A selection of Retro Sci-fi magazine covers from “Visco – The Visual Index of Science Fiction Cover art” over at http://www.sfcovers.net/a fab archive, set up and maintained by Terry Gibbons.

Visco is much like http://www.coverbrowser.com/ in that it’s basically a database of scans & photographs, cataloging Science Fiction magazine publications from the 40′s right up through to the 90′s (why is it the 90′s designs are the worst? ). It’s an excellent little resource with art from many of the artists featured here, and whilst some of the scans aren’t of superb quality the diverse wealth of material more than makes up for it – a great read!

Notes on the above images:

(Top) 1981 cover art from Avatar creature designer Wayne Barlowe

(2nd Top) An action packed 1974 Cover from Tim White

(3rd Top) An astronaut in a familiar pose for this 1976 cover, art by David Bergen … If anyone knows any more about David please post a comment, there seems to be little info on him….

(Bottom) The instantly recognisble work of Leo & Diane Dillon art this time from 1972

Special thanks to Haniff for pointing me in the direction of Visco!

Scan Taken from “The Flights of Icarus” a 1977 compilation of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Surrealism from Paper Tiger, here’s a superbly coloured, melancholy sample from British artist David Bergen (born 1947). Alas, as with another blog favourite Peter Tybus it seems there’s little info on David past the 70′s….. If anyone knows more please point me in the right direction.