Chip off the Old Block

The Eldest Son writes:

I just stumbled across something I thought you all might enjoy. It’s an online gallery of cover illustrations for the War of the Worlds!

It ranges from great through so-awful-it’s-hilarious and on into the I-am-astoundingly-unable-to-make-sense-of-what-my-eyes-are-experiencing spectrum. You can even view the covers categorically, using such useful sorting criteria as “Screaming Humans Running Towards You,” “Humans Grabbed by Tentacles,” “Tripods Blasting the HMS Thunderchild,” and “Huh??”

My personal favorite is this illustration for a spanish-language children’s edition of the book. I love the tiny cartoon children screaming in abject terror as they flee the intergalactic monstrosities pursuing them with death rays.

Second place goes to this cover, in which the martian looks like a psychedelic Japanese vampire Mickey Mouse about to chow down on humanity.

There’s also one with an inexplicable picture of the USS Enterprise on it. ???

And, just to cleanse your Martian palate, I’ll give you a cool one. The Edward
Gorey edition I own! (Thanks, Tasha)

Also on the cool side, here is a test animation for an unfinished War of the Worlds film Ray Harryhausen briefly tried to make. It is the only remaining fragment of one of the great cinematic what-ifs of our age!

Enjoy!

Monstrously,

Luke