Quick Hits

• It’s interesting to see the same book being treated differently in different countries. Compare, for instance, the U.S. cover of Trigger Mortis--Anthony Horowitz’s coming James Bond novel--with the French version. As The Book Bond blog notes, the latter “adds a nice visual reference to auto racing, a big part of the book.”

• Andrew Nette, the man behind the fine blog Pulp Curry, recently interviewed W.H. Chong, the design director at Australia’s Text Publishing, on behalf of Spook Magazine. The two talked about “what makes a good cover design and [Chong’s] favourite cover designs from the science fiction reading of his youth.” You can look over the results of their exchange here.

• These have to be some of the worst covers ever.

• And though I’ve already done enough to publicize the eye-catching blog Pulp International, let me do a bit more. Here you’ll find its selection of Brazilian illustrator José Luiz Benicio’s covers for espionage adventures starring “Brigitte Montfort, nicknamed Baby, a CIA agent posing as a journalist and getting into all kinds of sticky situations during the Cold War.” Then click here to enjoy the front from Corgi’s 1959 paperback edition of Kiss Her Goodbye, a work credited to “Wade Miller” (aka Robert Wade and William Miller). The art in this case was created by Oliver Brabbins, a Brit about whom I’ve not written before on this page (though I should soon). More of Brabbins’ excellent artistry can be appreciated here.