Favorite Hardy Boys covers

SDLagent · March 12, 2010, 04:43:17 PM

There's been a lot of great Hardy Boys covers over the years, and I thought it would be fun to post our favorite ones, here. I'll get things started by posting two of my favs.

MacGyver · March 13, 2010, 01:04:29 PM

Having grown up with reading some of the British versions as well as the American printings, I'll have to post a few of each for some of the covers that fascinated me as a child and that I still find cool now.

SDLagent · March 14, 2010, 01:22:54 AM

I've never seen the first cover you posted. It's pretty nice! I always thought the British covers for the Originals always made the stories look a lot more action-packed then the American covers.

hardygirl847 · March 14, 2010, 01:44:23 AM

Awesome choices thus far. I agree with a few that I am more familiar with but to keep the theme going...here are some of my faves...

Not shockingly this is my #1 fave.

This cover got me HOOKED on GNs...but sadly was somewhat let down (it was misleading). Still a good book though!

This too seemed quite promising but was also misleading.

Luckily I still enjoyed it.

I was NOT too fond of these...

mainly because this show wasn't nearly as good as it could have been. PLUS these books have nothing to do with the covers. Their laziness will last forever unless they ever change the covers (doubtful).

MacGyver · March 14, 2010, 09:50:45 PM

I agree- "Brother Against Brother" is still one of my top favorite Casefiles- both storywise and cover artwise. And "The Phoenix Equation"- hey- well, speaking for most boys- any time you have a big explosion on the front cover with your heroes barely escaping, you're gonna have a boy's attention.

The graphic novels have some cool covers too- those are good ones there.
I still don't think "Survival of the Fittest" was all that bad of a story- but regarding the covers, you can't really fault them for trying to tie in the '90s TV show with the books. Yes, the covers didn't reveal very much (if anything) of the plot (with a possible exception for #110 "Bad Chemistry")- but that's how marketing goes. At least they acknowledged the show and made some attempt to support it.

QuoteI've never seen the first cover you posted. It's pretty nice! I always thought the British covers for the Originals always made the stories look a lot more action-packed then the American covers.

Oh yeah- I've always felt that a lot of the British covers are a good bit more action-packed than some of the American ones- but I still love the G&D covers, but the first Armada cover is the style I grew up with and one of my favorites. (This was back in the '80s for these covers- check out some of the late '80s and early '90s British covers on www.hardyboys.co.uk - in my opinion, those start to look a bit lame. The kids pictured just look way too young and it's not nearly as exciting-looking as some of these '80s classics.)

Bigfootman · March 15, 2010, 01:38:13 PM

I don't like the cover for Brother Against Brother, it just does not look that good. The trees in the background look like they are floating. I did not like the story either. The end of the book was the worst ending in Casefile history. (Altough the ending of Dead In The Water, where Joe cheats on Vanessa

, comes at a close second.)

My favorite cover has to be either the one for "No Mercy", the cover for "Danger Zone", or the cover for "Day Of The Dinosaur".

MacGyver · March 15, 2010, 02:53:01 PM

Interesting- I've always regarded "Brother Against Brother" as one of the absolute best of the Casefiles, or at least one of my personal favorites. And I think the cover art looks fine. But why was the ending such a letdown for you?

Bigfootman · March 15, 2010, 05:09:42 PM

Quote from: MacGyver on March 15, 2010, 02:53:01 PM
Interesting- I've always regarded "Brother Against Brother" as one of the absolute best of the Casefiles, or at least one of my personal favorites. And I think the cover art looks fine. But why was the ending such a letdown for you?

Joe got his memory back too quickly, ruining the book. The lame joke at the end was pointless.

Now may I ask why you like Survival Of The Fittest?

hardygirl847 · March 15, 2010, 06:49:55 PM

Quote from: MacGyver on March 14, 2010, 09:50:45 PM
I agree- "Brother Against Brother" is still one of my top favorite Casefiles- both storywise and cover artwise. And "The Phoenix Equation"- hey- well, speaking for most boys- any time you have a big explosion on the front cover with your heroes barely escaping, you're gonna have a boy's attention. The graphic novels have some cool covers too- those are good ones there.
I still don't think "Survival of the Fittest" was all that bad of a story- but regarding the covers, you can't really fault them for trying to tie in the '90s TV show with the books. Yes, the covers didn't reveal very much (if anything) of the plot (with a possible exception for #110 "Bad Chemistry")- but that's how marketing goes. At least they acknowledged the show and made some attempt to support it.

