Cover Girls
A friend gave me this idea and I’m going to go with it-
We were thinking of our favorite YA covers and how bad they are, so why not have an hommage? Here is a place to talk about the most craptastic covers. Even better…if you want to RECREATE a cover, please submit a pic of yourself doing it, and I’ll post it. It could be a gas.
A fantastic source for SV covers from all series is here. Of course, there is always Amazon, google image searches, and the site fantastic fiction, which seems to preserve a lot of out of print covers.
My favorites, which I can’t find good pictures of, so go with it:
The cover of Palm Beach Prep #2: Stolen Kisses. I thought Esme was the epitome of gorgeous. I think she was wearing a matching tank top and shorts, and I maaaaay have bought myself an outfit like it.
Also, The cover is BSC#5: Dawn and the Impossible Three. I actually had a conversation about this with a good friend. We were both obsessed with her outfit and thought it was fantastic.
The front cover of SVH #5 All Night Long will always be a classic. Love that porn-stache!
I am a really big fan of SVH #32, the New Jessica. Jessica’s hair and makeup KILLLLL me.
svh #7 dear sister http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svh/svh007.jpg i used to think jess looked so authentically upset and loved the photo she was hugging of Liz. also SVU the other woman http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svu/svu16.jpg ah jess and louis miles all tortured love and sacrifice
also bsc #9 the ghost at dawns house looked so cool to me when i was a kid. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DBSBFMNGL._AA240_.jpg i want a secret passage in my. house too lol
this one is especially craptastic.
http://yalitanddeath.blogspot.com/2008/03/guard-retarded-or-sometimes-love-just.html
Ok, confession time:
Ya know how the cover drawings changed over the years, changing the look of the characters? When I was little (or not so little at times…) I would “play” with my Sweet Valley books by getting them all off of the shelf and organizing them in different ways: sometimes by color, sometimes by choosing one book from each series where Jessica and/or Elizabeth would look the same- you know- as if they were growing up in pictures…. haha, I have never admitted this to anyone outside of my family (And how could I hide it from them when I had my books covering the entire floor of my room?! My sister even joined me sometimes!)
But anyways, I thought I would find a fun example of my madness, so here you are:
Kids: http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svk/svk04.jpg
Twins:
http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svt/svt066.jpg
Unicorn Club: http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/unicorns/unicorns03.jpg
High:
http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svh/svh059.jpg
University:
http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svu/svu01.jpg
ihatewheat, I wish I could reenact the look of joy on my face when I found that thing last week. It is basically the best used bookstore jackpot of my life.
I liked the cover of SVH 19 Showdown. Lila looks pretty and love Jess’s shirt. Also loved the cover of The Babysitters Club superspecial New York New York. That’s what I always pictured each girl to look like, even though Dawn didn’t have supa white hair.
Have you ever seen these?
http://ker.eso.hu/web/szolgaltatas/konyv/kereses?szoveg=francine%20pascal&tol=1
They’re the first 40 or so SVH books with real people posing the same way. I about died when I first saw them. ^_^
Deathy, do you know what country those are from?
Poland ^_^
Actually no. I’m an idiot. ^_^ It’s Hungary.
Deathy, those are AMAZING.
Wow, is it wrong that my first thought was, “They could/should be so much cheesier!!!!”
Also, my daughter and I are going to have to act these covers out. We’re almost the same height now but she looks like her dad, so it will be hilariously un-twin-like!
I need some wigs…
yeah, what is happening between them? and is it a coincidence that this is book number 69?
http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svh/svh069.jpg
yeah, that’s what I was talking about up there
OK this bugs me – #39 secret admirer – on like the 3rd page they say ‘penny ran her hand through her dark blond hair in a characteristic gesture’ and in the cover SHES A BRUNETTE WTF!?!?! http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svh/svh039.jpg
I’m sure someone else has said this, but thinking about it, the twins — well, really Jessica in particular (which makes no sense, since as I just said, they’re twins) — totally look like Caroline, Jake Ryan’s girlfriend in “Sixteen Candles.”
(I think possibly I said Jessica more than Elizabeth since her expression through most of the movie is well, bitchy.)
