What is this green alien supposed to be on the American covers of the “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy”?Whose arm gets bruised in the missile scene of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?What does 'And Another Thing…' add to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, does the answer the Earth was built for refer to the girl?In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, how deep do the influences of Pink Floyd run?In Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, how much did six pints cost?Is “spewed up a payment” a misprint?Where does real political power lie in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?What does “Sund, explns.” mean in one of the Hitchhiker's guide books?
What type of beer is best for beer battered fish?
Implement the Max-Pooling operation from Convolutional Neural Networks
How much money is needed to prove you can support yourself with ESTA
My name causes an issue with any booking! (names end with MR and MRS)
Is it possible to keep cat litter on balcony during winter (down to -10°C)
Physical interpretation of complex numbers
Making Sandwiches
How do the Martian rebels defeat Earth when they're grossly outnumbered and outgunned?
Why are Democrats mostly focused on increasing healthcare spending, rarely mentioning any proposals for decreasing the costs of healthcare services?
How to use FDE without needing to share the encryption password
How do I resolve science-based problems in my worldbuilding?
Are the EVA suits used in the ISS and in the NBL same or different?
how to make code more optimal in a very big function
What is the meaning of Text inside of AMS logo
Google just EOLed the original Pixel. How long until it's a brick?
Pi to the power y, for small y's
What spells can be countered?
How to import a ByteArray from GenerateHTTPResponse?
What type of logical fallacy is the offering of a source which is really long and not specifying what part of the source is relevant?
Can we rotate symbols in LaTeX? How should we make this diagram?
How does the sorcerer's Careful Spell Metamagic option work with the Thunderwave spell?
Can "marriage" be used as a verb?
Is there an existing name for this kind of political system?
"Ich habe Durst" vs "Ich bin durstig": Which is more common?
What is this green alien supposed to be on the American covers of the “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy”?
Whose arm gets bruised in the missile scene of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?What does 'And Another Thing…' add to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, does the answer the Earth was built for refer to the girl?In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, how deep do the influences of Pink Floyd run?In Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, how much did six pints cost?Is “spewed up a payment” a misprint?Where does real political power lie in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?What does “Sund, explns.” mean in one of the Hitchhiker's guide books?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty
margin-bottom:0;
I have the 2017 Del Rey Books mass market edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Here is the front cover:
It features a circular green alien with two arms sticking its tongue out. Looking at other covers, the first American edition also has this character:
Who is this supposed to be? I have no clue.
character-identification the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
|
show 4 more comments
I have the 2017 Del Rey Books mass market edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Here is the front cover:
It features a circular green alien with two arms sticking its tongue out. Looking at other covers, the first American edition also has this character:
Who is this supposed to be? I have no clue.
character-identification the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
2
I'm not sure that's actually supposed to be anyone/anything. The Vogons are (dark) green, but they have eyes and legs. The only other possibly relevant green reference I can find is that it's the colour of the Betelgeuse trading scouts, but presumably that would be a bit more serious.
– DavidW
Jul 17 at 18:04
1
Interesting. It can't be Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, because he first appears in the third book of the trilogy. Perhaps it's a visual representation of the Guide itself, with its message "DON'T PANIC".
– b_jonas
Jul 17 at 18:05
1
@DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:13
1
I always assumed it was an artist's depiction of the Great Green Arkleseizure
– agweber
Jul 18 at 19:56
3
I always thought it was just a green planet making a face, not any particular entity discussed in the books. While I (American) do recognize it in the wild as a HHG mascot, that's only because the first copy I came across had it. Other books in the series I acquired later didn't use it, but I somehow managed to connect the dots anyways.
– brichins
Jul 18 at 22:28
|
show 4 more comments
I have the 2017 Del Rey Books mass market edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Here is the front cover:
It features a circular green alien with two arms sticking its tongue out. Looking at other covers, the first American edition also has this character:
Who is this supposed to be? I have no clue.
character-identification the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
I have the 2017 Del Rey Books mass market edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Here is the front cover:
It features a circular green alien with two arms sticking its tongue out. Looking at other covers, the first American edition also has this character:
Who is this supposed to be? I have no clue.
character-identification the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy
character-identification the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
edited Jul 18 at 5:03
Jenayah
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
33.4k10 gold badges151 silver badges196 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
asked Jul 17 at 17:44
StormblessedStormblessed
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
7,4236 gold badges40 silver badges82 bronze badges
2
I'm not sure that's actually supposed to be anyone/anything. The Vogons are (dark) green, but they have eyes and legs. The only other possibly relevant green reference I can find is that it's the colour of the Betelgeuse trading scouts, but presumably that would be a bit more serious.
