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The worst Bond book covers of all time...

JamesPageJamesPage Administrator, Moderator, Director
edited March 2011 in Literary 007 Posts: 1,380
Perhaps we should limit this to UK and USA editions, but what the heck, let's go global! What are the worst Bond book covers?

The new US paperbacks for Gardner's reprints spawned this idea and certainly contenders....

<img src="http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/literary/cover_art/icebreaker/us_p_reprint.jpg">;
http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/literary_gardner_reprints_announced_2011.php3
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Comments

  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    Photobucket

    i could crap out a better cover than that..
  • dragonskydragonsky
    Posts: 2,491
    Quoting haserot: i could crap out a better cover than that..
    i am sure you do.really they should hire you
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Quoting haserot: i could crap out a better cover than that
    Couldn't be much more bland could it? Frankly I'm happy I picked second hand hardcover versions a few years ago. The one James posted though has to be the weakest cover I've seen for Bond. Just terrible!
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    These could be the worst of them all:

    image

    Yuk!
  • JobeGDGJobeGDG
    edited March 2011 Posts: 107
    Quoting Samuel001:
    image
    Yuk!
    That's crazy; you're crazy. That cover is excellent. What don't you like about it?
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    edited March 2011 Posts: 1,497
    Quoting JobeGDG: That's crazy; you're crazy. That cover is excellent. What don't you like about
    it?
    Yeah agreed, that cover is quite nice.
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    Posts: 987
    Quoting JobeGDG: That's crazy; you're crazy. That cover is excellent. What don't you like about
    it?


    Also agree, I think these covers are great!
  • nick_007nick_007 Ville Marie
    Posts: 443
    I guess it all comes down to taste really. I'm with you guys; I like the new Penguin covers.

    On the other end of the spectrum, I wish there was some sort of HardCover reprint of the first edition cover artwork. I'd be all over those.
  • BondBond
    Posts: 503
    The Moonraker cover is excellent. Love it, sorry Samuel.
  • Gaz1961Gaz1961
    edited March 2011 Posts: 117
    That new Icebreaker cover is probably the ugliest thing I've ever seen on a Bond book, but all three of the US Gardner reprints are foul. The "abstract" paperbacks that came out in the UK in about 2000 were pretty awful too. Compare them with the beautiful US paperback covers by Richie Fahey from 2002 (?) no contest.
    But I'm delighted that the first five Gardner books are being reissued in their original covers, haven't got a couple of those.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    Where do I start with those covers? Well for one, the syllables of the words are split over two lines, the colours used are boring nothing about them screen Bond. Not really unique either. Many long gone members could put together a much more concise arguement than I could, so I'll leave it there for now but needless to say the set as a whole is awful in my opinion.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Following on from this -

    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/317/new-bond-24-poster-update-new-bond-23-video/p2#Item_45

    I say put the Baljemeister in charge. At least you couldnt complain they were dull.
  • MrSpyMrSpy
    Posts: 116
    Agreed abt Carte Blanche -- who's bright idea was that shitty cover??
    Let's hope that once it has been torn off & thrown away, the rest of the contents prove to be both more appealing & more enduring.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Here's my attempt at Moonraker (forgive the Casino Royale cards - wish I had some with 'Blades' on them!)

    cb9a26cf36be6fe2e0b5c03b20ba639e.jpg
  • Suivez_ce_parachuteSuivez_ce_parachute
    edited June 2013 Posts: 2,015
    Well, 10 years ago, Gallimard who had the right at that time, published Moonraker with this cover that's not very creative to say the least :

    product_9782070421190_195x320.jpg

    but 40 years ago, the same publisher had another one (with the old French title "Entourloupe dans l'azimut"). Warning : it's a French cover, not safe for work (naked breasts... I told you it would not have been censored in TLD 15 years later :) )

    http://www.le-livre.fr/photos/R15/R150099598.jpg

    There also many cheap French covers when Fleming was marketed in ways similar to SAS Prince Malko (French semi-pornographic spy litterature)

    RO90023493.jpg

    And believe it or not, I actually discovered Bond with this book about 30 years ago (at least it's a bit more classy :) ) :

    XY240.jpg
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    It really is a shame how bland some covers can be these days, especially in regards to Bond. He is a character that evokes great mystery, excitement, adventure, escapism and more, yet we get bland and unimaginative covers like that Carte Blanche hardcover effort that could be thrown together in ten minutes or less with Microsoft paint. I see art/artists all the time that could make some of the finest Bond covers imaginable, yet IFP hardly ever hires artists that can create amazing cover pieces anymore.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    With the CargoCrate font used by Chopping:

    49ecd729cf3e8329ff1a2413e788ddf3.jpg
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,359
    007InVT wrote:
    With the CargoCrate font used by Chopping:

    49ecd729cf3e8329ff1a2413e788ddf3.jpg

    That's awesome! :)
  • ChevronChevron Northern Ireland
    Posts: 370
    007InVT wrote:
    With the CargoCrate font used by Chopping:

    49ecd729cf3e8329ff1a2413e788ddf3.jpg

    Remove the "IAN" and rotate the "FLEMING" 90 degrees and you got it!

