When I reviewed Topor's The Tenant last month I noted I'd been unable to find any cover art online for its first American paperback edition from Bantam Books. Well, thanks to Dan Mosier of Dead Man's Brain, I can now finally post it. He just sent me a photo of his own copy of the book, noting that the "tear" on the cover is actually part of the artwork. So perfectly composed, so accurate to the book's description; dig the look of fascinated horror on poor Trelkovsky's face--! Unfortunately the artist is unknown. Glorious vintage horror cover art indeed. Thanks again, Dan!
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Tenant by Roland Topor (1964): The Paperback Cover
When I reviewed Topor's The Tenant last month I noted I'd been unable to find any cover art online for its first American paperback edition from Bantam Books. Well, thanks to Dan Mosier of Dead Man's Brain, I can now finally post it. He just sent me a photo of his own copy of the book, noting that the "tear" on the cover is actually part of the artwork. So perfectly composed, so accurate to the book's description; dig the look of fascinated horror on poor Trelkovsky's face--! Unfortunately the artist is unknown. Glorious vintage horror cover art indeed. Thanks again, Dan!
Fantastic cover! The artwork has an almost Basil Gogos-esque feel to it with it's harsh lighting and bright colors on the face.
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteBy FAR the best of the lot.
There's just nothing like a beautiful example of vintage paperback horror. Hell, even on the ( very ) rare occasions when a publisher attempts to replicate it or do an homage, they fall quite short.
So, any good scores lately?
I came THIS close to finally getting my hands on an elusive copy of Daw's YEARS BEST HORROR STORIES II from 1972. Which, I've been after for years & years now as it features the first paperback printing of T.E.D. Klein's EVENTS AT POROTH FARM. Which is one of my top five fav short novels & which later became one of my top three fav novels THE CEREMONIES.
Unfortunately, I was outbid at the last moment, MUCH to my frustration...
Your review last month prompted me to watch the movie for the first time, and it couldn't have been more apt now that BLACK SWAN has been released. They're so similiar in theme and message. But THE TENANT feels like a more mature, more easy-to-relate-to version of the new Oscar fav that felt like a Sweet-Valley High take on the Topor/Polanski effort (it;s not a bad movie, just not as adult as THE TENANT). And that cover is my fav pre-70's novel cover.
ReplyDeleteThis cover is awesome. The poor lady looks like she's having a really painful bowel movement.
ReplyDelete