The blue ballpen prelim (pic: left side) for the above-mentioned album cover art here is not the first, original doodle/prelim!
As the first doodle/prelim, the blue ballpen prelim here was created by the same artist responsible for the album cover art (pic: right side), Alexander von Wieding, who also works for the German record label HRR (High Roller Records).
I asked artist Alexander — after I was informed that the original album cover art will not be for sale — whether I could at least purchase the initial doodle/prelim (see additional pic above) for my original art collection. This was also not possible because the artist stores his prelims in his sketch/prelim book, and that would mean he would have to tear out the original preliminary art from his sketchbook — a solution that is certainly not elegant and completely understandable!
Artist Alexander was kind enough to create a second prelim for the album cover art especially for me (no cost to me, absolutely free!). I am happy to share it here at comicartfans.com as original art in a related medium!
For the album cover, artist Alexander first created a preliminary pencil drawing (he first enlarged the doodle digitally, arranged it, then printed it out), then traced it with pencil on the light table, and finally inked that pencil drawing. The format of the final cover illustration is approximately 45 x 45 cm (17.72 x 17.72 inches). The first doodle was about 6 x 6 cm (2.36 x 2.36 inches). The second prelim here measures 21 x 29.7 cm (8.27 x 11.69 inches).
As is easily recognizable, the album cover art and title are strongly influenced by the classic 1950s EC sci-fi and horror comic books! The printed album cover art comes only in black-and-white; the vinyl edition also comes in colored vinyl in two different versions (Galaxy and Splatter). The printed album cover is on heavy cardboard with a 5mm spine (0.197 inches). The heavy music on Outer Space Death is Teutonic Thrash Metal!
The label High Roller Records—also known by the acronym HRR—was founded in 2003 in Saxony, Germany, and is well-known in the metal music scene for its high-quality, audiophile reissues of legendary 1980s metal albums (e.g., by Destruction, Tank, Warlord, Jag Panzer, Manilla Road, Razor, OZ, Dark Angel, Possessed…) as well as for its releases by new, authentic bands (e.g., High Spirits, Ambush, Kerrigan, Sintage…).
Very often, the high-quality reissues from HRR come with previously unreleased recordings, little-known or unpublished band photos, and lesser-known background information about the (old) bands. All of this is included as high-quality supplements/booklets with the HRR records.
When you hold an HRR release in your hands, you immediately recognize that these are not just business people but also fans who pour a lot of passion into their audiophile publications! In addition to vinyl, there are CD and cassette formats, as well as merchandise and literature about the bands. The label offers an extensive mail-order service with over 15,000 items in the genres of NWOBHM, heavy, power, doom, speed, thrash, death, black metal, punk, rock, and more, including underground releases and publications from scene greats. Check out their website!
