A quick glimpse at my upcoming comic book...

[PatrickG]

Have a gander at the preliminary cover for my upcoming comic book. The submissions packet will be in the mail to Image soon.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/LoIG_Starslash/covermockuppreview.jpg

[GeorgeG]

Expect a rejection letter.

[PatrickG]

Wow. That's cold.

But maybe deservedly so.

Care to express your distaste in more than four words?

[matterconsumer]

Based on the cover and just giving a gut check it just doesn't grab me.

The art reminds me of any of a number of 90s looking comics that doesn't differentiate.

The title and the subject of the cover seems to offer something "different" but not something that I would be motivated to pick up and read.

Pass.

[PatrickG]

Okay.

I'm taking notes here.

With any submission there's a better than average chance of a rejection form letter.

So I really can learn from your opinions here.

[Jeff Brady]

Knowing the title, and seeing the scene on the cover made me chuckle. I'd at least pick it up and flip through it.

[Converge]

Why would I want to read that?

[Jared_Humpherys]

I think there may be a clash of styles here.

For one, I really don't like the text of "Inlaws." I think it's supposed to be meant to look flowerly, but it ends up passing as pseudo-arcane, the type of text one would expect from a Johnny Blaze comic.

And then there's the "Outlaws" text, which I would like if it weren't for the gun on the L. If the cover had a Western or a crime motif, I think I would like the look of that L. But given that "Outlaws" seems to mean "villains" in a superhero sense, the gun doesn't quite work.

As for the scene itself: the scene conveyed is an angry superhero trying to stop a wedding to the son of a known villain, am I right? To be honest, by the look on the hero's face, I originally though him to be a villain. I would expect more of a look of righteous indignation and determination as opposed to the pure rage he seems to be expressing.

However, the expression of the groom, the villain in the mirror, and the padre all seem to work very well.

The bride's expression doesn't quite work for me. It looks too hysterical(which, on some levels, I can understand, but still...). Perhaps she would look better if her mouth weren't open so wide, as if she were trying to say something instead of simply shrieking?

Don't get me wrong, it's good cover. It seems to have a late 80's/Early 90's feel, at least to me.

Oh, and I'm not really digging the purple floor, either.

[David Bedlam]

I might give it a shot.

Okay, it may not be as slick or as professionally done as something from one of the big groups, but there is promise there. I think Jared managed to point out most of the ways in which the cover could be improved, but what I am really interested in is what is the interior art and storytelling.

That is what makes or breaks a book for me.

[stealthwise]

I probably wouldn't pick it up, based on the cover alone of course, because of the superhero/romance angle right away. Nothing about the concept really grabs me at all.

The art is very... 90s, as someone else mentioned, not really my cup of tea at all (although the interiors could be much different). Basically I don't like the style, the layout, the colours. It all screams "generic", and would probably be a book that a few people might pick up and then may spread in popularity due to word of mouth.

[Beacon]

*skims thread responses*

Heh, this has to be the ultimate in judging a book by the cover ;)

It’d be kinda funny if it turns out to be something completely different

[PatrickG]

Keep in mind, this is just the preliminary cover design. These things can change a heck of a lot before production.

What I find interesting is that I chose a cover artist whose style CONTRASTS with the interior art a bit because I wanted cleaner linework and a bit more movement in the cover art. It never occured to me to think of this as "Early 90s" or "Mangaesque".

People describe the interior art as "70s Retro".

I suspect that both sets of issues could be fixed, in part, with more advanced coloring.

[Just_A_Rat]

As for the scene itself: the scene conveyed is an angry superhero trying to stop a wedding to the son of a known villain, am I right? To be honest, by the look on the hero's face, I originally though him to be a villain. I would expect more of a look of righteous indignation and determination as opposed to the pure rage he seems to be expressing.


Funny, I took that expressin to be determination through pain. Maybe it was the position of the hands that gave me that impression, though.

Overall, I agree that the cover feels a little... Generic. It also isn't clear enough to me about what is going on, or why I should care. There is obviously a wedding, involving some smug-looking guy and a frightened woman, which a super-hero is at, but I am not sure who I am rooting for, and why.

[Alex Dragon]

Keep in mind, this is just the preliminary cover design. These things can change a heck of a lot before production.

What I find interesting is that I chose a cover artist whose style CONTRASTS with the interior art a bit because I wanted cleaner linework and a bit more movement in the cover art. It never occured to me to think of this as "Early 90s" or "Mangaesque".

People describe the interior art as "70s Retro".

I suspect that both sets of issues could be fixed, in part, with more advanced coloring.

I know it isn't fun for you to hear but I pretty much agree with all that's been said here. But as far as the submission packet goes...Do they ask for a cover to be sent in too? Just what exactly are you sending them?

Back to that cover...besides having a very dated feel the image on a whole doesn't quite work. The hero's pose is incredibly akward. The expressions of the characters doesn't seem to make much sense. And while I understand what you're shooting for with the image in the window it doesn't quite work. He should be part of the audience/ceremony or his image should be a little more detacted from the actual shot. Some people might just think that's a picture in the window.