  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited June 2013 Posts: 15,229

    Gosh they were horrid, especially the last one, it looks like one of those SAS novels by Gérard de Villiers, almost porn.
    Suivez_ce_parachute wrote:
    Well, 10 years ago, Gallimard who had the right at that time, published Moonraker with this cover that's not very creative to say the least :

    product_9782070421190_195x320.jpg

    but 40 years ago, the same publisher had another one (with the old French title "Entourloupe dans l'azimut"). Warning : it's a French cover, not safe for work (naked breasts... I told you it would not have been censored in TLD 15 years later :) )

    http://www.le-livre.fr/photos/R15/R150099598.jpg

    There also many cheap French covers when Fleming was marketed in ways similar to SAS Prince Malko (French semi-pornographic spy litterature)

    RO90023493.jpg

    And believe it or not, I actually discovered Bond with this book about 30 years ago (at least it's a bit more classy :) ) :

    XY240.jpg

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    The current cover for William Boyd's Solo is nothing to write home about, either.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited June 2013 Posts: 28,694
    Dragonpol wrote:
    The current cover for William Boyd's Solo is nothing to write home about, either.
    I think that is just promotional; nothing official. At least I hope so! :-S
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    The current cover for William Boyd's Solo is nothing to write home about, either.
    I think that is just promotional; nothing official. At least I hope so! :-S

    Yes, I knew that, but even so...
  • rightsmartdanrightsmartdan
    Posts: 38
    You should pay regular visits to both http://www.thebookbond.com and http://illustrated007.blogspot.com where both the Bond book covers, artwork, artists and variations on the images are regularly discussed in...ahem...nauseating detail.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    rightsmartdan wrote:
    You should pay regular visits to both http://www.thebookbond.com and http://illustrated007.blogspot.com where both the Bond book covers, artwork, artists and variations on the images are regularly discussed in...ahem...nauseating detail.

    I agree - both superlative sites for sure.
  • hullcityfanhullcityfan Banned
    Posts: 496
    Suivez_ce_parachute wrote:
    Well, 10 years ago, Gallimard who had the right at that time, published Moonraker with this cover that's not very creative to say the least :

    product_9782070421190_195x320.jpg

    but 40 years ago, the same publisher had another one (with the old French title "Entourloupe dans l'azimut"). Warning : it's a French cover, not safe for work (naked breasts... I told you it would not have been censored in TLD 15 years later :) )

    http://www.le-livre.fr/photos/R15/R150099598.jpg

    There also many cheap French covers when Fleming was marketed in ways similar to SAS Prince Malko (French semi-pornographic spy litterature)

    RO90023493.jpg

    And believe it or not, I actually discovered Bond with this book about 30 years ago (at least it's a bit more classy :) ) :

    XY240.jpg

    That DN one is just terrible , hospitals make me feel sick so yeah I feel sick now.
  • Suivez_ce_parachuteSuivez_ce_parachute
    edited June 2013 Posts: 2,015
    rightsmartdan wrote:
    You should pay regular visits to both http://www.thebookbond.com and http://illustrated007.blogspot.com where both the Bond book covers, artwork, artists and variations on the images are regularly discussed in...ahem...nauseating detail.

    Great sites. There I found this :

    5521_540365335984229_1278366692_n.jpeg

    Does anyone know if pictures exist of Craig and Mendes with a Fleming book ?

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    Daniel Craig was given a first edition copy of Casino Royale on the first day of production on the film adaptation. The picture is in the James Bond Archives book.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Daniel Craig was given a first edition copy of Casino Royale on the first day of production on the film adaptation. The picture is in the James Bond Archives book.

    Oh, that's a very nice touch.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited June 2013 Posts: 13,356
    The picture shows Broccoli and Wilson handing the book to him.

    Another great picture is Craig spending one of his 'days off' with the marketing department looking over the design of the teaser poster. The caption reads, Craig believes he must be involved with as many aspects of the production as possible as he feels it's all part of what he is being paid for.
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