Jan 18
Scott’s Art Direction: I was drinking fairly heavily when I read, “The E.S.P. Worm” but I’m pretty sure it was about an estranged pair of anthropomorphic sticks of chalk, plus a bespectacled penis, I mean “worm”, lassoing the Earth with its magic rainbow powers. So put that on the cover!
Published 1970
January 18th, 2012 at 8:55 am
“Wait, I’m getting a message through from the ESP worm! He says, ‘Eat more dirt! Avoid moles!'”
January 18th, 2012 at 9:30 am
So many things one could say!
Why is the ESP worm/marital aid wearing glasses? Is a side effect of ESP short sightedness?
January 18th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
The original concept art for the kids show Rainbow was just really strange.
January 18th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
OH GAWD. SO MANY PHALLUSES.
Cover artist compensating for something?!
January 18th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
That’s pretty eye-searingly awful, but I have to admit that I’d pick it up and at least check out the plot if I saw that on the shelf.
January 18th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Aaah, the ‘sixties. The awful drug-influenced art, the excruciatingly Freudian watercolors, the space-age-née-jet-age swooshy loops and planets, it’s all here.
Piers Anthony, hmm.
January 18th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Michael — it’ll capture your attention all right. And what will your attention be subjected to while being held in captivity? Equally awesome blurbage!
http://www.paperbackswap.com/E-S-P-Worm/book/46342/
January 18th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
“Prodigal worm” does it for me. I’m rushing out to buy a copy right now.
January 18th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
The beginning of the end for early birds.
January 18th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
DILDO ON ACID
January 18th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
And don’t miss the brain-scrunching sequels
-DILDO THE MIXANTHROPE
-DILDO GOES TO WASHINGTON
-DILDO BAG-INS
January 18th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Guys…. The ESP worm knows you’re making fun of him.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:06 am
Really? “brain-bending”? Might they mean mind-bending? I think branches bend, roads bend, and even bananas bend, but a brain is squishy and will not bend.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Scott – wow, apparently the sellers know as much about language as the artist does about art. I have to read this now.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
That artwork is remarkably reminiscent of David ‘Mr.Ben’ McKee. Can’t be though. Can it?
January 27th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
I’ve got a copy of this edition, and I didn’t submit it. Bugger!
January 30th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Judging by the shades, the worm looks like he’s on vacation in another country. The local worms around there are apparently much more cylindrical in shape, and not very friendly, seeing as they aren’t even looking at the new guy…
September 11th, 2014 at 3:48 pm
– Barkeep, get me a brain-bending science fiction surprise! Er, that IS a surprise…
September 11th, 2014 at 7:06 pm
If the colour-scheme had been more lurid this would be even more horribly reminiscent of ‘H.R. Pufnstuf’.
September 12th, 2014 at 8:25 pm
A SURPRISE WORM BENDING! SCIENCE?
THE E.S.P. BRAIN FICTION
November 30th, 2015 at 5:22 pm
What I’m learning is that you don’t want ESP, because you’ll either wind up as a giant cylinder cut in half by a weird worm thing, or as a head-shaped house with people crawling all up and down through your sinuses.