I believe that this was a proposed cover illustration for "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction", May 1967 for the short story "Planetoid Idiot" by Phylis Gotlieb. It didn't get used and instead it was illustrated by Ronald Walotsky. The blank boxes at the top of the illustration would have fitted the magazines title. If it had got published it would have been his first Cover for the popular monthly science fiction magazine market. However that didn't come until later, when Ted White commissioned a cover for "Amazing Science Fiction", November 1970 and with a similar style and robot theme of a close up of a robots hand.
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I think that 1970 cover with robot hand looks stronger, but this one is more interesting with different planes and what seems to be flying capsule. There are slight changes in angles betwwen robot's shoulders, metallic construction and path of capsule. Maybe there should be no changes or they should be more pronounced to convey more punch?
ReplyDeleteAside from unfinished capsule there are hills on the range, or maybe they are geodesic domes.
Cool pic.
Hi Pinwizz
ReplyDeleteThere is an unusual perspective with the robots shoulder, now you mention it, I can't make up my mind what it is. I'd love to see the finished result, I very nearly did a rough mock up of the finished cover. I love the idea of the flying capsule I imagined at first that it was somehow precariously balanced on the metal structure but flying is better!
Ivan