These covers (shown here sans the various corporate logos, barcodes and other elements which usually disfigure comic covers) are really something special: funny, off-kilter, sometimes disturbing, and wonderfully energetic. Click all for much bigger versions.
For The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
For Ozma of Oz:
From The Marvellous Land of Oz:
And from the current Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz:
And for bonus excellence, have a couple of illustrations he's done for Austen's Sense and Sensibility...
..and Golding's Lord of the Flies.
19 comments:
When I was young (that would be back in the Sixties) my dad bought me a comic version of the Bible - two volumes, old and new testaments. Inaccuracies aside - there were plenty - it was a good idea if you're into that kind of thing. The same goes for illustrations in books. It's a rarity these days and I think it's such a shame.
Thanks for posting Skottie's work. Funnily enough, I was just thinking about it the other day. He has such a distinctive style at a time when so many mainstream comics look the same. It would be lovely to see him do cover illustrations for novels as well.
Amazing art. Thanks.
Love those! I have a set of the old Oz books with the John Neill art. A nice change.
I'm one of those guys who hates the Densmore illustrations and worships John Neill, who thinks the Oz movie is lame, and who generally gets cranky when any Oz-related material is discussed that isn't directly related to the Baum/Thompson/Neill originals.
For the first time, I'll say: These are wonderful.
I got an iPad yesterday and I am inlove with bright brilliance of the graphics. But I was thinking that a lot of the apps are junk and not really for me. I thought "I wish CCC had an iPad app". I know I can look at your blog on the pad, but I can still fantasize about a special app where I can just page through thousands of interesting book covers.
Jim: I've read a comic version of Genesis called 'Eden', which I was surprised to see was originally published in some Penthouse magazine--though all of the emphasis on nudity/sex in the garden was explained by the connection.
Dan: That's what grabbed my attention--he really stands out; the closest to his work I can think of is Sam Kieth, but Skottie Young is much more appealing and less murky.
Tulkinghorn: I'm glad they passed the test!
Tulkinghorn: I wish I knew enough about programming to create such an app. 50 Watts (http://50watts.com) probably does that sort of thing, though...
Thanks for your comments, everyone.
Adapting 'literary classics' has, historically, been an important source of income and work for comics artists, I think. There are several distinguished recent examples, the most famous of which is probably the version of 'City of Glass' by Mazzucchelli, et al. But I have also seen excellent comics of 'The Trial' and 'The Master and the Margarita'.
Good point: 'City of Glass' gets all sorts of great reviews, and I always love seeing visual interpretations of Bulgakov's masterpiece.
these are great!
The expressions on the little chicken and the tiny hatted pigs alone are wonderful.
These really are wonderful.
These are really wonderful! Only yesterday I was investigating the Oz novels, and thinking that I should really read some.
Skottie's covers and artwork are excellent! I really like his loopy illustrations!! Wow!
I am in loooooove. Thanks for the eye candy. Gorgeous work.
Thanks for your comments, everybody. I'm glad everyone's as keen on these as me!
What an imagination. The colors and the caricature with the pen and ink, brilliant. Brings a whole new feeling to the story line and characters. Thanks for sharing!!! Just joined your blog as a follower ;)
Just saw this note about Skottie's cover art for the Oz books. You know, he also did all the art inside as well. Didn't see it mentioned, thought it should be mentioned. Excellent adaptations.
Cheers, Stephe and Lorraine!
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