– DavidW
Jul 17 at 18:04
1
Interesting. It can't be Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, because he first appears in the third book of the trilogy. Perhaps it's a visual representation of the Guide itself, with its message "DON'T PANIC".
– b_jonas
Jul 17 at 18:05
1
@DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:13
1
I always assumed it was an artist's depiction of the Great Green Arkleseizure
– agweber
Jul 18 at 19:56
3
I always thought it was just a green planet making a face, not any particular entity discussed in the books. While I (American) do recognize it in the wild as a HHG mascot, that's only because the first copy I came across had it. Other books in the series I acquired later didn't use it, but I somehow managed to connect the dots anyways.
– brichins
Jul 18 at 22:28
|
show 4 more comments
2
I'm not sure that's actually supposed to be anyone/anything. The Vogons are (dark) green, but they have eyes and legs. The only other possibly relevant green reference I can find is that it's the colour of the Betelgeuse trading scouts, but presumably that would be a bit more serious.
– DavidW
Jul 17 at 18:04
1
Interesting. It can't be Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, because he first appears in the third book of the trilogy. Perhaps it's a visual representation of the Guide itself, with its message "DON'T PANIC".
– b_jonas
Jul 17 at 18:05
1
@DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:13
1
I always assumed it was an artist's depiction of the Great Green Arkleseizure
– agweber
Jul 18 at 19:56
3
I always thought it was just a green planet making a face, not any particular entity discussed in the books. While I (American) do recognize it in the wild as a HHG mascot, that's only because the first copy I came across had it. Other books in the series I acquired later didn't use it, but I somehow managed to connect the dots anyways.
– brichins
Jul 18 at 22:28
2
2
I'm not sure that's actually supposed to be anyone/anything. The Vogons are (dark) green, but they have eyes and legs. The only other possibly relevant green reference I can find is that it's the colour of the Betelgeuse trading scouts, but presumably that would be a bit more serious.
– DavidW
Jul 17 at 18:04
I'm not sure that's actually supposed to be anyone/anything. The Vogons are (dark) green, but they have eyes and legs. The only other possibly relevant green reference I can find is that it's the colour of the Betelgeuse trading scouts, but presumably that would be a bit more serious.
– DavidW
Jul 17 at 18:04
1
1
Interesting. It can't be Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, because he first appears in the third book of the trilogy. Perhaps it's a visual representation of the Guide itself, with its message "DON'T PANIC".
– b_jonas
Jul 17 at 18:05
Interesting. It can't be Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, because he first appears in the third book of the trilogy. Perhaps it's a visual representation of the Guide itself, with its message "DON'T PANIC".
– b_jonas
Jul 17 at 18:05
1
1
@DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:13
@DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:13
1
1
I always assumed it was an artist's depiction of the Great Green Arkleseizure
– agweber
Jul 18 at 19:56
I always assumed it was an artist's depiction of the Great Green Arkleseizure
– agweber
Jul 18 at 19:56
3
3
I always thought it was just a green planet making a face, not any particular entity discussed in the books. While I (American) do recognize it in the wild as a HHG mascot, that's only because the first copy I came across had it. Other books in the series I acquired later didn't use it, but I somehow managed to connect the dots anyways.
– brichins
Jul 18 at 22:28
I always thought it was just a green planet making a face, not any particular entity discussed in the books. While I (American) do recognize it in the wild as a HHG mascot, that's only because the first copy I came across had it. Other books in the series I acquired later didn't use it, but I somehow managed to connect the dots anyways.
– brichins
Jul 18 at 22:28
|
show 4 more comments
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
Apparently it's called "The Cosmic Cutie".
This question was also asked on reddit, which links to this FAQ.
According to Douglas, the little green blobby planet thing (nickamed
the "Cosmic Cutie") has been struck the final blow, and will not be
featured on any of the new (American) HHG books. Here's what Adams
had to say:
"I HATE the little green blob and have spent years locked in arguments
with my publishers with me trying to get rid of the obscene little thing.
I've finally secured its demise with the new Ballantine editons of the soft
cover backlist."
Non-American readers are perhaps unaware of this book adornment, as it
was only the American publishing houses that determined that without a
consistent motif, all of us Yanks would become hopelessly confused by a
series of books with different names.
