The Positivity Cover Art Thread

[KatG]

I am so happy. Why, may you ask. Because I finally got my rippling muscle barbarian on a recent cover -- with an axe, for Andy Remic's new novel Kell's Legend, which starts a new series (and with vampires too!) Okay, his chest isn't bare, but it's still pretty good. So now those talking about rippling muscle barbarian covers who never have any examples -- you have a most excellent one!

And I really like it too. I'm going to have to buy it, I think.

http://andyremic.wordpress.com/2009/...egend-artwork/

[EsotericForest]

Well the one cover I love was already posted, for Books of the South, The Black Company...I love Raymond Swanlands work, he has an excellent eye catching style. But I really love these...I tend to like dark covers:

http://img10.imageshack.us/i/nok.jpg/

http://img522.imageshack.us/i/gofm.jpg/

[Winter]

I saw that cover earlier today, Kat. I don't tend to enjoy covers depicting characters or scenes all that much--the exception being the art of Raymond Swanland--but I liked this one. As far as barbarian covers go, it could have been terrible, he could be wearing just a loin cloth with a near-naked woman wrapped around his arm.

Still, not the sort of book I'd pick up, no matter the cover.

[Heather Myst]

I think my favorites are all the covers on Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. The cover art is what sold the series to me.

[KatG]

I saw that cover earlier today, Kat. I don't tend to enjoy covers depicting characters or scenes all that much--the exception being the art of Raymond Swanland--but I liked this one. As far as barbarian covers go, it could have been terrible, he could be wearing just a loin cloth with a near-naked woman wrapped around his arm.

Still, not the sort of book I'd pick up, no matter the cover.

Yes, I know, everyone is expecting the barbarian with the near-naked woman, but they very seldom are able to produce them for the last ten years or so, except for the occasional tie-in cover or a paranormal romance -- although even there, not so much. So I've repeatedly joked that someone needs to show me one in the recent years, and no one does, though they keep complaining about such covers as if they were everywhere.

So I was thrilled to see one. Yes, it doesn't have the near-naked woman on it, and that's a point against it, but the guy is so cool looking, it's okay. I think the art is neat and the book sounds interesting. And now when people complain about rippling muscle barbarian covers -- which you can't do in this cover thread (see original post,) but you can elsewhere -- with or without near-naked woman, I can provide an example, since they never have one themselves.

[Seak]

Well the one cover I love was already posted, for Books of the South, The Black Company...I love Raymond Swanlands work, he has an excellent eye catching style. But I really love these...I tend to like dark covers:

http://img10.imageshack.us/i/nok.jpg/

http://img522.imageshack.us/i/gofm.jpg/

Completely agree. I love these covers. When I was reading Night of Knives, I displayed the cover proudly.
I also really like the Anomander Rake cover from Subterranean Press.

[Jussi]

I like these:

[jamieem]

Looks like Edward Miller, I always like his stuff...

[KatG]

Funky. A little retro and beautiful color on those. I wouldn't mind seeing more covers with a watercolor look.

[Randy M.]

Funky. A little retro and beautiful color on those. I wouldn't mind seeing more covers with a watercolor look.

I agree. They remind me a little of some 1960s covers, like the Ballantine covers for Titus Groan and Gormanghast, though the figures in those were less distinct. The colors in these and, for lack of a better word, the fuzziness of the background actually adds something. Maybe that 'fuzziness' engages the viewer's imagination a bit more. (I do wish I could think of a better word than 'fuzziness' because that sounds critical, and I don't mean to be.)

Randy M.

[jamieem]

Really like this one by Jon Foster: http://www.subterraneanpress.com/Mer...oduct_Count=18

[KatG]

Oh that one is cool. Subterranean does some beautiful work.

[Winter]

That is a nice cover, but moreover, I now want that book...

[jamieem]

Yes, Sub Press will get you like that...

[KatG]

Some new ones I like:

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe -- a comic YA novel. I just really like how they set this up. It communicates, along with the title, exactly what the book is.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076...SIN=0765320401


Mickey Zucker Reichart's new Flight of the Renshai. What I like about this one is that the swordsman is done slanted, in excellent line with the (currently popular) sigil/run/tatoo background thingy. Nice color on it too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/075...SIN=0756402735