Todd Alcott's Pulp Sci-Fi Illustrations Reimagine David Bowie's Songs
Todd Alcott, an American screenwriter, director, and graphic artist, has created a series of seventeen illustrations reimagining David Bowie as a character in vintage 1950s pulp science-fiction magazine covers. The images, posted daily on social media, depict Bowie's iconic Ziggy Stardust persona in scenarios inspired by songs such as "Space Oddity" and "Under Pressure," featuring aliens, giant octopuses, and other retro-futuristic elements. Alcott uses digital collage techniques, starting with public-domain images from 1950s pulp novels and comics to avoid copyright issues, then manually painting Bowie's face onto the originals. He selects songs based on personal connection, popularity, and visual potential. The project is ongoing, with plans to expand into book covers, album art, and film posters. Alcott has created more Bowie-inspired pieces than for any other artist, reflecting his deep admiration for the musician.
Key facts
- Todd Alcott is an American screenwriter, director, and graphic artist.
- He created seventeen illustrations of David Bowie as a pulp sci-fi character.
- The images are inspired by Bowie songs like Space Oddity and Under Pressure.
- Alcott uses public-domain 1950s pulp magazine covers to avoid copyright issues.
- He manually paints Bowie's face onto the original images using Photoshop.
- The project is posted daily on social media.
- Alcott has created more Bowie pieces than for any other artist.
- He plans to expand the project into book covers, album art, and film posters.
Entities
Artists
- Todd Alcott
- David Bowie
- Lou Reed
- Angela Bowie
Institutions
- Artribune
- Smiths
- Nine Inch Nails