Monday, February 6, 2023

Pulp Fantasy Gallery: A Princess of Mars

Since the real world continues to be demanding of late – my apologies for the lighter than normal posting –  I've decided to present another entry in the Pulp Fantasy Gallery series. This week, I've opted to go back more than a century, to one of the foundational works of fantasy and science fiction (not to mention roleplaying games), Edgar Rice Burroughs's A Princess of MarsLong-time readers may recall that I had previously included this book in an early installment of Pulp Fantasy Gallery. In that post, I only highlighted an image of perhaps the most famous – and, in my opinion, best – cover illustration, that by Frank E. Schoonover. 

I'm apparently not alone in my appreciation for this cover, because it was used again and again throughout the ensuing decades. Indeed, it seems to have been the only cover illustration for US editions of A Princess of Mars until the early 1960s, nearly a half-century after its initial appearance. The first new cover illustration of which I am aware is this one by Roy Carnon, from the 1961 Four Square Books paperback edition:
A couple of years later, in January 1963, Ballantine releases this version, with a cover by Bob Abbett. I find it especially interesting, because it looks as if it takes many of its cues from the original Schoonover cover, albeit with the color schemes of John Carter and Dejah Thoris reversed.
In 1968, there's an abridged version of A Princess of Mars from Dragon, a publisher who specialized in children's versions of "classic" stories. The cover artist would seem to be unknown.
Bruce Pennington provides the very striking cover for the 1969 New English Library edition, which is the first not to depict John Carter.
The 1970 Nelson Doubleday/Science Fiction Book Club edition is understandably famous for its use of Frank Frazetta's iconic cover, my second favorite after Schoonover's original.
When Ballantine issued a new edition in 1973, it featured this cover by Gino D'Achille:
Finally, in 1979, we get the Del Rey edition with Michael Whelan's cover. Because this is the first edition of the novel I ever owned, I retain a certain fondness for it. Apparently, publishers feel similarly, because, like the Schoonover cover before, it's been used again and again since its initial appearance, with editions as recent as just a few years ago still making use of it.

15 comments:

  1. To me there is a bit of an Erol Otus vibe to the Dragon version

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  2. I like Bob Abbet's work (he did a bunch of Barsoom covers and they're all good) but I think you're right: Schoonover set the pace.

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  3. I have a recentish Penguin Classics edition that features a version of Dave Cockrum's cover art from Marvel's John Carter - Warlord of Mars #11.

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    1. Penguin and Marvel is an interesting combo!

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    2. Oddly enough there have been some recent handsome editions of classic 60s Marvel comics under the Penguin Classics brand.

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  4. I was always impressed by Schoonover cover. So much so that I did my own version when I wrote my little Sword & Planet game

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  5. I know how much modesty and public perception demands it, but it always makes me laugh that no matter how skimpy the outfits on the cover are, it's too many clothes by Barsoomian standards.

    I must ask: Is Baby Javelina the new Rick Roll?

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    1. Re: Baby Javelina

      Thanks for pointing that out! It was not intentional, but rather the result of my copying another link from an email by error. There is no deeper meaning, except that I am old and forgetful.

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    2. No harm done and fairly funny at the time!

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    3. Back on the subject of Barsoomian clothing standards: I was always impressed by how deft Whelan was at presenting nearly nude Barsoomians on his covers in a way that Del Rey could accept. On the 1979 cover above, Dejah Thoris is wearing only jewelry and a belt, and you can't tell what John Carter has on besides the chest harness (if anything).

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  6. The 1979 Del Rey edition was the second book I ever read in my then young life; Red Badge of Courage was the first.

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  7. I have the last one. I do love thrift store finds

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  8. They all look good, but Frazetta will always be my favorite.

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  9. While D'Achiille, Frazetta, and Whelan did great cover art for aPoM, my favorite is Schoonover.

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  10. Barsoom in my mind has the colors and the vibes of Whelan's cover. They are the most philologically correct among all, and I simply love Whelan's excellent works

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