Glad to see a post about this great series. My mother bought me a stack at a yard sale when I was a kid, and I loved reading them. I still have a large collection of them and add to it occasionally (thank you, Ebay).

The artwork definitely appealed to me as a child, and I still enjoy the nostalgic, almost-kitschy style and variety of illustration techniques. The visuals combined with the rich (albeit abbreviated) narratives kept me reading. This series really made me aware of the depth, scope, and sheer excitement contained in the "stodgy" classics. Those writers knew how to tell a great story. I dare say these comics even encouraged me to read the "unabridged" and picture-less versions when I got older (which was probably one of the original intentions behind the series).

Interesting note about these being the precursor to graphic novels. Newsweek ran an article/review recently on publishers attempting to revive the brand for a new generation of readers, most being illustrated by graphic novelists:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/128537

Haven't had a chance to check out the new additions, but I'm curious.

Is this considered pulp art? All of the science fiction comics and movie posters I have seen go along with this style so I was wondering if they are considered the same style?

Derek
I refer to it as pulp insofar was it conforms to that melodramatic realistic style. Pulp art is that which appeared on pulp magazines from the 20s through the 60s.

These are absolutely great, thanks for posting them! I very much like the HG Wells covers, they are so silly.