Tom Adams - Christie Book Covers

Christery

Hello! I thought I'd start a discussion on the artist, Tom Adams. During the 60s and 70s Adams beautiful covers graced many of Agatha Christies books. Google "Tom Adams Christie covers" to see a bunch of these great paintings. There is also a book "Agatha Christie: The Art of Her Crimes" in which Tom talks about a lot of the covers and how he decided on the different images. I always felt that his covers added to the mood and feeling of each book by picking out various images and props that were interesting and memorable. He did an excellent job.

MissQuin

I think that he designed some of the best covers. I'm not a fan of the 50's book covers. Alot of them seem to have buxom blondes in bathing costumes, even when there weren't any in the book! In particular the Hollow 60's edition.

So to have covers that reflect the books, are so much better. My favourite is Murder At The Vicarage as it  puts me in mind of Magritte

Dr.Sheppard

I'm a great fan of the Tom Adams' work. It was his cover illustration for 'One Two Buckle My Shoe' that attracted me to Agatha Christie books. Over time I have been adding to my collection of books, by purchasing paperbacks that have a Tom Adams cover. I also have a copy of Tom Adams' 'Agatha Christie Cover Story' and have been tempted to cut out my favourite pictures and frame them! I'm sure I would never do that. In September when I was attending the Festival in Torquay I bought one of my favourite limited edition prints 'And Then There Were None', only wishing I had bought it last year as it had increased in price by a ridiculous amount. Having made the commitment I am sure I will be buying more limited Tom Adams prints to my Agatha Christie collection, they really are excellent.

MissQuin

I meant 50's cover of The Hollow- including a blonde and glamorous  version of Gerda!! Terrible, had that artist read the book?! Thank goodness Tom Adams took over the artwork.

If I ever get hold of a Tom Adams cover with Mr Quin I will frame it, thank you for the wonderful inspiration Dr Sheppard. Did you know can buy raised glass picture frames that allow you to place objects, or this case, a thick book inside? 

Dr.Sheppard

Miss Quin

Thank you for you advice, I was not aware of the raised glass picture frame, I will go and explore. 

With regards a Tom Adams cover with Mr Quin, I can only think of "The Mysterious Mr. Quin" and I know a limited edition print was for sale at the Torquay Museum in September - I nearly purchased it mistaking it for 'One two Buckle My Shoe'. Tom Adams 'Agatha Christie Cover Story', details where the original painting are, but no mention is made for 'The Mysterious Mr Quin'.

MissQuin

I'd be happy enough to frame this:

http://www.tomadamsuncovered.co.uk/printshop/pic_themysteriousmrquin.html

It cleverly uses what looks something like an old woodcut of a commedia dell'arte scene blended with a contemporary red colour, a gun and a death's head hawk moth. 

The cover I'm not keen on is Tom Adams A Caribbean mystery. I don't know what it is about it. Maybe the eye...

Christery

Yes, a lot of times Adams went for an unsettling image purposefully - check out the ugly spider coming out of the top of the woman's head on Appointment with Death! Or the owl impaled with a knife for Endless Night. My favorite covers include the gun underwater for The Hollow, the foot with fly on it for Body in Library, the giant bee attacking the plane for Death in the Clouds, the reversing puzzle pieces of N or M?, the bikini voodoo doll for Evil Under The Sun, and the old rocking horse for Postern of Fate. He really did so many amazing ones!

MissQuin

I have a copy of the hardback of Charles Osborne's The Life And Crimes of Agatha Christie. It features the infamous giant wasp. I've not actually seen it, but there was an episode of Doctor Who with AC and a wasp? That's where the idea must have stemmed from.

 

Rounak Ghosh

hey.who makes the new AC book covers

Rounak Ghosh

are they made by harper colins itself?

Christery

Miss Quin, Doctor Who is another obsession of mine so you can imagine how I felt when they announced an episode combining the two! The episode was very good - once you got past the idea of Agatha Christie interacting with space aliens! What was a lot of fun, though, was that throughout the episode they sprinkled in the titles of different Christie books within the dialogue. It was fun everytime one popped up.

Christery

Oh, I forgot to add - I was wondering what people thought of the newest covers with the Christie signature on them? I like them as they boil it down to one primary important image. I didn't like the covers before that that used boring static one-color desolate scenes like a street lamp or empty street. Too generic and dull!

MissQuin

I like some of the signature mono B&W but the Mr Quin one is blue and just awful! Not a raibow of Harlequin colours. 

Christery

I agree that they missed an opportunity with that one - could have definitely used rainbow colors and a harlequin mask.

MissQuin

I like alot of the latest book book covers. Some are in the style of Art Deco posters. But there are exceptions. I liked the Mr Quin one at first, then I later thought perhaps it's too cartoon like? I think the cover nees mystery depth and a touch of something sinister. 

 But I noticed they made an error with Lord Edgware Dies- there is no gun in the plot! I wonder how many other spoilers and errors are on Christie book covers?

Christery Thank you for telling me about Dr Who, I will try and catch that episode sometime. 

debaleena.mukherjee

One of the best is the 4.50 From Paddington cover. The clues are all there , even the compact.