Robert Gould

Elric of Melniboné by Robert Gould

One of the things I love the most about many of the books I read as a youth is the covers. I’m still a sucker for a great cover, but something about the artwork and design of books from the 1970s and 1980s sticks with me. Among my favorites, one artist stands out, and, in many ways, I think shaped and inspired my interest in both art and design. That artist is Robert Gould.

Sadly, I couldn't find a lot of info on him. I did, however, find a lot of his work, so much so that I got a little lost looking for info about him. I’m a reasonably talented internet sleuth, but this one has me stumped. And it’s odd, right? His art is so fucking good, and there is a lot of it out there. He did a lot of covers back in the 80s, and I can find all sorts of ephemera from him, but not a lot about who him. I’m alright with that; I’ll chalk it up as a mystery. Having said that, I’m not done, I now have a goal to own some of his work, and I think I might need to put considerable effort into that.