I think a stronger and more powerful shot would be to have the camera behind the priest looking over his shoulder with the hero bursting through the church doors and the bride and groom looking over their shoulders back at him. There's no real need to show the priest's face because you've got the surprised looks from the bride. With a head on shot of the hero bursting in you can get a nice shot of his costume in a more natural pose. We don't need to see a full body shot of the bride and groom because we can tell it's a wedding and how they're dressed with only a shot of them from the waist up. That way we can geta better shot of their faces/expressions.

I know it's tough to hear this stuff but you should've had some layouts of the cover done first and show them around to get some feedback before the the artist went to the trouble of completing it. Yes, it's your story and ideas but you aren't selling the book to yourself. You've got to be aware of what people would be interested in. There may be some people who dig what you're trying but are there enough of them to sustain your project? And is this something you you would truly be interested in and buy if it were from someone else? Lots of wannabe creators seem to have very high standards when it comes to the work of others but when they do something they suddenly become very easy to impress and the standards tend to plummet.

The good news is that the artist who did the cover isn't bad. Tell him to do some reseach and reference modern clothing and hairstyles. The wedding dress could be better. Buy a wedding dress mag and have the artist base his design off something from there. Same with the grooms threads. That's one of the main things that gives the cover a dated look. The hero's hairstyle is horrible. Strongly consider losing the cape. Another dated aspect. Consider changing the boots and gloves to something more sreamlined and less busy (the boots especially look weird). Some of the color choices are pretty bad also. change some of the colors to something more realistic and less "day-glo". Do some of those things and it'll bring the cover into the present decade.

Just me tossing out some opinions. Feel free to ignore'em.

[Lester C.]

Patrick first let me say that I respect the hell out of you. It obvious that you have put much of your personal time and resources into this project and I hope it goes well for you. Since you are soliciting opinions let me add mine. You want your book to be assessable as possible to today’s audience so you should lose the retro fell which is what turned me off on the cover.

I also want to say, with all due respect to those that posted, that internet opinions are not accurate gages of what going to sell or flop. In fact if you look at what sells and what flops in the market place it tends to go in the opposite direction from what fans on the internet want so for all we know you have a winner.

[PatrickG]

No. I genuinely appreciate it.

I called specifically for a storytelling cover. It isn't working for some people and I'm noting the how's and why's.

I wouldn't ever be too keen on an iconic cover. I just don't dig 'em.

A part of this may be that guys like Joe Mad and Ian Churchill and a lot of those 90s guys are what I prefer in many respects. The interior art is stylistically different so it may not hit you guys as badly. (Or maybe you'll dislike it even more!)

I do think color is factoring in very big here and often makes the difference between a lot of modern artists being regarded as modern or old school.

There is a LOT of great advice here, however.

But I can also see where a lot of the things I am intentionally playing up or that please me asthetically are some of the things being taken issue with as well.

But I appreciate the feedback. I just need to digest it a little.

[Converge]

My problem with it is that it seems too much like a novelty. I might produce an unenthusastic chuckle upon seeing the comic, but I wouldn't be inclined to buy it.

And I think Retro 70s is a lot more interesting than Generic 90s. Maybe you should try a cover the is more in keeping with the actual art style of the book.

[Alex Dragon]

No. I genuinely appreciate it.

I called specifically for a storytelling cover. It isn't working for some people and I'm noting the how's and why's.

I wouldn't ever be too keen on an iconic cover. I just don't dig 'em.

Iconic covers only work on iconic characters that are well known or when the artist is well known or simply so good that he/she makes the cover an eye-catching work of art. With a totally new book/character the cover must give some sort of indication of what's happening inside. The cover's concept is fine. It's the execution of it that needs work.

A part of this may be that guys like Joe Mad and Ian Churchill and a lot of those 90s guys are what I prefer in many respects. The interior art is stylistically different so it may not hit you guys as badly. (Or maybe you'll dislike it even more!)

You're pretty safe if the book is done in the style of the two artist you mention since they're both still popular. As much as some people complain about that 90s/Image style today many of those guys are still considered top talent. The thing about that style is to just stay away from over excessive crosshatching and "pin-up" style storytelling. Other than those two things some of the artists of that era were actually good and just get a bum rap because of the lesser artists they were surrounded by.

And throwing out opinions again...I don't get why you don't have the artist doing the interiors doing the cover also. If their styles are so different maybe it would be better if the cover better reflected the style inside. If the cover artist is a better artist then that's fine. Or if the interior artist isn't good at designing covers I could understand but if that's the case you should consider having the cover guy layout the cover from the interior guy to finish in his style. To me the only reason to have a different artist on the cover is because he/she's well known or the cover artist is considerably better than the interior artist.

I do think color is factoring in very big here and often makes the difference between a lot of modern artists being regarded as modern or old school.