It's also mentioned on a Wikipedia talk page. It's mentioned on Topless Robot, which does not provide a source, and The Geek Twins, which in turn links to this FAQ (thanks DavidW).
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
12
He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:17
27
I find it endlessly amusing that the publisher insisted on using this thing as some sort of icon or mascot for the HHG franchise (because Americans would be "hopelessly confused" without it) and yet nobody in the general public knows what it is or why it's there, and the only confusion about the book series seems to be why it's there in the first place.
– Steve-O
Jul 18 at 13:05
11
@Steve-O I assume their "thought" process was it doesn't matter what the thing is, so long as the general public goes "ahh... it's got a green blob sticking its tongue out, it must be a "Hitchhiker" book".
– TripeHound
Jul 18 at 14:25
46
I was fairly bummed I missed Big Hero through Big Hero 5. But Big Hero 6 worked reasonably well as a stand-alone film.
– T.J. Crowder
Jul 18 at 16:14
16
@wizzwizz4 Don't be.
– chepner
Jul 18 at 20:13
|
show 9 more comments
Somebody asked Douglas Adams about that green blob thing at a 1997 or 1998 reading I attended. The question (asked by a preteen kid) got a round of applause before the author even had a chance to answer. Adams immediately got very animated and said, "I have no idea!" He explained that he "hate[d] the bloody thing," had no idea why anybody had put it on the covers to begin with, and had fought (successfully) to keep it off the cover of the omnibus edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
1
Authors have little, if any, say about what goes on the covers. At least until their books turn out to be best sellers.
– jamesqf
Jul 19 at 16:49
add a comment
|
I was fortunate to have a chance one-on-one conversation with Douglas Adams, sometime around 1982. (In a bookstore called "A Change of Hobbit," in Santa Monica, California.)
When I asked him the same question, and his answer then was that he had no idea what it meant, and that he had never seen the cover art before it was published.
This was about a year after the film Heavy Metal was released, and it featured an evil glowing green orb as a character. I asked if perhaps that inspired the the green thing on the cover. He averred that it was possible, but he really didn't know.
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
add a comment
|
I always thought it was a Zero. If you watch the far superior BBC adaption of HHGttG when it gets to the bit about the population of the Galaxy, being Zero, and the chance encounters you would make to counter such arguments. Would be the sum product of a deranged imagination. A bunch of these raspberry blowing Zeros would just start popping in and out.
But, then it's probably some meaningless coincidence, brought on by some random event somewhere in the deeper universe.
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
For that "Zeros" question, perhaps you can ask Rod Lord himself: rodlord.com/pages/home2.htm (I bought one of his prints of "Dog 02" (rodlord.com/H2G2PRINTS/PAGES/prints1.htm ) a while back. )
– April --Un-Slander Monica--
Jul 18 at 13:53
This was my first thought too, good answer.
– Crow T Robot
Jul 18 at 17:36
add a comment
|
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "186"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);
else
createEditor();
);
function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"u003ecc by-sa 4.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);
);
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fscifi.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f216147%2fwhat-is-this-green-alien-supposed-to-be-on-the-american-covers-of-the-hitchhike%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Apparently it's called "The Cosmic Cutie".
This question was also asked on reddit, which links to this FAQ.
According to Douglas, the little green blobby planet thing (nickamed
the "Cosmic Cutie") has been struck the final blow, and will not be
featured on any of the new (American) HHG books. Here's what Adams
had to say:
"I HATE the little green blob and have spent years locked in arguments
with my publishers with me trying to get rid of the obscene little thing.
I've finally secured its demise with the new Ballantine editons of the soft
cover backlist."
Non-American readers are perhaps unaware of this book adornment, as it
was only the American publishing houses that determined that without a
consistent motif, all of us Yanks would become hopelessly confused by a
series of books with different names.
It's also mentioned on a Wikipedia talk page. It's mentioned on Topless Robot, which does not provide a source, and The Geek Twins, which in turn links to this FAQ (thanks DavidW).
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
12
He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:17
27
I find it endlessly amusing that the publisher insisted on using this thing as some sort of icon or mascot for the HHG franchise (because Americans would be "hopelessly confused" without it) and yet nobody in the general public knows what it is or why it's there, and the only confusion about the book series seems to be why it's there in the first place.
