mark monlux (mmonlux@nwrain.com)
Thu, 12 Aug 1999 08:56:30 -0700
Dear Scott,
I recieved the same paperback in a blind bulk purchase I made
a few years ago. The artwork is definitly different. Usually
when cover art is done in a non-realism manner it is through
he use of airbrush. This one was done with watercolor.
Composition wise, there are a few fun things goin on: the
window where the eye should be for example. But there are
tons of things that just don't work right. The hard edge of a
wall almost severing the silhoette head effect. The swirl
that comes from the outline of the head but is cropped so
badly that they look like irregular rings. Another severe
seperation where the tree roots look like a quick cut with an
exacto knife was taken to it.
Now, as a professional illustrator I can see just what is
happening here. This is not the artist's layout. The artist
has a saddle on his back and someone is giving them firm
uncompormising direction on what to draw. Having gone through
this experience myself I know how it can reflect in the
art.
I would love to see another issue in this series. I read on
the inside backcover that "Fit to Kill" by Hans C. Cowen was
another Hangman's House Mystery. I would like to see if they
used the same artist for the cover of that book. If they did,
and if the art reflected the same type of "riding" then I
think it would be a fair assumption that there was an
overbearing editor involved. I believe that such preconcieved
layouts (usually thought up from a non-art trained
background) are usually only enforced by those extremely
close to the story.
I haven't read this book yet. Do you recommend it?
>On a recent vacation, I picked up a copy of "Death
Gets a Head" by A.R.
>McKenzie that part of "A Hangman's House Mystery"
series.
>
>The slightly oversized paperback features a Salvador
Dali like cover
>picture of a sereved head. The copyright reads 1942
and indicates the
>paperback is "Slightly condensed". The publisher is
"Journal of Living" by
>arraignment with Phoenix Press.
>
>Couple of questions"
>
>1) What is "A Hangman's House Mystery"
series?
>
>2) Who is AR McKenzie?
>
>3) Does anyone know more about this book?
>
>cheers
>
>scott
end
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e-mail: mmonlux@nwrain.com
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