Not really. The coloring isn't good but it's mostly the hairstyles, costume, fashion and art style that give it a dated look more than anything. The coloring only slams home those points.

There is a LOT of great advice here, however.

Theres a lot of great advice in lots of places, show that cover around and get some unbias input. We could all be totally wrong here. Just be realistic and don't ignore good advice because it's not what you want to hear.

But I can also see where a lot of the things I am intentionally playing up or that please me asthetically are some of the things being taken issue with as well.

But I appreciate the feedback. I just need to digest it a little.

If you have a clear vision on what you're going for you need to say what it is. For all we know the peice might be doing what it needs to. We're all talking about the dated/reto aspects and maybe that's exactly what you want. If it is you can ignore some of what I said before.

In any case, stay the course and good luck. What you want to do takes a very thick skin.

[GeorgeG]

I think a lot has been pointed out already, that it's a generic looking '90s cover.

But the first thing I saw was your logo--the title. In-laws should be hyphenated. If I'm a publisher and I see that, I'd throw it in the toss pile right away. If you're not taking the time to spell your title correctly, then what does it say about the book itself?

And someone mentioned the gun in the logo. If this book wasn't about superheroes, I could see it. But since it is, I wouldn't include it.

I didn't like the poses of the characters. The hero flying in (guessing he's a hero) looks all contorted. Look how his torso and arms are aligned with the positioning of both legs.

The reaction from the woman is odd. She has her arms out as if she's separating the two, while the guy in the tux doesn't even react (other than a scowl). If she's posed that way, there needs to be some kind of movement from him. Now, if she had one arm out or two holding back the flying guy, then that (no movement from the groom) would make more sense.

I agree that the artistic style on the cover should reflect what readers would find in the book (unless you have a "name" doing the cover for you).

It would probably be easier if you gave us a line or two telling us what the book will be about. We would probably have a better vision for what you're trying to shoot for.

[howyadoin]

Not much I can add here; people have already criticized the outdated clothing and hairstyles, and the awkward pose of the guy in the orange costume.

But I will say this: I've been to weddings where borderline-ugly brides looked better than that one. And her left foot looks like a right foot, and vice versa.

Speaking of feet, the orange guy's left foot is way too small.



And I gotta say, pretty much all the typography is... less than attractive.

I would like to see some of the interior pages, though.

[stealthwise]

I just realized something.

I never buy the books based on their cover. I don't know if that makes me an anamoly or what, but I rarely notice a book due to what's on the front, and I often get the previews way ahead of time and choose what I'm going to get based on solicits, interviews and the creative team working on it.

[Bright-Raven]

Concept: Based on title and cover image? The publisher Image would reject this because they've already got NOBLE CAUSES, which has sported something akin to such a storyline, if memory serves.

Art: I think it's been dissected enough for any real purposes. Jared's commentary was very thorough and specific enough.

Back to the drawing board, I think.

[Alex Dragon]

I just realized something.

I never buy the books based on their cover. I don't know if that makes me an anamoly or what, but I rarely notice a book due to what's on the front, and I often get the previews way ahead of time and choose what I'm going to get based on solicits, interviews and the creative team working on it.

I would have to imagine that a cover at least catches your eye in the beginning to make you interested enough to check out who's working on the book and what it's about. Maybe not so much with books you're familiar with but if you ever try something new the cover is the first thing you see. Think about it for a second...you're saying you'd be just as happy if PREVIEWS was all text basically.

[Dennis]

what subgenre is this?

[Noah Johnson]

I'm not sure exactly what it is about the face in the stained-glass window that does it, maybe something about the eyes, but it screams "amateur" to me. Possibly that ridiculous grin that doesn't relate to anything else on the face.

[EdContradictory]

As for the scene itself: the scene conveyed is an angry superhero trying to stop a wedding to the son of a known villain, am I right? To be honest, by the look on the hero's face, I originally though him to be a villain. I would expect more of a look of righteous indignation and determination as opposed to the pure rage he seems to be expressing.

That's what I thought, too. I also thought the angry hero was the son of the villain in the window. They look a lot a like. Also... the hero's costume screams "He's a Nazi" to me (it might be the chest symbol), so I thought he was the bad guy..

[stealthwise]

I would have to imagine that a cover at least catches your eye in the beginning to make you interested enough to check out who's working on the book and what it's about. Maybe not so much with books you're familiar with but if you ever try something new the cover is the first thing you see. Think about it for a second...you're saying you'd be just as happy if PREVIEWS was all text basically.

Er... I don't read Previews. I get all of my solicit info online and basically go and do my own little web-searches to figure out what I should and shouldn't get each month. So literally yes, I base my buying decisions with complete disregard of the cover.

[Pixies Chick]

*skims thread responses*

Heh, this has to be the ultimate in judging a book by the cover ;)

It’d be kinda funny if it turns out to be something completely different

Ha! I wish I'da said that.

I think it looks fun. It'd catch my attention. I read Noble Causes, and I like the relationship side of superherodom.