Freddie Mercury | Sketch for the album cover of News of the World, 1977

Freddie Mercury

Sketch of the robot used on the cover artwork for News of the World

with pistons and related machinery and the caption "Bootleg" in upper left, red crayon, on the verso of a page of draft lyrics for 'My Melancholy Blues', on a leaf of British Midland Airways stationery with 1974 calendar (290 x 205mm), c.1977

[with:] Astounding Science Fiction: Volume LII, Number 2, October 1953. New York: Smith & Smith, 1953. 8vo, original wrappers with cover artwork by Frank Kelly Freas

Queen. Spring Tour '78. Tour programme, 20 pages, original wrappers with artwork after Frank Kelly Freas

Queen. News of the World. Songbook with lyrics and sheet music. London: EMI, 1977. Original wrappers with artwork after Frank Kelly Freas

The artwork for News of the World was a pastiche by Frank Kelly Freas of his own artwork originally created for the October 1953 issue of Astounding Science Fiction to illustrate Tom Godwin's story 'The Gulf Between' ("There was a man who hated men because they would not obey him like robots. Then he got a robot..."). The album cover depicts the band members helpless in the enormous hand of gigantic mournful robot. Freddie's sketch on the back of a fragment of draft lyrics for 'My Melancholy Blues' appears to be an early concept drawing for the cover. It depicts more of the robot's body than is visible in Freas's artwork but other versions of the artwork, such as that used in the album songbook, show the robot's body following Freddie's design.

SPECIAL NOTICE

No right to reproduce or commercially exploit the copyright or other intellectual property

or image rights in any lot is included with the sale of the lot (including but not limited to

song lyrics, sketches, drawings and garment designs). Queen Productions Limited, Queen

Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.

No right to exhibit in public or reproduce this lot is included with the sale of this lot

without the prior written consent of Queen Productions Limited, who shall act in good faith

to consider any such requests.