Richard Kiel as a Kanamit
Richard Kiel as a Kanamit

“Bumheads!” Big Brain Aliens: A Gallery

Meg Wyllie as a Bumhead
Meg Wyllie as a Bumhead

M. D. Jackson wrote about big-brained aliens awhile back but I thought it would be fun to look at some of those covers that gave us that image. As kids watching Star Trek we always called them “Bumheads”. Granted not all of these are aliens but I think they all contributed to the idea of the being as bumheads. We have this idea that a being with a massive head would have abilities like telepathy, teleportation, etc. but we never really wanted to look like that.  For the minutiae-minded they are Talosians from “The Menagerie”.

 

Art by Frank R. Paul
Art by Frank R. Paul

The earliest image comes from Francis Flagg’s debut, “The Machine-Man of Ardathia” (Amazing Stories, November 1927)

Art by Leo Morey
Art by Leo Morey

Amazing Stories, December 1930 gave “The Second Missile” by Ed Earl Repp.

Art by Frank R. Paul
Art by Frank R. Paul

The next one comes in Wonder Stories April 1931 with Edmond Hamilton’s “The Evolved Man“. Not an alien per se but a human evolved into a monster.

Art by Howard V. Brown
Art by Howard V. Brown

Astounding Stories June 1935 got in on the action with “The Invaders” by Don A. Stuart (John W. Campbell).

Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown

Thrilling Wonder Stories (August 1936) began a run of big-headed aliens like no other. Its sister magazine Startling Stories helped out occasionally.

Art by Howard V. Brown
Art by Howard V. Brown
Artist Unknown
Artist Unknown
Art by Howard V. Brown
Art by Howard V. Brown
Art by Howard V. Brown
Art by Howard V. Brown
Art by Earle K. Bergey
Art by Earle K. Bergey
Art by Robert Fuqua
Art by Robert Fuqua
Art by Alexander Leydenfrost
Art by Alexander Leydenfrost
Art by Arnold Kohn
Art by Arnold Kohn

 

Art by Norman Saunders
Art by Norman Saunders

I think there is a legitimate connection between this art and UFO images. The Grays, those big-headed, almond eyed creepers, owe something to the Pulps. Especially through Ray A. Palmer who went into the UFO business after the Pulps. Otto Binder too, who created Brainiac for Action Comics #242 (July 1958) (which gave us the slang term for a smart person.) Hollywood has never been shy to use the idea but it was the bubble gum cards who cemented the image with Mars Attacks in 1962. The cards were designed by Wally Wood and Bob Powell, then painted by Pulp cover genius, Norman Saunders. What a fitting way to pay tribute to this old Pulp idea.

 

Like space adventure then check it out!

2 Comments Posted

Comments are closed.