– Steve-O
Jul 18 at 13:05
11
@Steve-O I assume their "thought" process was it doesn't matter what the thing is, so long as the general public goes "ahh... it's got a green blob sticking its tongue out, it must be a "Hitchhiker" book".
– TripeHound
Jul 18 at 14:25
46
I was fairly bummed I missed Big Hero through Big Hero 5. But Big Hero 6 worked reasonably well as a stand-alone film.
– T.J. Crowder
Jul 18 at 16:14
16
@wizzwizz4 Don't be.
– chepner
Jul 18 at 20:13
|
show 9 more comments
Apparently it's called "The Cosmic Cutie".
This question was also asked on reddit, which links to this FAQ.
According to Douglas, the little green blobby planet thing (nickamed
the "Cosmic Cutie") has been struck the final blow, and will not be
featured on any of the new (American) HHG books. Here's what Adams
had to say:
"I HATE the little green blob and have spent years locked in arguments
with my publishers with me trying to get rid of the obscene little thing.
I've finally secured its demise with the new Ballantine editons of the soft
cover backlist."
Non-American readers are perhaps unaware of this book adornment, as it
was only the American publishing houses that determined that without a
consistent motif, all of us Yanks would become hopelessly confused by a
series of books with different names.
It's also mentioned on a Wikipedia talk page. It's mentioned on Topless Robot, which does not provide a source, and The Geek Twins, which in turn links to this FAQ (thanks DavidW).
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
12
He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:17
27
I find it endlessly amusing that the publisher insisted on using this thing as some sort of icon or mascot for the HHG franchise (because Americans would be "hopelessly confused" without it) and yet nobody in the general public knows what it is or why it's there, and the only confusion about the book series seems to be why it's there in the first place.
– Steve-O
Jul 18 at 13:05
11
@Steve-O I assume their "thought" process was it doesn't matter what the thing is, so long as the general public goes "ahh... it's got a green blob sticking its tongue out, it must be a "Hitchhiker" book".
– TripeHound
Jul 18 at 14:25
46
I was fairly bummed I missed Big Hero through Big Hero 5. But Big Hero 6 worked reasonably well as a stand-alone film.
– T.J. Crowder
Jul 18 at 16:14
16
@wizzwizz4 Don't be.
– chepner
Jul 18 at 20:13
|
show 9 more comments
Apparently it's called "The Cosmic Cutie".
This question was also asked on reddit, which links to this FAQ.
According to Douglas, the little green blobby planet thing (nickamed
the "Cosmic Cutie") has been struck the final blow, and will not be
featured on any of the new (American) HHG books. Here's what Adams
had to say:
"I HATE the little green blob and have spent years locked in arguments
with my publishers with me trying to get rid of the obscene little thing.
I've finally secured its demise with the new Ballantine editons of the soft
cover backlist."
Non-American readers are perhaps unaware of this book adornment, as it
was only the American publishing houses that determined that without a
consistent motif, all of us Yanks would become hopelessly confused by a
series of books with different names.
It's also mentioned on a Wikipedia talk page. It's mentioned on Topless Robot, which does not provide a source, and The Geek Twins, which in turn links to this FAQ (thanks DavidW).
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
Apparently it's called "The Cosmic Cutie".
This question was also asked on reddit, which links to this FAQ.
According to Douglas, the little green blobby planet thing (nickamed
the "Cosmic Cutie") has been struck the final blow, and will not be
featured on any of the new (American) HHG books. Here's what Adams
had to say:
"I HATE the little green blob and have spent years locked in arguments
with my publishers with me trying to get rid of the obscene little thing.
I've finally secured its demise with the new Ballantine editons of the soft
cover backlist."
Non-American readers are perhaps unaware of this book adornment, as it
was only the American publishing houses that determined that without a
consistent motif, all of us Yanks would become hopelessly confused by a
series of books with different names.
It's also mentioned on a Wikipedia talk page. It's mentioned on Topless Robot, which does not provide a source, and The Geek Twins, which in turn links to this FAQ (thanks DavidW).
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
edited Jul 19 at 13:43
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
answered Jul 17 at 18:05
RajRaj
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
3,4062 gold badges14 silver badges26 bronze badges
12
He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:17
27
I find it endlessly amusing that the publisher insisted on using this thing as some sort of icon or mascot for the HHG franchise (because Americans would be "hopelessly confused" without it) and yet nobody in the general public knows what it is or why it's there, and the only confusion about the book series seems to be why it's there in the first place.
