Archive Page 4

Ken Barr: A Retrospective

Published March 30, 2016 Fantasy Art , Ken Barr , Sci-Fi/Space Art 3 Comments

Nebula Barr 1958

Commando #1 1961

Commando #25 1962

Phase 1 Wraparound 1971

Creepy #37 1971

Dracula Poster 1974

Hardman #7 Popular Library 1974

Kyrik 1975 Leisure Books

Marvel Preview #8 1976

Hot Stuff #4 1977

Doc Savage #8 Curtis 1977

Huon of the Horn Fawcett 1980

Frankenstein Picture Classics 1981

Star Wars 1983

The Gryphon King Avon Books 1989

A small sampling of Scottish illustrator Ken Barr’s enormous output and range between the years 1958 and 1989. According to Down the Tubes, Barr passed away last week at the age of 83. Click on an image to get the original source and publication date of the illustration.

The biography below, from Creepy #35 (1970), details Barr’s early life, influences, and emigration to the States in 1968. His place in the pantheon of 20th century sci-fi and fantasy artists is well deserved.

Barr Bio Creepy #35 1970

(Images via Pinterest, Martin Kennedy, Flickr, IMP Awards, Cloud-109, Pulp Covers, and Flickr)

Douglas Adams and Nick Landau in Forbidden Planet Bookshop, 1979

Published March 29, 2016 Book Stores , Comic Book Stores , Comic Books , Make Mine Marvel , Newsstands/Comic Book Stands 1 Comment

Forbidden Planet 1979

Douglas Adams (holding The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy double LP) is on the left; Nick Landau (co-founder of the original Forbidden Planet and Titan Books, holding the just published Hitchhiker’s novel) is right. All comics 12p!

Forbidden Planet was one of London’s first comic book specialty shops, after Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed and Weird Fantasy.

I found the photo at the Collectors Society forums. It was taken by Colin Davey.

Larry Todd Art: ‘The Warbots’ (Galaxy Science Fiction, 1968)

Published March 28, 2016 Larry Todd , Magazines/Zines , Robots , Sci-Fi/Space Art 4 Comments

Warbot-1

Warbot-2

Warbot-3

Warbot-4

Warbot-5

Warbot-6

The selected illustrations are from a story Todd wrote called “The Warbots: The History of Armored War from 1975 to 17,500 A.D” published in Galaxy Science Fiction (October, 1968). The first “mecha“—a robot or machine of humanoid appearance controlled by a smaller humanoid from a cockpit—is generally considered to be Mazinger Z, from the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Go Nagai. Perhaps that designation needs to be reevaluated. Todd’s designs are reminiscent of a number of mecha from the 1970s and 1980s, including the Zentraedi Battlepod in Robotech.

Todd updated his illustrations (below) for 1986’s Body Armor: 2000, edited by Joe Haldeman.

Warbot-7

Warbot-8

Warbot-9

Warbot-10

Warbot-11

Warbot-12

(Images via archive.org and iamanangelchaser)

Marvel Comics Blacklight Posters (The Third Eye, 1971)

Published March 25, 2016 Blacklight Posters , Jack "King" Kirby , Make Mine Marvel , Posters/Poster Art/Poster Pen Sets/Paint by Number , Psychedelic Art 5 Comments

Marvel Third Eye 1971

Promotional poster showing all of the posters in the series. The Third Eye also put out a series of postcards and jigsaw puzzles with the same designs. Overall, the combination of Marvel’s illustration superpowers with the psychedelic mindset (the third eye enables metaphysical sight, in mystical traditions) was extremely successful and influential. Not all of the posters are winners (Spider-Man doesn’t really fit), and the exclusion of Steranko’s Nick Fury is unaccountable. Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four (below) is probably my favorite. You can see close-ups of most of the posters here.

You can see original Third Eye designs here.

FF Third Eye

(Images via Patrick Owsley and Cap’n’s Comics)

Cover Art for No Way Back by Karl Zeigfreid (Badger, 1964)

Published March 24, 2016 Books , Cover Art , Sci-Fi/Space Art , Skeleton Astronauts 1 Comment

No Way Back Zeigfreid 1964-3

No Way Back Zeigfreid 1964-2

Karl Zeigfreid was a house name for Badger Books; in this case, R.L. Fanthorpe is the author. The cover artist is unknown, and the synopsis of the book makes it highly unlikely that a skeleton in a spacesuit holding what appears to be a South Seas dancing girl made an appearance. Skeleton astronauts are often seen on sci-fi covers, but rarely have anything to do with the stories inside.

Roach Studios Ad, Circa 1978

Published March 24, 2016 '70s Decor/Design/Fashion , Iron-on Transfers , Roach Studios 2 Comments

Roach Ad 1970s

Pencil me in!

(Image via RoAcH)

Star Wars Sewing Patterns (McCall’s, 1981/1983)

Published March 23, 2016 Arts and Crafts , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 10 Comments

Mccalls SW 1981

Mccalls ROTJ 1983

Not bad, but I prefer these.

(Images via Pattern Vault)

Abe Gurvin Album Covers, 1967 – 1977

Published March 22, 2016 '60s Decor/Design/Fashion , Album Covers , Psychedelic Art , Records (LPs) and Cassettes Leave a Comment

Zodiac 1967

Federal Duck 1968

Jimmy Smith 1969

Nuggets 1972

Nuggets 1972-2

Atomic Rooster 1972

Rance Allen 1977

More here.

Bigfoot by Hal G. Evarts (Scribner, 1973)

Published March 22, 2016 Books , Occult/Supernatural Leave a Comment

Bigfoot Evarts 1973

Bigfoot Evarts 1973-2

I had this as a kid and vaguely remember the plot: an English professor researching Bigfoot hires a camping guide to help track the elusive beast. They’re later joined by the professor’s plucky daughter. Strange happenings abound, but I believe there’s some sort of rational explanation for Bigfoot at the end of the novel. I can’t quite remember what it is.

Evarts, who died in 1989, is primarily remembered for his Westerns and mysteries, although Bigfoot was a popular entry in the children’s book phase of his career. The hardcover of the book featured a slight indentation of the footprint.

Houdini Magical Hall of Fame Museum Brochure, Circa 1980

Published March 21, 2016 Occult/Supernatural Leave a Comment

Houdini Museum 1980-1

Houdini Museum 1980-2

The Houdini Magical Hall of Fame, located in Niagara Falls, Canada, opened in 1968 and was destroyed by fire (suspected arson) in 1995. To make things even creepier, Houdini had specifically requested that his memorabilia and paraphernalia be burned and not sold for profit.

An earlier version of the brochure (below) has “Witchcraft” in the title instead of “Spiritualism.” I wonder if the change was prompted by the North American Satanic Panic.

You can see photos of the museum and related documents at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame Facebook.

Houdini Museum 1970s

(Images via Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence and the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame Facebook)

Pages

Archives

Categories

Donate Button

Join 1,109 other subscribers