A new to me, Jeff Jones book cover

I have been an unabashed fan of Jeff Jones' 

artwork, ever since I ran across it, as a thirteen, or so, year old, 

and I fell in love with the images of the women that he drew and painted.

Way back then, I had no idea, that he was already having doubts about his gender and perhaps that played into the very sympathetic renditions, that he made of lovely young maidens.

The fact that he never really found the peace that he was searching for is tragic, in the only sense of the word that works for me and that he seems to have died, unsure that his life choices had been the right ones.

The artwork is still lovely to look at though and I thank him for all of the hours of contented enjoyment his works have given me.

Star Barbarians, 

by 

Dave Van Arnam

is a cover by Jeff, that I am fairly confident, that I have never seen before and given that I have been collecting his book covers for about forty years... that is pretty remarkable.

I would lay good money, on the chance that this painting is based on a photograph, from an issue of National Geographic.

Not that I can prove it but it just "feels" that way to me. 

The Silver Snail, White Goddess Poster by Charles Vess

The other day, quite by accident, 

I happened across a Facebook posting 

by Mark Askwith, 

who was the manager of Toronto's iconic comic book shop, 

The Silver Snail, 

in it's heydays of the Eighties.

When Mark left that position,  I was caught by surprise and for some reason,  I always thought it was less than happily accepted by the owner, Ron Van Leeuwen.

But, as the post proves, Ron was happy enough with the change, to give Mark the Charles Vess, original painting, that was used as a poster to commemorate the store's eleventh (?) Anniversary. 

I will state, here and now, that Mark Askwith is the real deal, a true spirit with a reliable moral compass and I am not the least bit surprised to discover, that during Charles' time of need, Mark gave him the artwork back.

I take my hat off and bow, in the presence of that generosity of spirit and I know that Charles and his wife appreciated the gift.

It has been many years now, since I last bumped into Mark but we were never really that close and I doubt if he would even recognize me today... which is as it should be.