– Steve-O
Jul 18 at 13:05
11
@Steve-O I assume their "thought" process was it doesn't matter what the thing is, so long as the general public goes "ahh... it's got a green blob sticking its tongue out, it must be a "Hitchhiker" book".
– TripeHound
Jul 18 at 14:25
46
I was fairly bummed I missed Big Hero through Big Hero 5. But Big Hero 6 worked reasonably well as a stand-alone film.
– T.J. Crowder
Jul 18 at 16:14
16
@wizzwizz4 Don't be.
– chepner
Jul 18 at 20:13
|
show 9 more comments
12
He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:17
27
I find it endlessly amusing that the publisher insisted on using this thing as some sort of icon or mascot for the HHG franchise (because Americans would be "hopelessly confused" without it) and yet nobody in the general public knows what it is or why it's there, and the only confusion about the book series seems to be why it's there in the first place.
– Steve-O
Jul 18 at 13:05
11
@Steve-O I assume their "thought" process was it doesn't matter what the thing is, so long as the general public goes "ahh... it's got a green blob sticking its tongue out, it must be a "Hitchhiker" book".
– TripeHound
Jul 18 at 14:25
46
I was fairly bummed I missed Big Hero through Big Hero 5. But Big Hero 6 worked reasonably well as a stand-alone film.
– T.J. Crowder
Jul 18 at 16:14
16
@wizzwizz4 Don't be.
– chepner
Jul 18 at 20:13
12
12
He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:17
He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:17
27
27
I find it endlessly amusing that the publisher insisted on using this thing as some sort of icon or mascot for the HHG franchise (because Americans would be "hopelessly confused" without it) and yet nobody in the general public knows what it is or why it's there, and the only confusion about the book series seems to be why it's there in the first place.
– Steve-O
Jul 18 at 13:05
I find it endlessly amusing that the publisher insisted on using this thing as some sort of icon or mascot for the HHG franchise (because Americans would be "hopelessly confused" without it) and yet nobody in the general public knows what it is or why it's there, and the only confusion about the book series seems to be why it's there in the first place.
– Steve-O
Jul 18 at 13:05
11
11
@Steve-O I assume their "thought" process was it doesn't matter what the thing is, so long as the general public goes "ahh... it's got a green blob sticking its tongue out, it must be a "Hitchhiker" book".
– TripeHound
Jul 18 at 14:25
@Steve-O I assume their "thought" process was it doesn't matter what the thing is, so long as the general public goes "ahh... it's got a green blob sticking its tongue out, it must be a "Hitchhiker" book".
– TripeHound
Jul 18 at 14:25
46
46
I was fairly bummed I missed Big Hero through Big Hero 5. But Big Hero 6 worked reasonably well as a stand-alone film.
– T.J. Crowder
Jul 18 at 16:14
I was fairly bummed I missed Big Hero through Big Hero 5. But Big Hero 6 worked reasonably well as a stand-alone film.
– T.J. Crowder
Jul 18 at 16:14
16
16
@wizzwizz4 Don't be.
– chepner
Jul 18 at 20:13
@wizzwizz4 Don't be.
– chepner
Jul 18 at 20:13
|
show 9 more comments
Somebody asked Douglas Adams about that green blob thing at a 1997 or 1998 reading I attended. The question (asked by a preteen kid) got a round of applause before the author even had a chance to answer. Adams immediately got very animated and said, "I have no idea!" He explained that he "hate[d] the bloody thing," had no idea why anybody had put it on the covers to begin with, and had fought (successfully) to keep it off the cover of the omnibus edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
1
Authors have little, if any, say about what goes on the covers. At least until their books turn out to be best sellers.
– jamesqf
Jul 19 at 16:49
add a comment
|
Somebody asked Douglas Adams about that green blob thing at a 1997 or 1998 reading I attended. The question (asked by a preteen kid) got a round of applause before the author even had a chance to answer. Adams immediately got very animated and said, "I have no idea!" He explained that he "hate[d] the bloody thing," had no idea why anybody had put it on the covers to begin with, and had fought (successfully) to keep it off the cover of the omnibus edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
1
Authors have little, if any, say about what goes on the covers. At least until their books turn out to be best sellers.
