Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme here at Books by Proxy. Join me every Friday as I pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.
The Knight of the Swords by Michael Moorcock
Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’re comparing psychedelic covers – and OH are there some choices to be had!
The Knight of the Swords by Michael Moorcock brings us our two weird, wonderful and trip inducing covers. With a Berkley Medallion edition designed by David McCall Johnston going head to head with a Mayflower edition designed by Moorcock’s chief psychedelic wizard, Bob Haberfield, take a look at the covers featured this week to see which is your favourite.
Berkley Medallion – Cover #1
Cover Art by David McCall Johnston
Mayflower – Cover #2
Cover Art by Bob Haberfield
| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |
Both these covers are bright, garish, incredibly busy and should probably come with a health warning – but wow! They really are eye-catching. Conjuring imagery that can be described as nothing other than fantastic, both Johnston and Haberfield have created two works of art which are brimming with imagination and are an absolute product of their time.
Johnston’s cover is a beautiful illustration which shows the transition from inked line to vibrant colour. I love the detail which has been etched with every line, the fluid motion of the horse’s mane and the rider’s cloak, and the washed out Hundertwasser-esque sky.
Haberfield’s cover is bright, intense and grotesque. The monstrous figure in the background draws the focus, and the subtle foreground imagery leads unobtrusively to it. The colours are hypnotic, the illustration is eye-catching and the more I look at it, the more I like it.
So left in a firm state of indecision and with a possible cover induced hangover… this week I declare it a draw!
Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!
Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads
Next week’s theme is:
My, What Big Teeth You Have
A cover featuring a cloaked figure
Remember to check The Friday Face-Off Feature Page for upcoming themes
| Links |
Books by Proxy 
Cover #2 would win for me. The other one is too cluttered and confusing. I could barely figure out what it was portraying.
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I kind of like the madness of Cover #2 but I definitely couldn’t stare at it too long without a headache! 😀
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I think I like the one by Bob Haberfield. The covers featured for this week should be interesting!
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Definitely! All those vintage science fiction covers… I’m surprised so many fit the bill! 😀
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This is close, but I’m going to have to go with Bob Haberfield’s cover! It’s because with the other, the title take up almost all the top half and it’s just black font with a white background
Here are my covers! https://wp.me/p53gyJ-4q9
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I love this choice, Proxy:). You have definitely nailed this one and it’s lovely to have you back:)).
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Thank you! 😀
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I have never heard of this book, however I am loving both of these groovy covers. I think cover one just tips it for me though, because the monstrous figure in cover two freaks me out a little 😀
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He is quite freaky! My first instinct was to go with the first cover but the more I looked at them the more I couldnt decide!!
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I think you’re right – a draw was inevitable with these two I think. So busy and yet eye catching and a bit dizzy-enducing – definitely psychedelic.
Lynn 😀
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The more I looked at psychedelic covers for this post, the more I like them! I think I might have to go hunting round some second hand book shops… 😀
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