Someone happened to post the cover to the Ace edition of David C. Smith & Richard L. Tierney’s For the Witch of the Mists (1981). I have seen the book before but never thought about the cover artist. I did not recognize him and did a little searching.
The cover artist is Ezra Tucker (b. 1955). He had a few covers for sword and sorcery paperbacks in 1981 and then disappeared.
He did two covers for Michael Moorcock’s Count Brass series in 1981. For some reason, I just don’t remember seeing those editions nor do I see them in used bookstores.
I do remember seeing the cover for Shayol #5 (1982). You wonder if that cover was done for an unpublished novel.
I like Ezra Tucker’s style. It is all part of that late 1970s style of fantasy illustration that did not survive the barrier of 1980. Tucker has a website. He had done other fantasy illustration. He has also done a whole lot of animal illustration.
I remember that first Count Brass cover. Always liked it and the BMM cover. Tucker’s style from that period kinda reminds me of Burne Hogarth crossed with Kelly Freas. Good stuff! Maybe Ezra ought to get back in the S&S ring. Sword and sorcery needs all the legit cover artists it can find.
Bingo! Tucker is the guy who painted the Ace SWORD OF THE GAEL cover.
Now if we could only figure out who painted the cover for THE TOWER OF DEATH…
Another artist whose work I recognize but whose name I forget.
Thanks for the post!
A striking artist whose work I had seen, but whose identity I was not aware of.
The Moorcock covers you posted remind me of a more realistic take on Josh Kirby’s style. Thank you!