You know what? I'm going against the crowd, here. If we separate the art on the first cover into drawing, coloring, and composition, it's not entirely terrible... in one of the three categories. The drawing itself isn't without merit.
Now, the other two elements? They're horrifyingly bad, ESPECIALLY for a cover. I mean, seriously, even if we're to believe there's possible talent in the left pinkies of whoever did them, this wouldn't even be considered phoning it in. This is pre-electric messaging systems at best; I name this a Pony-Expressed-in job. Maybe even heliographed, though that presumes a certain level of organization.
Maybe the original artist got sick. All over the original covers. And they had to hire some guys off the street.