Artist Boris Vallejo and his wife, Julie Bell, have rocked our faces for decades with beautiful oil paintings depicting muscular barbarians, sexy Amazonian warriors, and terrifying beasts. Their work has graced movie posters, book covers, trading cards, print ads, music albums, and, of course, video games.
The talented duo is responsible for some of the finest, most detailed, awe-inspiring video game box art since the ’80s. Take the image above from the PC game Dragon Wars (1989) illustrated by Vallejo. Even if the game had sucked, which it did not, I would’ve probably picked it up for the amazing art alone.
Although not as active in the gaming scene as they were in the past, Boris’s and Julie’s work remains stamped in the hearts of a segment of gamers. To keep their masterpieces alive, we’ve put together a gallery of some of Vallejo’s and Bell’s most memorable video game-themed handiwork.
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Swords and Serpents
Swords and Serpents cover by Boris Vallejo (1990).
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Wings of Wor
Wings of Wor cover by Boris Vallejo (1990).
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Turrican
Turrican cover by Julie Bell (1991).
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Mike Ditka Ultimate Football
Mike Ditka Ultimate Football cover by Boris Vallejo (1991).
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Golden Axe II
Golden Axe II cover by Boris Vallejo (1991).
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Hardball
Hardball cover by Julie Bell (1991).
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Onslaught
Onslaught cover by Boris Vallejo (1991).
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Star Control
Star Control cover by Boris Vallejo (1991).
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Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe
Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe cover by Julie Bell (1991).
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Conan the Cimmerian
Conan the Cimmerian cover by Boris Vallejo (1991).
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Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco the Dolphin cover by Boris Vallejo (1992).
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Journey from Darkness: Strider Returns
Journey from Darkness: Strider Returns cover by Julie Bell (1992).
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Eric the Unready
Eric the Unready cover by Boris Vallejo (1992).
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Splatterhouse 3
Splatterhouse 3 cover by Julie Bell (1992).
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Natsume Championship Wrestling
Natsume Championship Wrestling cover by Julie Bell (1993).
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Run Saber
Run Saber cover by Julie Bell (1993).
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Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls
Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls cover by Julie Bell (1993).
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Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D cover by Julie Bell (1993).
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Eternal Champions
Eternal Champions cover by Julie Bell (1993).
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Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium cover by Boris Vallejo (1994).
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King of Dragons
King of Dragons cover by Julie Bell (1994).
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Demon’s Crest
Demon's Crest cover by Julie Bell (1994).
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Ecco II: The Tides of Time
Ecco II: The Tides of Time cover by Boris Vallejo (1994).
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Doom II: Hell on Earth
Doom II: Hell on Earth unused cover art by Julie Bell (1994). Believe it or not, id Software rejected this piece because the Cyberdemon looks too much like a bull.
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Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future cover by Boris Vallejo (2000).
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RYL: Path of the Emperor
RYL: Path of the Emperor cover by Boris & Julie (2005).
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BioShock 2
BioShock 2 promotional art by Boris & Julie (2009).
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To see more of Boris and Julie’s art, head over to their official website, where you can purchase signed copies of the paintings featured in this article.