Editing The Number of the Beast (album) (section)

==Artwork==
[[File:Iron Maiden in San Sebastian.jpg|thumb|right|Iron Maiden performing at Spain in 1982]]
As with all of Iron Maiden's albums during the 1980s and early 1990s, the sleeve artwork was painted by [[Derek Riggs]]. The cover was originally created for the song "[[Purgatory (song)|Purgatory]]", but manager Rod Smallwood deemed it of too high a calibre for the release of a mere single, and decided to save it for ''The Number of the Beast''.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=135}} The original 1982 artwork includes a blue sky in the background; a mistake by the printers of the cover, this was corrected to black when the album was remastered for compact disc in 1998.<ref name="NOTBDVD" />

The album attracted controversy, particularly in the United States, due to the lyrics of the title track and the cover art depicting [[Eddie (mascot)|Eddie]] controlling Satan like a puppet, while Satan is also controlling a smaller Eddie. Smallwood explains that the concept was to ask "who's the really evil one here? Who's manipulating who?"{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=135}} According to Riggs, this was inspired by a [[Doctor Strange]] comic book, "which had some big villain with Doctor Strange dangling on some strings like a puppet – it was something I read as a child back in the 1960s, I think," while the images of hell were "taken from my knowledge of medieval European Christian art which was full of such scenes".<ref name="Riggs interview" /> In addition, Satan was supposed to have wings made out of lightning and smoke (which can still be seen vaguely in the final piece) but due to time constraints, Riggs was unable to complete it as intended. He also made Satan look like [[Salvador Dalí]] as a joke.<ref>{{cite book |last=Popoff |first=Martin |title=Run For Cover: The Art of Derek Riggs |date=2006 |publisher=Aardvark Publishing |location=United Kingdom |isbn=1-4276-0538-6 |page=44 |edition=1}}</ref>

According to US professor Bryan A. Bardine, "this album evokes power, passion and music that present darker themes and images."<ref>{{cite book |last=Bayer |first=Gerd |display-authors=etal |title=Heavy Metal Music in Britain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=386hAgAAQBAJ&q=Heavy+Metal+Music+in+Britain&pg=PT19 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |location=Farnham, Surrey, UK |year=2009 |access-date=9 December 2021 |pages=133–134 |isbn=978-0-7546-6423-9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823234823/https://books.google.com/books?id=386hAgAAQBAJ&q=Heavy+Metal+Music+in+Britain&pg=PT19 |archive-date=23 August 2023}}</ref>

The artwork has been parodied by [[crossover thrash]] band [[Stormtroopers of Death]] for the cover of their 1999 album ''[[Bigger than the Devil]]'', and on a T-shirt by Streetwear brand Diamond Supply Co.<ref name="Riggs interview">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/derek-riggs-iron-maiden-album-cover-artist-interviewed/ |title=Derek Riggs: Iron Maiden Album Cover Artist Interviewed |access-date=30 March 2012 |last=Everley |first=Dave |date=30 March 2012 |magazine=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] |quote=How did you feel about some of the pastiches it inspired – ie, S.O.D.’s Bigger Than The Devil album cover, and Diamond Supply Co's T-shirts?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406223510/http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/derek-riggs-iron-maiden-album-cover-artist-interviewed/|archive-date=6 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.individualsole.com/2006/11/04/diamond-iron-maiden-tees/ |title=Diamond "Iron Maiden" Tees |date=4 November 2006 |access-date=13 October 2011 |publisher=individualsole.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110192102/http://www.individualsole.com/2006/11/04/diamond-iron-maiden-tees/ |archive-date=10 January 2012}}</ref>

"It's probably thick," remarked [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] bassist [[Gene Simmons]] of the sleeve. "It's probably got elves and dragons holding it up!"<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Mike|last=Gitter|title=Talkin' 'bout revolutions|magazine=[[Kerrang!]]|date=6 March 1993|issue=433|page=39}}</ref>

In 2015, this cover art makes an appearance in the "[[Speed of Light (Iron Maiden song)|Speed of Light]]" music video depicting Eddie fighting Satan (now known as "The Beast") in a form of ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' video game.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Iron Maiden |title=Iron Maiden - Speed Of Light (Official Video) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F7A24f6gNc&t=2m46s |website=YouTube |date=14 August 2015 |access-date=8 February 2023 |archive-date=8 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208112557/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F7A24f6gNc&t=2m46s |url-status=live }}</ref>