Today, I thought I would share a mockup of a cover I designed, produced art for and colored.
I'm not expecting anyone to be awestruck by it. If anything, it'll prove I need someone else to do the artwork.
Behind The Mockup
My first major experience with comic books and graphic novels began in the late 1970s and ran through the mid-80s. Back then, there were not digital comics, so a print version was the only option, and for me, that meant going to the local grocery store and checking the rotating rack every week to see if there were any new comics I wanted to buy. Even though comic books were between 25¢ and 40¢ for most of that period, I did have a very small monthly allowance I was relying on to make purchases with, so even if I wanted to, I had to budget and limit myself to my absolute favorites.
Back in the day, the covers looked a little different than they do now. There was a little more going on, which isn't necessarily better, just different. It's what I'm used to.
So, when I made the mockup, it was done in a throwback way on purpose.
That doesn't excuse the art or coloring part, but it should explain the retro design.
The Scene
The art depicts an event or incident that takes place which I've already mentioned in the previous reveals—this is where MISS Ion goes nuclear (or worse). So she's the one standing in the middle with arms flung out and a bunch of debris (or maybe they're subatomic particles) whirling about.
Her MISS classmates are shown around her—MISS Time, MISS Match, MISS Place and MISS Fire.
With my limited art abilities, this is how I imagined this particular cover. MISS Ion caught in the middle of a huge ion storm of her making, and her friends distressed over what might be happening.
It's fairly simple, and I know my version of the girls aren't nearly as polished as the professional artists I've revealed previously, but still, I do like to draw from time to time and see what I can come up with.
Changed My Mind
This actually was meant to be the very first cover, but now I'm considering providing origin stories for MISS Able and MISS Peak, and maybe some other characters, along with MISS Ion. This is a team comic book/graphic novel series after all. Otherwise, I probably should just call it MISS Ion.
Time Spent
It's been nearly two years since I made this, so I'm not remembering how much time it took to put it together. Probably more than it should, especially the coloring part, which is why the main part of it is black. So, we'll say four or five hours, all together.
I think that's pretty much it. I'm happy to answer any questions if anyone has them.