Michael was asked to do a cover for the trade paperback edition of THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER. He had done the dustjacket and all the interior illustrations for the limited edition version, but this was the first mass-market edition of this special series by Stephen King.

He made the background a peculiar mustardy color to reflect the dusty, oppressive feeling of the book and put the shadow of the Dark Tower looming over Roland's shoulder. The art director changed the design of the cover and sent the painting to a retouch lab to take out the entire background and replace it with the sky from Michael's GUNSLINGER ON THE BEACH painting. So although the new cover is all Whelan art, there is no such painting in existence.