In an homage to THE JUNGLE BOOK, Neil Gaiman has come out with another young adult’s/children’s book–only his version is set in a cemetery. (Typical Gaiman twist. eh?…)
Both books deal with orphans, but whereas Kipling’s Mowgli was raised by the animals, THE GRAVEYARD BOOK’s Bod finds himself being mentored by ghosts.
Gaiman’s said he got the idea from watching his son zip around the graveyard across from their home: “One day I looked at him, and he looked so comfortable there, and I thought: you know I could write a book kind of like The Jungle Book,” Gaiman said, “Because in The Jungle Book there’s a little boy who wanders into the jungle and is raised by animals and is taught all of the things that animals know.”
Dave McKean, whose artwork has been seen in Stephen King’s GUNSLINGER series and Gaiman’s CORALINE (soon to be a major motion picture), has teamed up once more with Gaiman to illustrate this book.
Even though the book is aimed at a younger audience, a recent preview reading of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman at Cowin Center Auditorium at Columbia University proved that listeners of all ages were held enraptured by the story.
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
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I picked up a book recently called THE KING’S NAME by Jo Walton and the cover characters looked familiar, but I couldn’t place why at first. Then, when I was listing the book for sale, and saw the name of the cover artist, I realized why:
Check it out.
Below is a photo of Julie Bell, the cover artist, and her husband Boris Vallejo, another great in the cover art field.
The artist used her own image and her husband’s as basis for the work – that’s why I recognized the faces! (This isn’t the first time they’ve done that – since they’re both into bodybuilding, and they do fantasy/heroic covers, they’ve each used each other as models in the past also.)
I’m happy now – that’s been bugging me for a while, seeing those characters and knowing I should know them… =)
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Another of my favorite book cover art illustrators is Michael Whelan. His use of color and light always makes me think of sunsets and his people are well-detailed. He has a highly identifiable style that uses quite a bit of ‘underlighting’ that I admire.
Michael Whelan’s covers have graced some of my favorite authors’ books: Anne McCaffrey, Stephen King, Stephen R Donaldson, Robert A. Heinlein, Piers Anthony and Larry Niven, among others. (Hmmm, makes me wonder if I read the books because I like the authors, or if I buy the books because of the covers, thinking the authors are my favorites just because… LOL)
Here are just a few examples from Michael Whelan’s official website store where copies of his original cover paintings are available for sale:
FRIDAY (Robert A. Heinlein) A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON (Piers Anthony)
ROBOTS OF DAWN (Isaac Asimov) THE SUMMER QUEEN (Joan D Vinge)
THE DARK TOWER (Stephen King)
You can also find Michael Whelan’s work on eBay or check out books of Michael Whelan’s complete works at Amazon
Another artist whose book cover art I really like to collect is fantasy and sci fi illustrator ROWENA (full name Rowena A. Morrill). Most of her work, like Boris Vallejo’s (see that blog entry), features photorealistic characters in brilliant color paintings that jump off the page and catch the eye, with sexy and alluring women and men, menacing dragons, famed storytellers and wicked wizards among the many characters she has brought to life.
To me, her style is instantly recognizable, and the books her paintings grace have a favored, facing-front position on my shelves. I love to enjoy the detail and care that appear to go into each one. (Plus it doesn’t hurt that her art features prominently on many of my favorite authors’ books: Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, Terry Brooks, and more…. A double bonus!)
Here are just a few examples of my favorite works of hers, both book cover art and posters (not to mention she does gorgeous fantasy trading card art, too):
(Book Cover Art)
(Book Cover Art)
(Book Cover Art)
(Painting/Poster)
Isaac Asimov Sitting on a Throne Covered With Symbols From His Works
(Pencil/Pen on Paper Drawing)
Find books with Rowena Morrill art at Amazon.com
Find posters & books with Rowena Morrill art at eBay.com
I don’t know about you and your family, but for me and my mom, book collecting’s not just about reading the books we buy, but also in large part for the book cover art. (In fact, a great cover or dust jacket sometimes can be the best bit of an otherwise not-quite-so-good book. =)
Given how a really attractive cover catches the eye and makes you want to pick a book up to look at it closer, I’m amazed at how many dust jackets have such poor quality graphics and illustrations or color combinations. I don’t know if it’s an economic choice, an artistic one, or timing (they couldn’t get the artist they really wanted, so went with one that was available or with the cheapest inks available or ??…) There have been probably quite a few books that were really great reads I’ve never read because the cover of that particular edition turned me off. (The reverse is probably true, too, though – what about you?)
Book cover fantasy art and science fiction book covers are two of my personal favorites to collect since those are also two of my favorite genres to read. (Isn’t it nice when you can combine fun things?) So, to share a little of my collecting mania, I’ve decided to feature a favorite book cover artist of mine each week or so. (If nothing else, it makes me clean and rearrange my shelves – something I’ve been needing to do for awhile… =)
This week’s favorite of mine is Boris Vallejo, who is a very hot and collectible Sci Fi and Fantasy artist/illustrator with a distinctive style. His works feature photo-realistic renditions in glorious full rich, almost jewel tone colors. Here are just a few examples from my own collection, books I like to showcase on my shelves:
Andre Norton Books with Boris Vallejo Dust Jacket Art
To start your own fantasy or sci fiction book cover art collection, why not check out Boris Vallejo on eBay or Boris Vallejo on Amazon
A few days ago I picked up a very hard-to-find THE ART OF PETER MAX, a book filled to the brim with Peter Max posters and paintings. They’re not kidding that it’s a magical book, filled with his visually compelling, mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic work. His use of color and movement is amazing, from his abstract work to his iconic pop-art advertising with its rock and roll sensibilities. (Might have something to do with the many rock and roll stars he hangs with, such as The Beatles, The Rollings Stones, Aerosmith and more, many of whom feature in his work…)
His work has been showcased on everything from watches, to clothes, to postage stamps besides his very well known Peter Max posters, prints and paintings featured in places like the Corcoran Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and even The Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Once you’ve seen it, it’s VERY hard to forget!
Here are just a few samples of what I found inside this amazing book (my pictures don’t even come close to doing them justice):
If you need a Peter Max poster or painting ‘fix’, this is the book for you with over 350 Full Color plates to peruse. It’s a wonderful resource/biography as, according to dust jacket flap, it was compiled with the help of the artist himself, taking the reader into the backstage of Peter Max’s studio and the celebrity-studded life of an artist who is himself a celebrity. (I find the best biographies are the ones where the subject has co-operated in coordinating the contents.)
Find it on eBay: THE ART OF PETER MAX
Find it on Amazon: THE ART OF PETER MAX
See even more of this great pop artist’s work at his website, including his art for charity. (Check out the neat stuff he did for Earth Day 2007!): PETER MAX ART ONLINE
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