I’ve tried to draw “sci-fi armor”, and the crotch/butt area IS a conundrum. There is just not that much space for metal plates, chain mail, wires, joints and stuff.
At least this artist put some thought into the issue of “How exactly should butt armor be structured for maximum mobility and comfort?”
@JuanPaul—ambiguous is right. First I thought the hanging part up top looked like Flandry’s nut sack, then the whole top part morphed into an image resembling Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent of Beany and Cecil fame.
I couldn’t make out the spaceship(?) at first and thought he was shaking his fist at a lot of vapor. Middle-aged man yells at clouds.
I wonder if his butt is really that inadequate or if the snail-epauletted space armor has flattened it.
@Mellie M: Amazon tells me this is a collection of 10 short stories written between 1957 and 1973; the artwork may not have anything to do with any of them.
The fact that Poul won a lot of awards, sold a lot of books, and was beloved shows he had real talent to overcome these terrible covers.
@ARY, @BC and all: if you ever get a chance to see Weird Al in concert, GO. He’s utterly delightful and hard-working. I’ve seen him twice. The first time, I went to the county fair and put up with miserably hot weather, terrible food, and livestock just so I could (in the evening) see him.
I might give this cover an “anatomical issues”. Aren’t his legs ridiculously long, and different lengths at that?
Where’s me lance gone? I was going to thrust ™ me lance, and now it’s gone, and I look stupid waving me arms about like this.
Bleeding from the left ankle? Someone once read about the Fisher King and almost remembered it…
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August 30th, 2017 at 8:40 am
I’ve tried to draw “sci-fi armor”, and the crotch/butt area IS a conundrum. There is just not that much space for metal plates, chain mail, wires, joints and stuff.
At least this artist put some thought into the issue of “How exactly should butt armor be structured for maximum mobility and comfort?”
August 30th, 2017 at 10:41 am
“At last! The talcum powder I’ve been searching for!”
August 30th, 2017 at 10:58 am
He’s got an Achilles crack.
August 30th, 2017 at 11:17 am
Looks like a small argument between Conf and Lict kinda got out of hand.
August 30th, 2017 at 11:31 am
The Rifts/Spelunker crossover you never expected!
August 30th, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Aerosol underarm deodorant dispensers of the future.
August 30th, 2017 at 1:38 pm
No one has to know that you’re wearing a thong underneath your space armor.
August 30th, 2017 at 1:38 pm
Also, a story about conflict, wow, what a novel idea.
August 30th, 2017 at 1:49 pm
I don’t think that punching yourself in the face will resolve a conflict, unless maybe it’s a conflict with yourself.
August 30th, 2017 at 3:05 pm
There are easier ways to tell if clipping is on or not.
August 30th, 2017 at 4:36 pm
“We can’t stop here. This is bat country!”
August 30th, 2017 at 5:09 pm
Must.bend.right.leg. Must.bend.right.leg. Must.bend.right.leg.
August 30th, 2017 at 5:54 pm
After the first performance, the costume designers for the First Martian Opera were fired for making the suits of armour look absolutely ridiculous.
August 30th, 2017 at 6:09 pm
I’m pretty sure the Conflict is Tony Stark Technology related …
he wanted Radar installed but got Gaydar instead !
August 30th, 2017 at 6:23 pm
Jelly-mould epaulettes: sometimes brioche-tins won’t quite do.
August 30th, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Can someone explain the cloud man surfing on a spaceship to me? Why is he there? Why does he have that little tail?
August 30th, 2017 at 6:35 pm
Team Heinz Baked Beans goes to extraordinary lengths to catch ’em all.
August 30th, 2017 at 7:13 pm
Avert thine eyes from that ambiguously erotic cloud of smoke!
August 30th, 2017 at 7:30 pm
@JuanPaul—ambiguous is right. First I thought the hanging part up top looked like Flandry’s nut sack, then the whole top part morphed into an image resembling Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent of Beany and Cecil fame.
August 30th, 2017 at 11:52 pm
Hi Mellie M. and welcome to the site!
Unfortunately answering your question might actually involve reading the book. And life is too short …
Maybe one of our other regulars has a clue?
August 31st, 2017 at 6:16 am
I couldn’t make out the spaceship(?) at first and thought he was shaking his fist at a lot of vapor. Middle-aged man yells at clouds.
I wonder if his butt is really that inadequate or if the snail-epauletted space armor has flattened it.
@Mellie M: Amazon tells me this is a collection of 10 short stories written between 1957 and 1973; the artwork may not have anything to do with any of them.
The fact that Poul won a lot of awards, sold a lot of books, and was beloved shows he had real talent to overcome these terrible covers.
August 31st, 2017 at 8:49 am
The fist to the head was obviously stolen from this DEVO parody, “Dare To Be Stupid”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMhwddNQSWQ
August 31st, 2017 at 2:27 pm
@A.R.Y.—love that Weird Al! Good tune.
September 1st, 2017 at 12:12 am
@Mellie M.: Surfing Cloud Man is one of the other performers in this space-set version of “William Tell”, since you were wondering.
September 1st, 2017 at 2:35 am
@ARY, @BC and all: if you ever get a chance to see Weird Al in concert, GO. He’s utterly delightful and hard-working. I’ve seen him twice. The first time, I went to the county fair and put up with miserably hot weather, terrible food, and livestock just so I could (in the evening) see him.
I might give this cover an “anatomical issues”. Aren’t his legs ridiculously long, and different lengths at that?
September 1st, 2017 at 2:54 pm
“I’ve been working out…check out my pipes.”
September 25th, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Where’s me lance gone? I was going to thrust ™ me lance, and now it’s gone, and I look stupid waving me arms about like this.
Bleeding from the left ankle? Someone once read about the Fisher King and almost remembered it…