 Originally
created for the 1976 novel (with Stephen Goldin) the Artist later
enhanced this cover Art from Book 2 of the Family D'Alembert series by
E. E. "Doc" Smith (Panther,
ISBN-10: 0586043357, 158 pages, Paperback) to form a key part of the
space hardware aspect of The Solar Wind Picture Library and which
became much sought after by publishers worldwide for other books and
products. Edward
Elmer 'Doc' Smith was a key author in Science Fiction in the
thirties and forties and continued to write into the sixties and
Panther Books in London put these stories on the map throughout the UK
& Commonwealth distribution system by first having Chris Foss as
cover Artist and then later Peter Andrew Jones, who took over the role
in the mid-70's. Most of Smith's work comprises two series of space
operas and The Family d'Alembert series of ten books, co-authored by
Stephen Goldin, concerning the exploits of Wombat and Perriwinkle, two
key agents of The Imperial Secret Service, The family d'Alembert circus
troupe being famous galaxy-wide, and loyal to the Empire, and Jules
and Yvette d'Alembert, two of the best in the family, also work secretly to
uncover plots against the Stanley Dynasty."Stranglers' Moon was the 2nd of my "Doc Smith" covers - after Chris (Foss) ceased creating the covers I was bold-over to be asked by Art Director Steve Abis at Panther, who I had already been creating covers for over a couple of years at that point, to work on "Doc" Smith stories, which I really enjoyed reading. I was in illustrator's heaven, I could read SF manuscripts over lunch in my favorite restaurant in the Fulham Road and then go back to the studio just down the road and visualise what I'd read; and to think, I even got paid to do so. Magic! Steve
Abis was an exceptional talent and a fabulous Art Director to work with
and as a young Artist I was extremely fortunate and privilaged to gain
so much experience from creating covers for both the Panther and
Mayflower imprints that he Art Directed. In many ways, that experience
was a key part of what shaped what some people refer to as "The PAJ
style" though to me, of course, it is invisible - it's just the way I
paint, but then again, that way was, and probably may still be, very
much shaped by "the Panther years . . . . . . . " See it in this book |
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