– jamesqf
Jul 19 at 16:49
add a comment
|
Somebody asked Douglas Adams about that green blob thing at a 1997 or 1998 reading I attended. The question (asked by a preteen kid) got a round of applause before the author even had a chance to answer. Adams immediately got very animated and said, "I have no idea!" He explained that he "hate[d] the bloody thing," had no idea why anybody had put it on the covers to begin with, and had fought (successfully) to keep it off the cover of the omnibus edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
Somebody asked Douglas Adams about that green blob thing at a 1997 or 1998 reading I attended. The question (asked by a preteen kid) got a round of applause before the author even had a chance to answer. Adams immediately got very animated and said, "I have no idea!" He explained that he "hate[d] the bloody thing," had no idea why anybody had put it on the covers to begin with, and had fought (successfully) to keep it off the cover of the omnibus edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
answered Jul 17 at 22:12
BuzzBuzz
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
49.3k8 gold badges163 silver badges263 bronze badges
1
Authors have little, if any, say about what goes on the covers. At least until their books turn out to be best sellers.
– jamesqf
Jul 19 at 16:49
add a comment
|
1
Authors have little, if any, say about what goes on the covers. At least until their books turn out to be best sellers.
– jamesqf
Jul 19 at 16:49
1
1
Authors have little, if any, say about what goes on the covers. At least until their books turn out to be best sellers.
– jamesqf
Jul 19 at 16:49
Authors have little, if any, say about what goes on the covers. At least until their books turn out to be best sellers.
– jamesqf
Jul 19 at 16:49
add a comment
|
I was fortunate to have a chance one-on-one conversation with Douglas Adams, sometime around 1982. (In a bookstore called "A Change of Hobbit," in Santa Monica, California.)
When I asked him the same question, and his answer then was that he had no idea what it meant, and that he had never seen the cover art before it was published.
This was about a year after the film Heavy Metal was released, and it featured an evil glowing green orb as a character. I asked if perhaps that inspired the the green thing on the cover. He averred that it was possible, but he really didn't know.
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
add a comment
|
I was fortunate to have a chance one-on-one conversation with Douglas Adams, sometime around 1982. (In a bookstore called "A Change of Hobbit," in Santa Monica, California.)
When I asked him the same question, and his answer then was that he had no idea what it meant, and that he had never seen the cover art before it was published.
This was about a year after the film Heavy Metal was released, and it featured an evil glowing green orb as a character. I asked if perhaps that inspired the the green thing on the cover. He averred that it was possible, but he really didn't know.
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
add a comment
|
I was fortunate to have a chance one-on-one conversation with Douglas Adams, sometime around 1982. (In a bookstore called "A Change of Hobbit," in Santa Monica, California.)
When I asked him the same question, and his answer then was that he had no idea what it meant, and that he had never seen the cover art before it was published.
This was about a year after the film Heavy Metal was released, and it featured an evil glowing green orb as a character. I asked if perhaps that inspired the the green thing on the cover. He averred that it was possible, but he really didn't know.
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
I was fortunate to have a chance one-on-one conversation with Douglas Adams, sometime around 1982. (In a bookstore called "A Change of Hobbit," in Santa Monica, California.)
When I asked him the same question, and his answer then was that he had no idea what it meant, and that he had never seen the cover art before it was published.
This was about a year after the film Heavy Metal was released, and it featured an evil glowing green orb as a character. I asked if perhaps that inspired the the green thing on the cover. He averred that it was possible, but he really didn't know.
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:38
Steven KleinSteven Klein
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
4011 silver badge2 bronze badges
add a comment
|
add a comment
|
I always thought it was a Zero. If you watch the far superior BBC adaption of HHGttG when it gets to the bit about the population of the Galaxy, being Zero, and the chance encounters you would make to counter such arguments. Would be the sum product of a deranged imagination. A bunch of these raspberry blowing Zeros would just start popping in and out.
But, then it's probably some meaningless coincidence, brought on by some random event somewhere in the deeper universe.
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
For that "Zeros" question, perhaps you can ask Rod Lord himself: rodlord.com/pages/home2.htm (I bought one of his prints of "Dog 02" (rodlord.com/H2G2PRINTS/PAGES/prints1.htm ) a while back. )
– April --Un-Slander Monica--
Jul 18 at 13:53
This was my first thought too, good answer.
– Crow T Robot
Jul 18 at 17:36
add a comment
|
I always thought it was a Zero. If you watch the far superior BBC adaption of HHGttG when it gets to the bit about the population of the Galaxy, being Zero, and the chance encounters you would make to counter such arguments. Would be the sum product of a deranged imagination. A bunch of these raspberry blowing Zeros would just start popping in and out.
