Written by Adam McCombs
One of the defining characteristics of the packaging artwork of William George is the inclusion of small dinosaur or dragon-like creatures in the background and foreground of the illustration. They add a dimension to the illustration that goes beyond simply demonstrating the product – there is also some world-building going on. The Eternia of William George is a hostile, dangerous and often desolate place, where threats come in all sizes.
I’ll only be focusing on creatures that William George invented for his paintings, not creatures that were part of the products for sale.
Battle Armor He-Man and Road Ripper (1984)
Dragon Walker (1984)
Road Ripper (1984)
Roton (1984)
Bashasaurus (1985)
Land Shark (1985)
Land Shark & Battle Armor Skeletor
Laser Bolt (1986)
Scubattack Power Gear (1987)
Megator (1988)
Update: Axel Giménez pointed out to me that there is another William George creature, outside of the box art. In his Bashasaurus poster, he includes one of his familiar little creatures on the rocks near Dragon Blaster Skeletor. It looks a bit like the creature in the Land Shark box art:
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Awesome!
I said it before my friend and I’ll say it again…they don’t make packaging like this any more. Makes the art and the world of Eternia come “alive”. Love it, thank you!!
I love your blog, man. I read it all the time and it’s always filled with great info and lots of nostalgia. Keep up the great work!
Great observation! Never saw those creatures. You literally opened my eyes! ?