The Last Emperor (1987)

Original artwork

Cortesy of Michael Johnson. 

Cars & Drivers (Courtesy of Michael Johnson)

House Wife (Courtesy of Michael Johnson)

Eight Cars in History (The Daily Telegraph 18 October 1968)

Unknown Dutch 2-nd rights edition

(Courtesy of Michael Johnson)

Change of Heart (English Woman 1961)

English Woman 2 January 1960 (Australia & New Zealand)

Heyne 1966

House Wife July 1961

"it shows the carfully thought out design and general layout  (in this case the shot taken by a high camera angle looking down on the couple.).. .. which i find more interesting." 

Woman Magazine - 22 February 1958

 

One of those Days by Sheila Frazer

Woman's Realm - 08 March 1958

Woman magazine 1959

"I very vaguely remember the photo shots being taken...male model recognisable as Dick Orme...( girl, I don't even remember who she was )..it was quite tricky to get a good  shot,  ....the girl model was quite heavy..Dick was  tall and strong enough to pick her up but the photo had to be taken quick,  without getting any movement which blurred the photo..... also to get a good angle on both faces. ....I remember he picked her up, and put her down many times, before we got enough to work from...."

January 2025

The Mallore Affair (Corgi 1968)

Original artwork

House Wife (May 1960)

 

May 1960

Homes & Gardens

September 1963

1966

Original artwo

1968

October 197

The Astrov Inheritance (Heinamann 1973)

Heinemann 1973

Finnish edition 1976

1976 Spanish edition for the House of Kuragin

1973

Royal Captive (Grafton - 1988)

Grafton / HarperColli

1988

"That was the period  when the publishers wanted more  'finished'  artwork.. . more in the style of the Italian renaissance painters .. so that's what they got....... it is simply a classical style of painting... ..(apart from the fact that she is a model  fom the 80s; make up and all)

.  i don't know why the scottish castle is in the background...it was nothing to do with James the 1st.  ( unless the writer had used it in the fictional story ?)

i had just done this artwork around the same time....So i knew the true history quite well.."

Ghost of a Witch (Housewife Magazine)

December 1960

January 1961

"It was a period where i concentrated on the contacts and facial expressions between the people.

....if you flick your eyes from face to face, they almost become animated? 

I remember them.. and the models..  but not the blond model's name (of course).. male model,  Peter Christian ....  little dark girl Paula Noble."

(Michael Johnson, October 2024)

February 1961

King Dido (Panther/Granada - 1972)

1972

1972

Original artwork

"....King Dido was an interesting job.....  art director Dave Larkin, told me I could do something 'a' bit different'  if I felt like it',  'nothing abstract' ...just 'something to give it a slightly different 'look'   compared to other covers..... I just simply put a white line around the main man, to 'lift him out' of the background..  which again was from old photos of the very poor area of London's East End,  which I found in a fascinating book I bought in a Charing Cross Road bookshop.."

(Michael Johnson, September 2024)

Courtesy of Michael Johnson

Courtesy of Michael Johnson

Courtesy of Michael Johnson