Run for Cover!

Four more shots at the cover for All Star. I'd gotten a little stuck in a rut with the last one; it got to the point where I didn't know where to go with it, but I still wasn't happy with it. When feeling stuck, I find it best do something completely different.

And again, I'd love to hear what people think.

I've already been told that the background color on this first one looks like puke.



This next one has no baseball elements at all, but gets at the preferential treatment and exceptionalism that the main character Carl experiences and is at the core of the book. And perhaps, just the title All Star implies the sports aspect?



Comments

Roho said…
#2 has a lot of potential, bolder title, tighter art and move the name and you have a hit cover.
J. L. Bell said…
I like #1. Lots of movement, and it invites readers to open that cover and see what's next. Downside: the iconically isolated image means we see none of the story's context.
Anonymous said…
I'm going to go with #1 as well. Seems like there's been a struggle between how much and what to show on the cover. This one KISS.
ETCIllustration said…
From a design standpoint I like #1 for the same reasons J. L. posted, and I actually see more context here than in some of the other covers. The trajectory of the ball and the cloud it leaves behind suggests a powerful player, but his size on the cover suggests a vulnerability in the character, that he's small in the universe. I also love the action and the design is beautifully simple.

BUT--Personally as a comic shopper, I would be more inclined to pick up the "yearbook page" cover. I love the varied and fun character designs! It doesn't indicate that he's a baseball player, though, so maybe some hints in his appearance could suggest that (a baseball shirt with some hat-hair, perhaps?)

I think it depends on what audience you're trying to reach out to and what's at the core of the story. Is it truly a story about baseball, or is it about a character's personal journey and he happens to also be a baseball player?
Ansis P said…
#1's color does look a little "pukey"
It's not a color often seen in baseball.
I love x-mas but Red and green don't jive with me ever.

I love the stylistic manga-esque swing emoticon.
The way it slashes across the cover is wonderful.
I suggest a darker background color so it sticks out more and leave it just white.

I would remove the thick black line around it and just use the white space. It would look less like a part of the player and provide further contrast between player and swing blur.
Good design means contrast in my book.

Thats my favorite cover.

I like the yearbook one, it's clever but your first choice is bolder and a little exciting. Youll get more ball fans browsing it too.
Jesse Lonergan said…
Thanks for the feedback, guys! Number one is the one that has been getting the most positive response in email and face to face interaction as well. It does leave out the context of the story, but it does seem to be the most striking.

In terms of what kind of story this is, it isn't a one-hundred-percent-pure-undiluted baseball story, but baseball, and the main character's baseball prowess in particular, is key to the story. In addition, the book opens on a baseball field and closes on one as well, so I think it is something that needs to be included.

Colors are easy to tweak, and I like the idea of going lineless with the shot.
Great effort !! congrats