When James Newman announced the release of his 80’s throwback The Wicked from Shock Totem Publications fans were in a frenzy. Newman has an established and loyal fan base among horror lit circles that continues to grow. He’s also exhibited a keen talent for nostalgic homage pieces like his 2010 head-nod to exploitation and Quentin Tarantino with Revenge Flick! (check out Pat Dreadful’s review here). But in addition his increasing following and a penchant for connecting with fanboy (and girls’) hearts, it was also Shock Totem’s magnificent paint and canvas cover art by Jesse David Young that had readers clambering for their copy.
In an age of generic digital-made covers typical of $0.99 eBook releases, Newman’s throwback cover left fans swooning over the novel like a high school crush. Sigh. The font, the old man’s evil eyes, the faux worn edges… there’s even a fake sale sticker on the back! It’s truly magnificent. Any grim reader worth his weight in paperbacks knows that you can’t judge a book by its horrific cover, so what about the insides? Are they as wonderfully gruesome as the outside? Short answer is yes. Six hundred and sixty-six times, yes! Continue reading
