FCBD 2008: Cover art!

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:34 am

The next big deadline for the Free Comic Book Day book is coming up fast: we're going to need to submit cover art to the printers by December 20, which is almost two weeks away. I know we have some very talented artists among us who would be more than capable for the job. If you are selected to create the cover art for the book, your work will be displayed in comic book shops all cover the country, so this is going to be quite an undertaking to say the least. Do we have any nominations for artists? Any volunteers? We will be using the same dimensions as we did last year (around 6.75" by 10.5" for the front, plus the back, if we do a wrap-around cover.)

I should reiterate that "real life" has been keeping me away from the forums, IRC, and the Internet in general over the last couple of months, and I am not going to be able to put together this book all by myself. If anybody would like to volunteer for such tasks as handling the PayPal account for donations, writing copy for the book (such as promotional blurbs and press releases) or coordinating artists for the content of the book, your help will be much appreciated and desperately needed. I want to have a great book this year, guys, but I can't do it all by myself. If any of you can help, please step up and I know we can do it together.

Thanks, you guys! Let's get to it.

EDIT BY STRREDWOLF: STrRedWolf here, and I'm going to kick it up a notch (and make it an annoucement). I will pay $50 US to the best cover of Genchan leading a charge of artists at the camera (aka at you as you look at the page). Cortland, being editor, will choose the best. YOU HAVE UNTIL NEXT MONDAY TO QUALIFY FOR THIS CONTEST. Payment is by Paypal. Post a small version here and a large version ether in the "/" of your CG directory or accessible somewhere. RedWolf out!

Mon Ami · Post by **Mon Ami** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:38 pm

Um, one question, what theme will it be? Is it going to be the water thing? (Minus or plus the LSD's are up to you.) Or do we just do whatever we envision and stick it on paper?

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:05 pm

I don't think we ever settled on a theme, and it might not happen unless a couple of us take charge and absolutely push for something. Personally, I wouldn't mind something simple with GenChan, possibly surrounded by a bunch of comics collected on Free Comic Book Day, but as the deadline is fast approaching, I think we'd better decide quick and then move on making the art for Diamond before December 20.

Dragonmajik · Post by **Dragonmajik** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:32 pm

For those of us unfamiliar with the print world... why does Diamond need the cover so far in advance of the rest of the interior work? Because of the color component? Because they said so, and so it must be?

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 8:35 am

I believe it's for promotional purposes, to include the cover art of all the books available for Free Comic Book Day and show the lineup that comic stores can choose to buy. We didn't even need the back cover artwork until the rest of the book was due last year.

The Neko · Post by **The Neko** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 10:33 am

Well, with the deadline looming, there better be decisions made about the content of the book, or the theme if there will be one at all, now so anybody who wants to make a cover can do it with at least some semblance of a schedule.

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:30 pm

Hi, guys. Not to be pushy or anything, but the deadline for the comic cover is in NINE DAYS. Unless we get an artist or two to step forward and volunteer to create a cover for the book, we MAY NOT HAVE ONE for 2008. I don't have nearly as much free time as I did a year ago to round up volunteers and pester people for artwork this time around, so I'm seriously going to need some volunteer artists if this book is going to happen. This is a great opportunity for any budding young artist here to have his or her artwork displayed at comic book shops all over the country. Who's up for it?

Post by **STrRedWolf** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:41 pm

Made annoucement, and made the bounty. $50 for the best artwork. See the first post.

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:53 pm

As for themes, the idea of "running" as a theme got tossed around in chat, and that works for me, as Supreme Dictator of the book and stuff. We need to settle on something quick, and running seems to have quite a bit more room for interpretation than water. If you really like water, you could have "running water" as a theme in one comic anyhow.

So that's it. The theme is "running." It is not open for debate since that's something we save for people who have more than nine days to draw t5he cover for a comic. Now let's get cracking on submissions!

Zwuh · Post by **Zwuh** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:00 pm

I think it's worth mentioning that the cover doesn't have to be "ALL THE ARTISTS RUNNING AROUND BEING WACKY ON A COVER". In fact, I don't think it should be that at all. There are thousands of different ideas which you could use to represent the book and the theme.

And that's what the cover should do, it should represent the theme and content without shoving your face in it. Make people WANT to pick up and take home the book. Be subtle, be clever, be interesting.

Besides, since the book doesn't HAVE any submissions yet you'd be hard pressed to draw the artists onto a cover with any accuracy. Also it is still a dumb idea.

Be creative people, that's what comics are all about.

Turnsky · Post by **Turnsky** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:05 pm

if somebody posts something that'll be a shoe-in, but the artist can't color it, i'll be around to offer my services to color.

KODAMA · Post by **KODAMA** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:08 pm

oh snap, I need money.
What's the cover supposed to be like?

Zwuh · Post by **Zwuh** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:25 pm

The cover should relate to the theme of the book (run/running) and be a good cover.

This will be what sits on the FCBD table in comic stores staring at people, so it has to MAKE people want to pick it up and take it home. When designing a cover, you should be thinking "Would I pick this up if I saw it? Would I even notice it?"

Things that don't work well as covers:

- busy pictures filled with many characters bunched together.
- a cover made up of artist avatars that readers don't care about.
- all of the above.

Hartchamber · Post by **Hartchamber** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:21 am

well, here's an idea i have for a cover- the theme would be "running water"

it's probably too busy for a front cover-might work for a back.
incidently, the retailers will be ordering the fcbd books in february- that's why diamond needs an image in december as they have to print up their huge previews catalog by the middle or so of jan to get it shipped to retailers before feb hits.

Cortland · Post by **Cortland** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:32 am

I like this idea for a cover. Though it's not spot on the "running theme," it's definitely better than the traditional "all comic characters running at the camera" sort of thing (though War's sampler cover for some time ago was quite nice as well). It's also awfully rough, but the idea works.

Lunar · Post by **Lunar** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:04 pm

I like the idea using comics in the cover. Some sort of image with GenChan running away from a big comic wave might be interesting. Just a suggestion.

Yeahduff · Post by **Yeahduff** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:01 pm

Did someone say $50?

Here's a rather rough preliminary drawing of a somewhat tipsy Genchan using the international signal (I'm sure) for "Run along." I also put a run in her stocking, but I'm not married to it.

Shall I continue?

The Neko · Post by **The Neko** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:07 pm

yeahduff wrote:Did someone say $50?
Shall I continue?

You only get the money if you do his idea.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:47 am

Honestly, I'm not sure our mascot being drunk on the cover is a good idea.

- Joel Fagin

The space coyote · Post by **The space coyote** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:16 am

This ex-Comic Genesis artist heartily endorses this event or product

<img src="http://i11.tinypic.com/8520irp.jpg">

<a href="http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?a ... EE8">large version</a> (approx. 16 MB)

ETA: Crud I only followed Kelly's post at the very top so I didn't know the theme was "running."

Am I disqualified now?