Earle Bergey's 'Shadow Over Mars' — Startling Stories Fall 1944
A wartime newsstand browser in 1944 would have stopped cold at this explosion of color and menace: a muscular hero straining against chains, a brass-bikini-clad woman at his side, and a mob of snarling red ape-men closing in from every angle. Earle Bergey's signature blend of gleaming golden armor, hyper-saturated flesh tones, and kinetic diagonal composition made him the defining voice of Thrilling Publications' covers, and this Leigh Brackett Martian adventure showcases him at full throttle.
This is Bergey operating at peak delirium — chains, golden brassiere, snarling simian aliens, and a hero with a jaw like a ship's prow. It belongs on a dorm room wall AND in a museum, simultaneously and without apology.
“A NOVEL OF THE FUTURE COMPLETE IN THIS ISSUE! STARTLING STORIES 15¢ FALL ISSUE A THRILLING PUBLICATION EARLE BERGEY THE DAY OF THE BEAST A Hall of Fame Classic By D.D. SHARP Shadow Over Mars An Amazing Complete Novel By LEIGH BRACKETT”
