Robert Kennedy Abbett: Cover Artist
Robert Kennedy Abbett (b. 1926) beginning in the late 1950's through the 1970's, painted hundreds of covers for science-fiction novels, war novels, and thrillers. If anyone reading this blog is familiar with Abbett, it is probably because of work on the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Below are some scans of original art for some of the John Carter books and a few other genre titles. Abbett now paints wildlife and nature pictures.
Cover art for Bugged for Murder, 1961.
Unknown story illustration, n.d.
Cover art for Food of the Gods, 1963.
Cover art for Thuvia, Maid of Mars, 1963. This painting was deemed too risque for publication in 1963. Another cover was used, this one saw print in 1969.
Cover art for John Carter of Mars, 1965.
Cover art for Synthetic Men of Mars, 1963.
4 comments:
Phenomenal illustrations !! Thanks for posting these
Thanks, glad you enjoyed them. Back when I was all "Frazetta! Jeff Jones!" I couldn't stand these covers for the Burroughs books. But now I appreciate them for the 1960's commercial spin Abbett puts on them. I actually do enjoy Abbett's mystery and thriller covers better than the Burroughs ones though. Frazetta, Krenkel, and St. John are still the masters when it comes to Burroughs.
Hadn't really come across his work before. Thanks for posting them.
Great stuff! Thanks for these...
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