But, then it's probably some meaningless coincidence, brought on by some random event somewhere in the deeper universe.
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
For that "Zeros" question, perhaps you can ask Rod Lord himself: rodlord.com/pages/home2.htm (I bought one of his prints of "Dog 02" (rodlord.com/H2G2PRINTS/PAGES/prints1.htm ) a while back. )
– April --Un-Slander Monica--
Jul 18 at 13:53
This was my first thought too, good answer.
– Crow T Robot
Jul 18 at 17:36
add a comment
|
I always thought it was a Zero. If you watch the far superior BBC adaption of HHGttG when it gets to the bit about the population of the Galaxy, being Zero, and the chance encounters you would make to counter such arguments. Would be the sum product of a deranged imagination. A bunch of these raspberry blowing Zeros would just start popping in and out.
But, then it's probably some meaningless coincidence, brought on by some random event somewhere in the deeper universe.
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
I always thought it was a Zero. If you watch the far superior BBC adaption of HHGttG when it gets to the bit about the population of the Galaxy, being Zero, and the chance encounters you would make to counter such arguments. Would be the sum product of a deranged imagination. A bunch of these raspberry blowing Zeros would just start popping in and out.
But, then it's probably some meaningless coincidence, brought on by some random event somewhere in the deeper universe.
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
edited Jul 18 at 12:35
TheLethalCarrot
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
83.8k37 gold badges532 silver badges569 bronze badges
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
answered Jul 18 at 12:34
IchijoeIchijoe
711 bronze badge
711 bronze badge
For that "Zeros" question, perhaps you can ask Rod Lord himself: rodlord.com/pages/home2.htm (I bought one of his prints of "Dog 02" (rodlord.com/H2G2PRINTS/PAGES/prints1.htm ) a while back. )
– April --Un-Slander Monica--
Jul 18 at 13:53
This was my first thought too, good answer.
– Crow T Robot
Jul 18 at 17:36
add a comment
|
For that "Zeros" question, perhaps you can ask Rod Lord himself: rodlord.com/pages/home2.htm (I bought one of his prints of "Dog 02" (rodlord.com/H2G2PRINTS/PAGES/prints1.htm ) a while back. )
– April --Un-Slander Monica--
Jul 18 at 13:53
This was my first thought too, good answer.
– Crow T Robot
Jul 18 at 17:36
For that "Zeros" question, perhaps you can ask Rod Lord himself: rodlord.com/pages/home2.htm (I bought one of his prints of "Dog 02" (rodlord.com/H2G2PRINTS/PAGES/prints1.htm ) a while back. )
– April --Un-Slander Monica--
Jul 18 at 13:53
For that "Zeros" question, perhaps you can ask Rod Lord himself: rodlord.com/pages/home2.htm (I bought one of his prints of "Dog 02" (rodlord.com/H2G2PRINTS/PAGES/prints1.htm ) a while back. )
– April --Un-Slander Monica--
Jul 18 at 13:53
This was my first thought too, good answer.
– Crow T Robot
Jul 18 at 17:36
This was my first thought too, good answer.
– Crow T Robot
Jul 18 at 17:36
add a comment
|
Thanks for contributing an answer to Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fscifi.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f216147%2fwhat-is-this-green-alien-supposed-to-be-on-the-american-covers-of-the-hitchhike%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
2
I'm not sure that's actually supposed to be anyone/anything. The Vogons are (dark) green, but they have eyes and legs. The only other possibly relevant green reference I can find is that it's the colour of the Betelgeuse trading scouts, but presumably that would be a bit more serious.
– DavidW
Jul 17 at 18:04
1
Interesting. It can't be Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, because he first appears in the third book of the trilogy. Perhaps it's a visual representation of the Guide itself, with its message "DON'T PANIC".
– b_jonas
Jul 17 at 18:05
1
@DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
– Stormblessed
Jul 17 at 18:13
1
I always assumed it was an artist's depiction of the Great Green Arkleseizure
– agweber
Jul 18 at 19:56
3
I always thought it was just a green planet making a face, not any particular entity discussed in the books. While I (American) do recognize it in the wild as a HHG mascot, that's only because the first copy I came across had it. Other books in the series I acquired later didn't use it, but I somehow managed to connect the dots anyways.
– brichins
Jul 18 at 22:28