Raoul, Philippe and L'Epoque

[igenlode]

Illustration by Greg Hildebrandt from Unicorn Press edition of "The Phantom of the Opera"


http://oldschoolphantoms.tumblr.com/post/77851566934/at-breakfast-the-early-morning-breakfast-which
http://oldschoolphantoms.tumblr.com/tagged/greg-hildebrandt

Comments

[pedanther]

My first and most lasting reaction is that it's really remarkable how much Raoul in this picture looks like Alex Winter as Bill Preston, considering Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure didn't come out until 1989.

Though the gap's not quite as large as "early American edition" makes it sound - according to Hildebrandt's official web site, the edition in question was released in 1988. (I'm not sure I'd call that "early" myself; even on the view that Phantom history is divided into Before ALW and After ALW, 1988 is After.) Here's a gallery of Hildebrandt's illustrations - this one is twelfth from the top.

[igenlode.livejournal.com]

You're right: "1988 Unicorn Press edition".

From the rarity and battered condition of all the copies of this book I've seen mentioned (and the old-fashioned habit of inserting double-page colour spreads) I'd assumed this was brought out in America at the time of first translation!

[butterflydrming.livejournal.com]

I had ( have? I will have to check, but I think I gave it away ~15 years ago) this illustrated edition. It was available, new, in 1989-1990. The translation wasn't stellar, no better than the paperback edition. While Hildebrant's paintings are excellent, overall the book was ish to me. Which is why I am fairly certain I sold it to a used book store when I moved from L.A.

Blast from the past. It took me a moment to remember why I had seen this image before!

[igenlode.livejournal.com]

I believe they used the original (and significantly abridged) 1911 translation for this edition -- another reason why I assumed the pictures were of that date!

*quick check of Tumblr post against Project Gutenberg text*

Yes, it's the Teixeira de Mattos version.

You were very honest to sell the book back complete with illustrations: apparently a lot of people cut out the colour plates and kept them!

[butterflydrming.livejournal.com]

It seems... I didn't sell it! There it was, with my other relics of obsession. Fantastically good condition, only slightly bent because the weight of other things prevented it from being flat!

What a find! :)