUN RUN - G.G. Gilman ( Terry Harknett) , NEL 1975. ADAM STEELE # 9 BADGE IN THE DUST - G.G.Gilman ( Terry Harknett) , NEL 1976. Adam Steele (even if Steele himself perhaps sometimes looked a little too 'Clint' for comfort).>> Let me add two action packed pieces to the gallery of Steele! The Clint lookalike hasn't turned up yet it appears ... ade
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jun 2, 2008 8:32:41 GMT
The Clint covers are superb but I have a feeling 'Badge in the dust' could be a contender for worst Western cover.
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Post by franklinmarsh on Jun 2, 2008 11:20:14 GMT
Looks a little Lorne Greene doesn't he? A couple of Edge's seem to have been done by different artists, and were then Masero'd . No.s 13 (A Town Called Hate - Charles Bronson is Edge!), 15 Blood Run, 18 Ten Tombstones To Texas and 19 Ashes And Dust. Almost all of the early Steele's were re-done, too.
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Post by killercrab on Jun 2, 2008 13:30:02 GMT
but I have a feeling 'Badge in the dust' could be a contender for worst Western cover.>>
It's certainly an ambitious composition! Awkward maybe - but stands out because of it I feel!
Looks a little Lorne Greene doesn't he? >>
Ha ha alot Bonanza !! Not quite the PC image required - hence the move to the Clint man I'd guess?!
ade
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Post by dem bones on Jun 2, 2008 14:23:20 GMT
Here's the Star 1980 edition of Joe Milland's The Good, The Bad And The UglyBlurb: THE MAN WITH NO NAME
His partner is the desperate Tuco, who turns vengeance into a sadistic contest of endurance. His adversary is the ruthless Sentenza, a killer who long ago lost count of the lives he has ended. His goal is $200, 000 treasure in stolen Army gold for which many have died and more will be killed. But his secret is a dying man's last words ....
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Post by jkdunham on Jun 3, 2008 1:46:09 GMT
This is probably going to be a really daft comment to the rest of you, but this thread got me thinking about my old grandad. I remember he had loads of westerns like these when I was a kid. Not daft at all, Caroline. When I was a kid, we had an elderly couple who lived next door who acted in a sort of 'auntie/uncle' role (and were generally referred to as such) even though they weren't actually relatives. Although my dad loved a good western and always had a book on the go, I really discovered all the stuff pictured in this thread thanks to my "auntie's" husband, Albert. Albert it was, who used to pass on his Adam Steeles and the like to me when he'd read them. Tandem's Dollar books might not have been as OTT as other offerings - but the covers by Chris Achilleos are things of minimalist beauty. I only have these two to show... I bought all the 'Dollar westerns' new. Although (with the exception of Terry Harknett's Fistful novelisation) they were American, they were still a big part of the '70s western paperback 'boom' for me. Loved them then and still have a soft spot for them now. I agree that the Chris Achilleos covers on the British editions are great. Don't have them all to hand just now but I'll post the rest when I get chance. The Clint covers are superb but I have a feeling 'Badge in the dust' could be a contender for worst Western cover. It's certainly an ambitious composition! Awkward maybe - but stands out because of it I feel! If I'm not mistaken, this is the work of W. Francis Phillipps. I like his stuff but he sometimes seemed to struggle a bit with figures, at least if they had to do anything other than just stand still. Phillips also contributed a couple of controversial covers to the Pan Horror books, including the 'Critter/Gremlin from the crypt' (#3) and, I think, 'Boozy bat' (#7) A couple of Edge's seem to have been done by different artists, and were then Masero'd. Almost all of the early Steele's were re-done, too. Indeed, before Masero took over more or less permanently a few artists tried their hands, including the aforementioned W. Francis Phillipps, with mixed results. Here's another one that doesn't quite work somehow... but some of them weren't bad at all. Here's Tony Masero's revamped 'Clint era' cover for Badge In The Dust; For me, W. Francis Phillipps did his best work on Ken Bulmer's non-western, but PC-related, series; Fox - "violent and authentic" novels of Napoleonic naval warfare which were a bit like 'Edge-on-sea'. And talking of Kenneth Bulmer, Badge In The Dust has an example of those constant references and in-jokes we've mentioned elsewhere. The name of the sheriff in the book? Kent Bulman. Looks a little Lorne Greene doesn't he? Ha ha alot Bonanza !! Not quite the PC image required - hence the move to the Clint man I'd guess?! Quite so. Clint Eastwood was one of several 70s tough guy actors whose face turned up (unauthorised) on the cover of many a western paperback. James Coburn and Lee Van Cleef pop up here and there, as does Charles Bronson (as mentioned by Franklin above). I can understand all that but why did Adam Steele later turn into Kenny Rogers?
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