Guess Who Dunnit? Part 2

Thanks for all the great suggestions on our last post. The thought struck many people that those Star Romance covers would most likely be by Spanish or Italian artists (who were doing quite a lot of cover and interior magazine illustration in the UK at the time through various agents). Personally, I wondered if some might not be by Canadian illustrators, since I'm aware of several who were selling second printing rights to UK publishers. Will Davies, Tom McNeely, Fred Oakley, and Jerry Sevier, just to name a few, were all doing this type of work at the time and actively reselling it in England.

But let's see what David Roach has for us today...

The first of my paperbacks. Murderers Fen might be a British artist called Pat Owen, but it’s quite rough and ready by his standards. Personally I love the vigorous brush strokes and general wild abandon of the painting.



The Sexton Blake cover is probably a reused US cover with a very striking composition. It’s effectively a very dynamic set of stairs with a few people framed in at the top - but I think it works.



Now these 2 are a complete mystery. Starship Troopers is probably a British or Italian artist since NEL rarely used US material.



Charlie Gallagher on the other hand is most probably a US reprint though no names are jumping out at me.



This Mills & Boon romance cover might, just might, be by Betty Maxey... but that’s a bit of a long shot.



David Larkin who was AD at Panther at the time ('60s) reckons The Island was painted by Michael Johnson - but Johnson has vehemently denied this and, let’s face it, he should know. Art could be a Brit or an American, but whoever it is I think it’s a very striking cover.



More to come!