Croatian Bond Covers
Colonel Johns
Ottawa, CanadaPosts: 21MI6 Agent
Raymond Hawkey's Pan paperback covers from the 60s have long been my favourite Bond covers. Thanks to thebookbond.com, that may have just changed.
The publishers of the Croatian translations have chosen to use photos of the Bond girls on the covers. They've tried to select the models, settings, clothing, etc. to match Fleming's descriptions as closely as possible. I've noticed a couple of small deviations, but overall I think they're pretty good. CR, LALD, MR and the QoS short story collection have been published so far.
Here is an article on the publication of Moonraker along with the cover image (Gala Brand in the missile silo):
http://www.thebookbond.com/2011/05/croatian-special-edition-of-moonraker.html
More of the photos can be found on the photographer's DeviantArt pages:
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/art/Live-And-Let-Die-147595219
With a little Googling you can find a number of unused photos from the shoots, some of which IMHO are even better than the ones that were selected. Here's one example (Mary Ann Russell, FAVTAK):
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/art/Quantum-Of-Solace-99689564
And finally, an interview with the photographer:
http://www.bondcollection.com.ar/Flemingforthe%20eyesofCroatia/fleming.for.the.eyes.of.croatia.htm
The publishers of the Croatian translations have chosen to use photos of the Bond girls on the covers. They've tried to select the models, settings, clothing, etc. to match Fleming's descriptions as closely as possible. I've noticed a couple of small deviations, but overall I think they're pretty good. CR, LALD, MR and the QoS short story collection have been published so far.
Here is an article on the publication of Moonraker along with the cover image (Gala Brand in the missile silo):
http://www.thebookbond.com/2011/05/croatian-special-edition-of-moonraker.html
More of the photos can be found on the photographer's DeviantArt pages:
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/art/Live-And-Let-Die-147595219
With a little Googling you can find a number of unused photos from the shoots, some of which IMHO are even better than the ones that were selected. Here's one example (Mary Ann Russell, FAVTAK):
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/art/Quantum-Of-Solace-99689564
And finally, an interview with the photographer:
http://www.bondcollection.com.ar/Flemingforthe%20eyesofCroatia/fleming.for.the.eyes.of.croatia.htm
A tall youngish man in a dark blue suit, white shirt and black tie turned away from the window and came towards him.
"Mr. James?" the man smiled thinly. "I'm Colonel, let's say - er - Johns."
"Mr. James?" the man smiled thinly. "I'm Colonel, let's say - er - Johns."
Comments
Unused shots from the CR/Vesper Lynd shoot:
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/art/Forgotten-Vesper-Lynd-117956377
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/art/Vesper-Lynd-III-98184564
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs36/f/2008/260/b/7/Vesper_Lynd_II_by_Marinshe.jpg
More Mary Ann Russell (FAVTAK):
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs33/f/2008/312/c/8/For_Your_Eyes_Only_II_by_Marinshe.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs33/f/2008/311/8/4/For_Your_Eyes_Only_by_Marinshe.jpg
This one is Judy Havelock (FYEO). It didn't make any sense to me at first (what's up with her hair?) but when I pulled out the book and reread Fleming's description of her it made perfect sense.
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/art/Quantum-Of-Solace-III-100046200
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/077/0/9/James_Bond_Cover_02_by_Marinshe.jpg
"Mr. James?" the man smiled thinly. "I'm Colonel, let's say - er - Johns."
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Indeed.
Apart from its obvious charms, it gives an idea of what a period CR movie might look like.
"Mr. James?" the man smiled thinly. "I'm Colonel, let's say - er - Johns."
The publisher's site has them, unfortunately the image quality isn't great:
http://www.algoritam.hr/?m=1&p=proizvodi&Korak=kategorija&kat=625
If you click through on each book you will eventually get to a somewhat larger image.
Here is a shot that shows both the front and back covers of CR:
http://marinshe.deviantart.com/journal/19618887/
This one gives an idea of the LALD rear cover (that's the photographer holding it):
http://Marinshe.deviantart.com/art/My-third-James-Bond-Cover-2-147599349
They could produce a great calendar once they get through all the books.
"Mr. James?" the man smiled thinly. "I'm Colonel, let's say - er - Johns."
While I like the rear cover of CR, the front one does nothing for me, I do miss the casino connection as these shots obviously reflect the latter half of the novel.
The prospective FYEO cover is a bit wild, looks like it should be from a sci-fi movie.
The QOS one (FAVTAK) is very retro chic. I like it a lot, but it doesn't really draw me in as a potential buyer.
MR is also a very striking pose, and the model is certainly attractive in all the right places, but I think it needed something in the background, like a missile or something, even the LALD cover had the sea and the suggetsion of a coral reef.
The brief glimpse of a cover for OP was rather disappointing and just looked like a pretty girl reclining on a sofa. No cello case or sniper rifle.
I'm being a bit picky. They are very striking images and excellently photographed, I'm simply not sure they all cut it as truly effective covers; they don't present enough of the novel to draw one in. Mind, given how popular the movies and books are, I guess they could probably be published in plain paper wraps and people would still buy them.
Richard