A mixture of contemporary and retro imagery here with another round up of my recent Flickr favourites. Here’s the notes on this selection:

Top: “My Chemical Romance – Sing” Cover art by Director/Photographer Neil Krug. I’ve been meaning to post some of Neils work for a while as I follow his superb flickr photostream – a really beautiful and distinctive, warm technicolor style that oozes class. Much of Neils work has a real dreamlike quality and although I can’t say I’m a fan Chemical Romance (tbh I don’t really know anything about them!) I do love this portrait, great costume – then again who’s not going to look good in a primary coloured 70′s Ski Jacket and Soviet Tank Helmet?

2nd top: “Lake Bride” by Vangel Naumovski (1924-2006). This one I book marked via another Flickr Photostream I highly recommend: A Journey Round My Skull curated by Will Schofield who regularly posts some truly jaw drop art and illustration, this image by the late Macedonian Artist Vangel Naumovski being no exception.

See a full set of Vangel’s work at http://ajourneyroundmyskull.blogspot.com/2010/10/black-cradle-of-bright-life.html

3rd top: Matthew Leibowitz – “Apollo – The first moon landing is merely a prelude to future space launchings. Future astronauts will explore constellations.” Photomontage Graphic for American defense contractor General Dynamics, this dates from 1965. See more from this set at the full post over at Aqua-Velvet.com originally spotted via another excellent Flickr Stream that of: junkyard.dogs

4th top: “The Green Lady” a Vladimir Tretchikoff contemporary tribute by Manchester based Illustrator Stan Chow. I’m a big fan of Stans work and in particular his gorgeous Adobe Illustrator portraiture, a really confident style with subtle shapes and colouring – excellent stuff! See more at:  http://stanleychow.bigcartel.com/ and here: http://www.stanleychow.co.uk/. Just to jog your memory the original Green Lady looks like this which was once (60s/70′s) one of the worlds most popular reproduced paintings.

5th top: “The Worlds of Theodore Sturgeon” SF Book Cover Art dating from 1972, by David Meltzer. This unusual illustration caught my eye and I was thinking the sinister river of demon eyed wolf heads would make a pretty cool tattoo -  spewing down the back from the nape of ones neck?  erm, just a thought! I probably won’t be getting it done… Via Flickr user: Jim Linwood

Bottom: “Roadside Picnic” Another strange and slightly deranged airbrushed SF Book Cover from Adrian Chesterman this one dates from 1979. I’m not sure exactly what it is – the “Simon-esque” console perhaps? – but this just screams late 70′s early 80′s… art via Flickr user qualityapeman (quality user name!)

Ok Before I start must confess to a bit of stage fright as It’s so long since I’ve actually posted anything!

First off many apologies for the long pause and the lack of response to comments and emails (I will work my way back through them shortly) my reason for extended pause and dropping out of the blogosphere has been purely work related, I will now try and resume a normal level of posting – thanks for bearing with me! – So then, onto the first post…

This superbly executed airbrushing is a follow up to Adrian Chesterman -Tiger! Tiger! another gorgeous (if warped) Penguin SF Book cover that dates from 1979. What I really love the sinister styling and precision Adrian’s deployed in nailing this twisted composition, a fitting feature to kick off the Sci-Fi-O-Rama reboot…

Too see more of british artist Adrian Chesterman’s versatile and extensive portfolio check his new website http://adrianchesterman.com and in addition his older site: http://www.chestermanart.com

Cover Art for a later edition of Alfred Bester’s Classic Sci-Fi Novel “Tiger! Tiger!” originally published in 1956. 

Artist is Adrian Chesterman - http://www.chestermanart.com/

Scan via Flickr User Seriykotik1970 originally spotted via the SciFi Books Pool, a great source of inspiration I’ve featured from many times http://www.flickr.com/groups/22742217@N00/pool/