Thin Lizzy Jailbreak: what is that robot doing on the cover?
A giant metal head, a screen in its chest and four men bursting out of it. Red alert. It looks like a comic book because that is exactly what it was meant to look like.
A huge metal head stares down at you, all cables and wings and hard black lines. In its chest sits a screen, and on the screen four long-haired figures are running for their lives through smoke and fire. Underneath, a small panel spells it out: red alert, jailbreak! Down at the bottom of the poster the same four men turn up again, this time for real, on stage with their instruments.
A comic book on a record
The drawing is by Jim Fitzpatrick, the Irish artist and a friend of Phil Lynott, and it was already his third cover for the band. Fitzpatrick has said that he and Lynott were both hooked on two things at the time: H.G. Wells and The War of the Worlds, and American Marvel comics. Lynott wanted a sleeve that showed both, and this is what came out of it.
You can see the comics part in every line. Fitzpatrick himself points to Neal Adams, the American comic artist they both admired, as the influence all over this one. The robot, the dramatic angles, the little caption box, it all reads like a page torn out of a sci-fi comic.
The warrior in Phil's head
There was a story behind it, too. Lynott had an imaginary tale of a warrior in his head, and the two of them worked on it together, with Fitzpatrick reworking his rough sketches until the picture and the story fitted. The original record even carried a short story on the back of the sleeve. And Fitzpatrick fought for one more thing: silver ink, which meant an extra print run. He loved the metallic shine, and the record company, to its credit, went along with it.
The boys are back
Jailbreak was recorded at Ramport Studios in London between December 1975 and February 1976, with producer John Alcock, and came out on 26 March 1976. The line-up is the one on this poster: Phil Lynott on bass and vocals, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson on guitars, Brian Downey on drums. It gave the band The Boys Are Back in Town, and the album went gold in the UK, the US and Canada.
A funny footnote: two years later Lynott sang on Jeff Wayne's rock opera version of The War of the Worlds. The Martians, it seems, never quite let him go.
About the poster
This is the Jailbreak sleeve printed as a 55 × 75 cm (22 × 30 in) portrait poster, from 2022. It is an original magazine insert, never hung, with no staple holes, folded three times as issued. The sheet is double-sided, with Savatage "Hall of the Mountain King" on the back.
Browse all original Thin Lizzy posters.
Quick answers
Who drew the Thin Lizzy Jailbreak cover?
Jim Fitzpatrick, an Irish artist and friend of Phil Lynott, who drew several Thin Lizzy covers.
What inspired the Jailbreak artwork?
H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds and American Marvel comics, especially the work of Neal Adams. Lynott and Fitzpatrick built it around a story about a warrior that Lynott had in mind.
When was Jailbreak released?
On 26 March 1976.
How big is the poster?
55 × 75 cm (about 22 × 30 inches), portrait. It is a separate insert, so it has no staple holes, and it is folded three times as issued.
What is on the other side?
Savatage "Hall of the Mountain King". The sheet is double-sided, so you choose which side goes on the wall.