YES Brother Against Brother was awesome! I still have to read the Phoenix Trilogy again but it grabs GIRLS' attention too!! I'm 99% sure BAB is the main reason I got into the series in the first place. I randomly picked a cover that had the 1995 Frank and Joe on it. I wasn't really commenting on the book more than the actual cover. Sure, the books were trying to support the series and the series was trying to support the books. However, the series was not that successful and now they will FOREVER be on the covers of our beloved Casefiles. If it was a better show then it would be satisfactory. But it kind of disappoints in the end.

Dan, I fear that we will NEVER see eye to eye on the ending or even the general feel of Brother Against Brother. Like MacGyver, I too feel that is one of the best and one of my personal favorites. The ending didn't bother me that much because they were trying to stay alive. They didn't have a whole lot of resolution or "yay we're brothers!" time . They were busy with the task at hand.

BTW the cover art and the title alone attracted me to the book AND the Hardy Boys series. So again...pretty important things. I guess we shall agree to disagree. $:-\$

Bigfootman · March 15, 2010, 08:36:04 PM

When I first heard about "Brother Against Brother", I was detremined to find it. I found it in a book store and was excited to read it. I finnished the book in less then two hours. I found myself wishing that I had bought the Nancy Drew File "Over The Edge" instead.

SDLagent · March 15, 2010, 08:49:31 PM

I can see where you're coming from Dan, especially since your hopes were so high. Anyway, let's not get too off topic...this thread is about the covers.

MacGyver · March 15, 2010, 10:52:21 PM

Quote
Now may I ask why you like Survival Of The Fittest?

LOL- because I'm absolutely no good at choosing and hate to knock any book of my beloved series- I'm not saying it's the best, but I think there's a good bit of wilderness-style action in there. There was some suspense at the end with The Hardys getting trapped in the tunnel.
I generally try to find something good in everything to enjoy and if I look hard enough, I can usually find something. In any case, it's another adventure hanging out with Frank and Joe- and this is one of the last Casefiles I read because it's one of the last ones I found in the series (I've read them all)- so it was fun just to have another Casefile to read.

hardygirl847 · March 16, 2010, 04:39:48 PM

Personally I don't remember this one and am still working on rereading (or reading for the first time) my Casefiles collection. However, I have to agree with your reasons! I find it hard to knock any book either and usually find something positive and good about a book. It's Hardy Boys for crying out loud! It's another hour and a half with Frank and Joe. Being pleased is a must!

Back to the covers...

Does anyone know why the Casefiles covers went from blue-ish purple to different colors to red (on the spine)? Any significance to them changing towards the end? I think #105 Law of the Jungle was the first to change....

SDLagent · March 16, 2010, 04:58:02 PM

Quote from: hardygirl847 on March 16, 2010, 04:39:48 PM
Back to the covers...

Does anyone know why the Casefiles covers went from blue-ish purple to different colors to red (on the spine)? Any significance to them changing towards the end? I think #105 Law of the Jungle was the first to change....

The spines probably changed when the covers did. It messes-up the whole collection when they do this with a book series. I'm glad they left the spines alone when they changed the graphic novels' covers.

tomswift2002 · March 17, 2010, 07:54:12 AM

Quote from: hardygirl847 on March 16, 2010, 04:39:48 PM

Back to the covers...

Does anyone know why the Casefiles covers went from blue-ish purple to different colors to red (on the spine)? Any significance to them changing towards the end? I think #105 Law of the Jungle was the first to change....

Well with #105 Law Of The Jungle that was the introduction of the photo's from the 95 TV series as well as the logo from the show as well. But I think S&S was probably trying to change the look to get sales to pick up, since the purplish-blue spines and the Hardy Boys Casefiles-in-flame logo had been out since 1987---9 years---so someone probably thought that it was a good time to try and revamp the cover style. And then of course in 1997 when the last 6 books were brought out it was probably another marketing push to sell the series.