Apparently bad covers are a problem that is as old as paperback publishing. I ran across an article that, um, beautifully illustrates that point. And it’s about the first US paperback covers for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit of all things. Barbara Remington’s first cover is truly an exercise in interpreting the idea of The Hobbit, rather than its content, since she was not given a chance to read the book when she received the commission. The Bizarre Book Covers for the First U.S. Paperback Editions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Books, Made By an Artist Who Had Never Read Them The cover in question: Um, o-kay. Well,Read More →