And I bought my first Michael Moorcock book at Dark They Were. It was the Mayflower paperback edition of The Final Programme, with it's crazy way cool Bob Haberfield cover. I can't even begin to adequately put into words the impact that my introduction to Jerry Cornelius had on me. That book changed my life. And I don't mean that in that twee over-statement kinda way that we're all prone to, from time to time. The Final Programme genuinely changed the way in which I viewed the world around me, it opened up to me a whole new world of ideas and possibilitied in a way that no other book had ever done before and would never do again.
And, of course, it set me on the Moorcock road. The week after I bought The Final Programme, I returned to Dark They Were and picked up copies of A Cure For Cancer, The English Assassin, and The Condition of Muzak. I read all three over the following week, and returned to discover Hawkmoon and The RuneStaff, then again for Elric and Corum, for Count Brass and Karl Glogauer, then again and again.
Once, I saw Moorcock himself in the shop, but I was far too shy to approach him, and I regret that I never had the gumption to go up and speak to him, even now, after all these many years. But, then, you know, I was a kid, and what on Earth do you say to Michael Moorcock, anyway? " I think you're great? " Hardly.
Anyway, here's a wee selection of Bob Haberfield's covers for Michael Moorcock paperbacks, skanked from over at the Multiverse Gallery.
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7 comments:
Wow, never knew who did all those covers but, yep, had 'em all and loved 'em all! Sadly never got to go to Dark They Were but always wanted to: Used to see the ads in BEM and you're right, it definately seemed like a magical place.
And loved Jerry Cornelius too! Didn't understand a word of it at that tender age but still, such a cool character. and the film was pretty good too. I used to have a book of Moorcock short stories with a JC comic strip in it, I think by Mal Dean. Wish I still had it. Great post, fella!
I'm guessing the book with the comic strip was The New Nature of the Catastrophe, Pete, which featured not only the comic, but a load of JC stories written by authors other than Moorcock. it's a cracker. I have a first edition hardcover of it that I picked up in an Oxfam shop a few years back.
by the by, matey, it's great to see you're still doing the rounds. still missing the blog, though. you take care, now.
Those are wonderful covers and fun to read your nostalgia opening.
I was unfamiliar with Haberfield's work until now. I have read and enjoyed Elric. Someday I should try some other Moorcock books.
Wish I had time / scanner access to do the blog, our kid. Ah well. Don't think it was that book you mentioned I had. Can't remember the title, but it was all Moorcock and published by Savoy. The only other story I recall was something about a dead spaceman...
Dark They Were... was actually the first comic shop I ever set foot in, at the age of about 12. As you say, Joe, 'twas a magical place and I spent a good couple of hours lost in there while my parents saw the sights of London town. Went back a few years later but it had gone :-(
In comic shop terms, it was all downhill from there...
sadly, so true, so true.
Dark They Were was a head shop too? Oh man, no wonder all my friends raved about it. Bunch of druggie reprobates.
Pete, your book was called My Experiences in the Third World War. That was my first exposure to Jerry C. and company, oddly enough.
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