I tried to find a good pic from the movie that shows her face clearly but alas, I’ve failed — this is the best I’ve got:
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/where_are_they_now/25516
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/476196972_b1f27b8aef.jpg
I think it’s a combo of the bitchy expression, high cheekbones, and sort of heart-shaped face.
I was actually just watching that movie and thought the same exact thing. Jessica is Caroline…or Caroline is Jessica…what ever!
Tinypants, you HAVE to check out Betty Childs (Julie Montgomery is the actress) from the first Revenge of the Nerds. She looks so much like Jessica imo that if it weren’t for the fact that the movie came out after SVH came out, I would actually think that the drawings of Jessica were based on her. I suddenly can’t find any images of her on google, which sucks.
I think that Caroline looks a lot like Amy Sutton tbh!
I have to say one of my faves is SVH #19, Showdown. Jess and Lila look closer to thirty – not 16! I have to agree with ihatewheat – the cover of ‘The Love Bet’ is particularly craptastic. The storyline of that book was pretty craptastic, too, come to think of it! Really hated that awful cover from SVH #20, as well….
#86 is the most munted cover!!! Jess and Bruce look very 2D, kinda like cardboard cutouts. And the leather jackets reek! #91 is also completely hideous to match the storyline. That outfit of Dana’s… and what’s with the Prince??? I doubt any girls would want to fight over that!!!
By the way, hands up those who thought the covers with the Daniels twins reeked?
Hey, sis – yeah, you know I agree with you about the Daniels twins, but I had to put it out there!
I always thought that the following 80’s hunks and babes were models for SV covers.
Jessica- Lorrie Griffin (Pamela Wells from Teen Wolf)
(Also Nicole Eggert from Charles in Charges looks like she could have modeled the SVT Jessica)
Bruce- Robbie Benson (Ice Castles)
Bill Chase- William Zabka (Karate Kid bully)
Lila- Jennifer Connolly
Penny- Joyce Hyser (Just One of the Guys)
Todd- Paul Gleason (The Breakfast Club principal Dick Vernon)
Claire Middleton- Hillary Swank
What do you all think?
I used to love the All That Glitters series book covers & I wanted to be Shana. I also remember that Palm Beach Prep book & Esme’s outfit which I tried to find in stores. I only bought hot rollers cause she used them in the book & had no idea what to do with them.
Whoops! Didn’t realize you all came to the William Zabka realization yet.
Hi! I posted the covers of the series “Dream Girls” on my flickr page. The artwork was done by James Mathewuse, the same guy who did SV’s. I thought you guys might want to take a look.
http://flickr.com/photos/lovekittenmoon/sets/72157594404712151/
i always really liked the covers for the vampire ones and #19 showdown and the secret diaries and also murder in paradise but lila looks like she has something between her legs if you know what i mean. LADY PENIS.
Nicole Eggart is TOTALLY how I pictured Jess!
I have to say, the one from CLAIM TO FAME, has always weirded me out, and I’ve never been able to figure out why. No I know, the twin in the green top apparently has two left arms, lmao. Look, her left arm goes DOWN in the picture, and het there’s a hand on her sister’s left shoulder! Yikes, very weird!
Robin in Denver
the Playing with Fire one is weird. Jessica looks like she’s in a choke hold. Then again maybe that is appropite for that book. Its still weird. The Secret Admire cover looks like a thirty year old Mom waiting for her kids.
Hello everyone!
I am not a regular to this site, I apologize for barging in… I have a question for SVH fans! I am a little younger than original readers of SVH and read that series plus the SVT series as a girl. I loved them, of course, but am curious, since I no longer have my novels, as to *who was the illustrator of the covers* of those books? The first run of SVT looks like the same artist as SVH. I loved those covers so much. I was very upset when they changed the format. As an illustrator myself now, all grown up, some of my first memories drawing ‘book covers’ were copying what I saw on those, my favorite youth books!
Thanks for help and I am glad to see how much others enjoyed thses books too and that they are still part of people’s lives!
SVH #27, Lovestruck cracks me up. The expression on Ken’s face kills me: http://madteaparty.dreamhosters.com/closet/bookcovers/svh/svh027.jpg
I agree, Emily. Ken looks thirty-five, bored, and annoyed.