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What is this green alien supposed to be on the American covers of the “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy”?

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12

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

share|improve this question

edited 11 mins ago

Jenayah

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asked 11 hours ago

StormblessedStormblessed

4,89333 gold badges2323 silver badges6262 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  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
  11 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  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
  11 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  FWIW, in my collection none of the books of the series have that thing on the cover.
  
  – DavidW
  11 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
  
  – Stormblessed
  11 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Without answering yes or no, many years ago certain dedicated SF book sellers used to be able to sneak^W bring in UK editions of high-demand books when, as here, the US editions were only printed a year or more later...
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

12

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

share|improve this question

edited 11 mins ago

Jenayah

28.1k99 gold badges127127 silver badges170170 bronze badges

asked 11 hours ago

StormblessedStormblessed

4,89333 gold badges2323 silver badges6262 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  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
  11 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  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
  11 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  FWIW, in my collection none of the books of the series have that thing on the cover.
  
  – DavidW
  11 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidW Are you in America? It’s only on American books.
  
  – Stormblessed
  11 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Without answering yes or no, many years ago certain dedicated SF book sellers used to be able to sneak^W bring in UK editions of high-demand books when, as here, the US editions were only printed a year or more later...
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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

share|improve this question

edited 11 mins ago

Jenayah

28.1k99 gold badges127127 silver badges170170 bronze badges

asked 11 hours ago

StormblessedStormblessed

4,89333 gold badges2323 silver badges6262 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited 11 mins ago

Jenayah

28.1k99 gold badges127127 silver badges170170 bronze badges

asked 11 hours ago

StormblessedStormblessed

4,89333 gold badges2323 silver badges6262 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited 11 mins ago

Jenayah

28.1k99 gold badges127127 silver badges170170 bronze badges

asked 11 hours ago

StormblessedStormblessed

4,89333 gold badges2323 silver badges6262 bronze badges

edited 11 mins ago

Jenayah

28.1k99 gold badges127127 silver badges170170 bronze badges

edited 11 mins ago

Jenayah

28.1k99 gold badges127127 silver badges170170 bronze badges

asked 11 hours ago

StormblessedStormblessed

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asked 11 hours ago

StormblessedStormblessed

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2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

16

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.

share|improve this answer

edited 10 hours ago

answered 11 hours ago

RajRaj

2,36711 gold badge88 silver badges2121 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  web.archive.org/web/20150726224647/http://www.zootle.net/afda/…
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
  
  – Stormblessed
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Stormblessed Depending when that quote was from, there was a Ballantine edition that didn't have it: isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41559
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidW But he seems to have failed at "securing it's demise". Doesn't seem like it really stayed dead.
  
  – JMac
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

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.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

BuzzBuzz

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add a comment | 

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16

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.

share|improve this answer

edited 10 hours ago

answered 11 hours ago

RajRaj

2,36711 gold badge88 silver badges2121 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  web.archive.org/web/20150726224647/http://www.zootle.net/afda/…
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
  
  – Stormblessed
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Stormblessed Depending when that quote was from, there was a Ballantine edition that didn't have it: isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41559
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidW But he seems to have failed at "securing it's demise". Doesn't seem like it really stayed dead.
  
  – JMac
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

16

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.

share|improve this answer

edited 10 hours ago

answered 11 hours ago

RajRaj

2,36711 gold badge88 silver badges2121 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  web.archive.org/web/20150726224647/http://www.zootle.net/afda/…
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  He clearly failed to get it removed from the covers.
  
  – Stormblessed
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Stormblessed Depending when that quote was from, there was a Ballantine edition that didn't have it: isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?41559
  
  – DavidW
  10 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @DavidW But he seems to have failed at "securing it's demise". Doesn't seem like it really stayed dead.
  
  – JMac
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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.

share|improve this answer

edited 10 hours ago

answered 11 hours ago

RajRaj

2,36711 gold badge88 silver badges2121 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

edited 10 hours ago

answered 11 hours ago

RajRaj

2,36711 gold badge88 silver badges2121 bronze badges

answered 11 hours ago

RajRaj

2,36711 gold badge88 silver badges2121 bronze badges

answered 11 hours ago

RajRaj

2,36711 gold badge88 silver badges2121 bronze badges

1

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.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

BuzzBuzz

44k77 gold badges148148 silver badges236236 bronze badges

add a comment | 

1

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.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

BuzzBuzz

44k77 gold badges148148 silver badges236236 bronze badges

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.

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

BuzzBuzz

44k77 gold badges148148 silver badges236236 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 7 hours ago

BuzzBuzz

44k77 gold badges148148 silver badges236236 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

BuzzBuzz

44k77 gold badges148148 silver badges236236 bronze badges

answered 7 hours ago

BuzzBuzz

44k77 gold badges148148 silver badges236236 bronze badges