As with last year’s Free Comic Book Day I’ve put together another collection of record sleeves that use artists from or reference comics in some way. Above is a Boo-Yaa Tribe 12″ which I THINK is drawn by Bob Camp who also did the Bambaataa ‘Renegades of Funk’ and Newcleus sleeves from the previous post. The only credit is ‘designed by Island Art’ on the back and the German 12″ says ‘illustration: Marvel Comics’ (!) This version features two remixes by Coldcut incidentally.
A classic back and front sleeve by (*update!) Dave Little for Bomb The Bass‘ first LP – the connection started when BTB adapted Dave Gibbons‘ Watchman smiley face with blood splat on their first 12″ cover for ‘Beat Dis’ – thus helping bring the smiley into the then current Acid House craze as its motif. Dave Little – as Steve Cook helpfully pointed out below in the comments – was Rhythm King‘s in-house designer, responsible for S’Express, Renegade Soundwave and more.
Next up – the master – Moebius, drawing Hendrix, as he would do several times in his career but this is the only album cover I know of. This is a ‘twofer’, two albums in one package for the French market on the Barclay label with a gorgeous gatefold. I love the way Hendrix is on the back instead of the front.
More Moebius, I’ve posted this before but it’s so good I’m going to do it again.
Staying with the French artists here’s Philippe Druillet with another Hendrix gatefold and another similar record that I can’t identify the artist on – both released on Barclay. Anyone know the second artist? Update: several people have pointed the finger at Richard Corben on this one and I can see the similarity for sure plus it would fit in with the series of artists featured in Metal Hurlant at the time.
This is the back cover of an Impulse Jazz compilation with a weird contraption by lesser-known Underground Comix artist Dave Sheridan (RIP) – odd to see this on a jazz record but then again Robert Crumb was no stranger to the genre.
Last but not least we have Jim Fitzpatrick who did many sleeves for Thin Lizzy in the 70’s through to the early 80’s. Not really a comic artist as such, more in the Celtic Fantasy range as an illustrator but you can see the comic book influence in his style with the psychedelic lettering on the early releases looking like Robert Williams‘ work or even Hawkwind-era Barney Bubbles.
Love this die-cut cover showing through the inside sleeve.
This Greatest Hits release was advertised with a comic strip-like page in an issue of Sounds, riffing off a cowboy theme. 
Not quite sure if this is Jim Fitzpatrick as the line work is a bit spikier and Steve Cook again pointed out that it could be Martin Asbury – probably best known for drawing Garth and the style certainly looks similar.
Hendrix 4 seems to be from Patrice Leroy
The Adventures Of Thin Lizzy was done by Martin Asbury. I bought the original art work used for the album cover many many years ago. It has linear notes by the artist on the left side detailing where the Thin Lizzy logo (in Yellow), The Adventures Wording (In Blue), The Hit Singles Collection (In Blue) and The Bullet Holes (in white) should go. It hangs with pride on my wall in my home in Ireland. It was the only Thin Lizzy Comic Strip Artwork Cover not to done by Jim Fitzpatrick. So to a collector that makes it very rare indeed.
I think you are right John!
Hello, the Hendrix 4 , In the West cover is not Corben, it looks like it is by a French comic artist named Philippe Cazaumayou, known as Caza. His work was widely published there, in Metal Hurlant and also in the USA in Heavy Metal. best, John
There was a TV ad for Thin Lizzys Greatest Hits LP, just found it completely by accident!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkQQrwsrqH4
There was a TV ad for the Thin Lizzy Greatest Hits album, just discovered it completely by accident!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkQQrwsrqH4
I’m curating an exhibition of 60 vinyl record sleeves by comic book artists in Kendal in October, as part of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival…
http://theartofseanphillips.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/phonographic.html
http://www.comicartfestival.com/
Also, Re: Bomb The Bass. Most of Rhythm King’s albums were illustrated by David Little. I’m pretty sure that’s his.
The Thin Lizzy one looks like Martin Asbury to me. Check this signature. http://cdn.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_13429/subcat_84575/asbury_garth2.jpg
Thanks for all the comments, I’m still on the lookout for sleeves (it’s not hard, there are tons) I found this similar article http://whatculture.com/music/35-comic-book-artists-created-famous-album-covers.php which features plenty.
Seems obvious when you look at it but I never knew Corben did ‘Bat Out of Hell’, the male anatomy gives in away though once you know.
The Moebius Hendrix was recycled with different colours for this release:
http://www.discogs.com/Jimi-Hendrix-Voodoo-Soup/release/714272
…which also includes the original photo that was used.
Cheers,
Jim.
The Bomb the Bass cover(one of my all-time favourites!)also has street cred for the fact that one of the guns Mr Simenon is holding is Johnny Alphas’ of Strontium Dog “fame”! I also agree that Jailbreak was VERY Neal Adams-like and if I remember correctly there was an animated TV ad for the album?
I always thought the Jailbreak cover looked a lot like Neal Adams. In fact, for a long time, I thought it was Neal Adams, somehow totally missing the signature. Adams, of course, did do the cover of “Who Will Save the World” by the Mighty Groundhogs, an album I bought for the cover, but never listened to.
Sorry, just emailed you before I saw the comments box. The other Hendrix cover looks a lot like Richard Corben.