Friday, May 10, 2013

Paperback 639: Kothar and the Wizard Slayer / Gardner F. Fox (Unibook nn)

Paperback 639: Unibook nn (1st ptg, 1970)

Title: Kothar and the Wizard Slayer
Author: Gardner F. Fox
Cover artist: Jeff Jones

Yours for: $5

UnibookNN

Best things about this cover:
  • Behold the mystical wonder of the medieval PowerPoint presentation.
  • Redhead: "Now if you'll direct your attention right ... here." Gremlin: "Eh! Oh! Eh! What the hell?!"
  • Protip: Do not interrupt a gremlin during his morning shower, for that is when he lip syncs and dances to Katy Perry.
  • Maybe having your two main characters turn their backs on the camera isn't the greatest idea, visual interest-wise.

UnibookNNKotharBC

Best things about this back cover:
  • Choose from our vast selection of Kothars!
  • And, in the most shocking Rose Ceremony ever ... it's Frostfire! Sorry, Lori.
  • In my best Norman Bates voice: "A boy's best friend is his sword." 

Page 123~

Red Lori was there, coming from the building door, with Phordog Fale and Nemidomes at her elbow. In the background shadows he could make out Cybala, hiding. 

I see this author comes from the Get High And Utter Random Syllables school of character-naming. In other news, the official progression of fail is now Fail, Epic Fail, Phordog Fale.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

7 comments:

Keir said...

Someone should buy all copies and have them destroyed.
The names of the characters make those ridiculous codes I have to copy out to "prove" I'm not a robot in order to comment rather sublime and enigmatic.

Jamie Rosen said...

This is the same Gardner Fox who did a lot of writing for DC Comics around the same time -- including creating the original Flash and the original Hawkman!

Karl said...

Another reason to have all copies of this thing destroyed: Jeff Jones (as I suspect many readers of this blog will know) did some absolutely beautiful work. But clearly he was also capable of producing lazy-assed train-wreck embarrassments like this cover on his "off" days. A sad thing to look upon when you've seen some of his best work.

DemetriosX said...

These were basically really cheap Conan knock-offs for a publisher who couldn't get anywhere near the rights for the real thing. Fox had some experience in the field since he'd done the same thing for DC with Crom the Barbarian.

Jones was a terrific artist, though perhaps overly fond of color smears and backgrounds that are largely just suggested.

Marla said...

"she-devil temptress Red Lori" - I'm going down to the courthouse and change my name right now.

Anonymous said...

Gotta say, I don't have a problem looking at the redhead's cute little backside, visual-interest-wise.

Anonymous said...

Phordog Fale is my new favorite inside-my-head epithet for when I read of congress' latest activities.