ASOUE Helquist Cover Art B2W (Best to Worst)

[bear]

I’m sure this thread exists Many times over, but idgaf. Mr semby’s promo poster made me consider which cover art I liked the best. Here’s my ranking:

TPP - like the book itself, more populated and mysterious than any other.
TVV - a personal favorite for the palette.
TGG - same.
TBB - classic, iconic, much imitated.
TE - a big dramatic tease, and the Baudelaires look their most growed up.
THH - probably the scariest of the bunch.
TSS - sunny showcase.
TEE - violet showcase.
TWW - a bit boring, but classic gothic vibes.
TRR - cool snake, but Monty looks ridiculous. probably the wackiest cover.
TAA - the most repulsive cover, but the subject matter makes that a necessity. The posing seems like a rehash of TBB.
TMM - klaus showcase is just his big dumb face hogging the cover? no thanks.
TCC - the baudelaires aren’t even on it. but it’s also probably the worst title, so the art had to make it obvious what it meant.

Let me know your rankings. I’m not familiar enough with the Egmont covers — for a long time I thought they were someone’s mediocre imitation of the American covers, not helquist himself — but feel free to rank those too.

[Semblance]

I once made a video on this. Let's see what I said...
1: TE
2: TGG
3: TWW
4: TSS
5: TPP
6: THH
7: TVV
8: TEE
9: TRR
10: TBB
11: TAA
12: TMM
13: TCC

I'd change it to:
1: TGG
2: TE
3: TWW
4: TPP
5: TSS
6: THH
7: TVV
8: TEE
9: TRR
10: TBB
11: TAA
12: TMM
13: TCC
I'm sure my ranking will change again.

[bear]

we have quite a bit of overlap. Looking at TWW again, it is quite handsome, and far from the most boring, but it is maybe the most vague. In TBB’s defense — although it is easy to become desensitized to its charms, due to its ubiquity — it does actually pack a lot of atmosphere in. Olaf’s and the Baudelaires’ sides of the threshold contrast perfectly. and it is iconic not only in the general sense, but in relation to violet as well, who looks like an icon of the madonna. the cluster of buildings behind them also look like something out of Duccio. overall an essential presentation of the series’ aesthetic, and it would be the most obvious influence in every subsequent visualization of the characters.

[MisterM]

So I'm presuming from the descriptions that these are the US covers?

[bear]

Dec 5, 2023 23:01:44 GMT -5 bear said:

I’m not familiar enough with the Egmont covers — for a long time I thought they were someone’s mediocre imitation of the American covers, not helquist himself — but feel free to rank those too.

[the panopticountolaf]

i thought the egmont covers for sure would be options on the poll

my personal favorites:
—TSS (U.S. edition). there's just something really striking about this cover. i feel like it does a super good job of conveying sunny's isolation and the grittiness of the mountains simultaneously. the mortmains have always kind of stood out to me as one of the best locations in the series. they're really visceral and haunting and *feel* real. or about as real as cube-shaped mountains can do.

—TGG (U.K. edition). i think this is one of the few that surpasses the U.S. editions. i really applaud the changes they made: it's way eerier to have the children floating (swimming?). almost like they've drowned or something, it's really stomach-churning. klaus's hand sticking out into the dead space of the cover, fiona lurking ominously in the background, and the addition of the submarine. it's superb. helquist got REALLY good at conveying the dread and terror of the books with the later covers. <3

[J. S.]

I seem to be in the minority here, but I have always liked the cover for TRR. Maybe it's because it was my favorite book as a kid and I loved the snake.

Dec 5, 2023 23:01:44 GMT -5 bear said:

TAA - the most repulsive cover, but the subject matter makes that a necessity. The posing seems like a rehash of TBB.

I agree that the cover for TAA is ugly but the posing is actually an allusion to this original illustration from Oliver Twist.

[bear]

oh yeah, i guess so. i was looking for a reason why the posing doesn't really make sense.

[J. S.]

Dec 6, 2023 19:38:12 GMT -5 bear said:

oh yeah, i guess so. i was looking for a reason why the posing doesn't really make sense.

Yeah, especially because Nero doesn't actually serve them food

[Esmé's meme is meh]

1: TPP
2: TWW
3: TEE
4: THH
5: TGG
6: TE
7: TVV
8: TSS
9: TRR
10: TBB
11: TAA
12: TCC
13: TMM

[Glittery666]

1.THH
2.TBB
3.TWW
4.TSS
5.TGG
6.TEE
7.TPP
8.TRR
9.TVV
10.TE
11.TAA
12.TMM
13.TCC

[Gregor Anwhistle]

1. TGG -- I'm a sucker for the blue-green color palette. It sets the tone for the book's submarine setting and the dark, inky mysteries of the ocean depths. I also like the little touch where Sunny is nervously watching an angler fish swim past her helmet (Sunny inside the helmet is also just a cool image itself).

2. TPP -- The fiery red-orange of the Baudelaire's uniforms serves as a striking contrast to the blue-green of TGG, and I like how claustrophobic it feels having the children surrounded by a sea of suspicious people.

3. THH -- This was the cover that first drew me into the series. I really like Helquist's choice of putting us in Violet's POV with the low angle shot and dynamic placement of the three heads. The circular ceiling light behind/above them further anchors the composition.

4. TE -- You can really see how far Helquist has developed as an artist in this final cover of the series. I've always liked the shading on his billowy clouds so I'm happy he snuck one in the background.

5. Helquist changes things up by giving us a more dynamic angle inside the elevator shaft. Not knowing the context invites the reader to wonder just what the Baudelaires are up to, and to dive into the book to find out.

*** Ok, so this middle set (#6 to 10) is where my ranking is a little less concrete. They're not as strong as my top picks, but they're not as low as my bottom-ranked covers. My rankings here are likely to change depending on the day.

6. TWW -- The cooler palette makes me feel cold which is fitting for the stormy setting. I do like the lighting on Violet and Sunny's faces. This was still during Helquist's "scratchy" cross-hatching days. I'd be interested to see this cover reworked in his TGG/TPP/TE style.

7. TSS -- A tiny detail I've always appreciated is Olaf and Esme's shadows in the tent.

8. TRR

9. TAA -- Nero's proportions compared to Violet and Klaus are amusing, but it does add to his monstrous character.

10. TBB -- I like how Olaf is in shadow while the children are in the light. Olaf feels like a sinister spider. Klaus certainly knows something is off.

11. TVV -- This one is fine but I don't have much commentary on it. I will say that the color palette has a dirty bleakness to it, and reminds me of how I imagine Paltryville (as far as palette is concerned).

12. TCC -- The lions get up close and personal, but I wonder if there was another image that could have worked better. I like the chapter illustration of Olaf and Lulu with the crystal ball (it has dramatic lighting) and maybe with a few tweaks it could work as the cover.

13. TMM -- Yeah, Klaus taking up most of the foreground is a bit bland for me and doesn't really convey what the story is about. And Violet gets lost in the background due to the color palette. Interestingly I've read interviews where Helquist says this is one of his favorite covers.


Bonus Ranking: The Pony Party -- Oh joy of joys! Beth Quiltrest's art really captures the gleeful happiness of the book and it makes me want to leap onto a table and do a jig in celebration.

[bear]

funny how DH has said TMM is his favorite book, and Helquist has said it's his favorite cover. i wonder if they are aware of the reputation among fans.