James Bama RIP

[mb22]

James Bama, who illustrated the covers of many genre magazines, paperbacks and model kits in the 1960s and 70s has died at almost the age of 96 . He did the memorable "Where No Man Has Gone Before" inspired promotion art for Star Trek's premiere in 1966 (featuring rockets on the Enterprise engines and shuttle bay) that was used for the cover of the first James Blish Trek episode adaptation collection.

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2022/04/24/james-bama-rip/

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Wow, 96, that's amazing.

And this cover is outstanding.

Wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bama

 

[Hofner]

Wow, I didn't know Bama had done Star Trek illustrations. Either that or I'd forgotten.

I well remember James Bama through the covers he did for the Bantam paperback reprinting of the Doc Savage pulp magazine from the 30s/40s.

When I was a kid my hobby was collecting book series like the Hardy boys and Nancy Drew.

So I used to collect the Bantam numbered Doc Savage books. Bama did the vast majority of the first 67 Doc Sabage books, I collected them about as much just for the colorful covers that he did as for the stories themselves. His rendition of doc Sabage was quite goofy with his ridiculous widow's peak.

Bama stopped doing the Savage covers at number 67. I'm not sure why he quit but it may be he got sick and tired of doing them, he'd done more than 60 of them.

Robert

 

[Greg Cox]

Apparently, he also did the box art for the classic Aurora movie monster model kits back in the day.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Man, I wish I had that promo art as a giant poster. His work on Trek and a variety of other TV shows was always outstanding. RIP to a fine artist.

 

[Hofner]

I have to correct part of my previous post.

I speculated that James Bama got tired of doing Doc Sabage books but reading the wikipedia article on him, it appears it was actually that he stopped doing illustrations to do more serious work.

Robert

 

[alchemist]

Phenomenal artist. RIP. Here's a relevant article about him.

 

[Warped9]

One of the greatest pieces of Star Trek art.

Technically inaccurate, but it really conveys a sense of high adventure.

 

[Mudd]

Keith Wilson:

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

One of the greatest pieces of Star Trek art.

Without question.

I have a copy of the NBC promotional poster in storage, along with most of the Aurora monster model kits he created box art for. His western work was flat-out astounding. Such a grand talent who will be missed.