Retro versus modern comic covers

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Denyer
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Retro versus modern comic covers

Post by Denyer »

Bit of discussion going on over at the IDW boards about the covers for Infiltration—basically, that some of the covers look like comic panel art and didn't draw attention.

Panel style covers, of course, were common on the UK comic.

Image Image

So I had a play. Click for a readable version of the modified cover.

Thoughts? Would comics readers today (who consider themselves mature) scoff, or would it draw people in?
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Personally I think it looks rather cool, buuuut... comics without speech bubbles and a tagline are so regular now, whenever I do see one it usually makes me think that the issue is some whacky send-up of another comic. Y'know, like the entire series of Tom Strong. It basically looks self consciously retro... Personally I don't think it'd put anyone off - nobody who'd be buying a Transformers comic in the first place would be shaken by it not looking insanely mature. On the other hand, I can't see it attracting many new readers.

Mind, it'd be nice if comic covers were to reflect what's inside again. One of the things that riled me about DW's covers is that there's people on them who don't appear in that series. Imagine how pissed Joe Casual would have been picking up the 'Bot cover of V1 #5 because he had Blaster for Christmas in 1985, and he's not even in the comic...
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Denyer
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Y'know, like the entire series of Tom Strong. It basically looks self consciously retro...
Ta for the compliment.

Out of curiosity, would you say the same thing about the tagline text on these?

http://www.paninicomics.co.uk/Home.jsp

It's not so much the oldschool UK styling I'm really thinking about, more that a cover that amounts to a team shot (or goes one better and actually picks a relevant teaser scene from the issue) leaves the casual looker making up their own questions about what's going on in the image—or comparing with the dozens of other books covered in the same style. Tagging the image with relevant text pushes the looker towards the questions you want them to be curious enough about to pick the book up and read.
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Post by Nevermore »

Me likey speech bubble. :)
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Post by Zisteau »

I personally have never liked covers with speech bubbles on them. I like the art, the title, the credits and thats it.

EDIT- I guess I like a somewhat minimalist approach to covers.

Here's one of my favorites (not tf related):

http://www.kubertsworld.com/gallery/adam_b.jpg
Image
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Post by Grimlock2983 »

I think speech bubbles would look a little strange, but a tagline could be done well and push the reader in the direction you want them to go, like Denyer said.
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Post by Nevermore »

Here's an example of a touched up Dreamwave cover, courtesy of Walky:

http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.ph ... &p=1656422
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Post by Cyberstrike nTo »

Ok my 2 cents. The artist on the now cancelled Stomwatch: Team Achilles series produced a cover with word ballons and a the tag line you know the works and stated that he perfered those kinds of covers and you know what I agree with him.
Covers should tell you what the story is about (sort of like a movie trailer) to persade me to buy it, Now in the case of SW:TA it was simply I didn't have the money at the time to buy the issue. Had I the money I would've bought the issue.

It seems a lot of covers now of days usally say:
"1st issues spectaular"
(yeah I sorta noticed by the #1 in the number box on the left side of the cover)

Or The ever popular "Begining A Bold New Era!"tag line
(which roughly translates to "We've hired some high profile or some hot-shot creators of the month from Wizard to mess up the book for about 6 months to a 1 year and get more money out you fans!)

Do I need a bunch of talking heads on the cover?
No, but every so often it's nice to see every once and while.

What I want more than anything is ONE, SINGLE, UNO, cover and no more of this alternate cover crap. Either have
Eric Su draw them or have Wildman, Riaz, or Don F. draw 1 (one
single, uno, less than two) cover and be done with it.


I miss the old days when comics had one cover and told a story.
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Post by Denyer »

I'm not too fussed by multiples... in fact, I think it presents an opportunity to cater to different types of reader and reach out to new readers, rather than just offer a choice of covers to an existing fanbase.

Most covers now seem to rely on character recognition and the drama captured by a pose or scene. A bit like cut-down film posters, because film posters also use mottos and taglines—anyway, the image is expected to do all of the work, and it helps hugely if the person looking already knows the characters shown and any relationship between them.

Possibly an acid test would be showing covers to a selection of non-fans and asking them to say what's happening, whether their interest is held, etc.
Originally posted by Nevermore
Here's an example of a touched up Dreamwave cover, courtesy of Walky:
This one's also nifty;
http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.ph ... &p=1657149

:)
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Post by Hawkeye »

DC kinda still does this with alot of their work. not always speech baloons per se but "hype text". its radically different than what i see frm most publishers these days.*



*gee these past few comic related posts ive been making make me sound as if DC is personally paying me to say these things. Im becomming a fanboy:eek:
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Post by Denyer »

I've added in a quick stab at something more in keeping with the newsagent market reprints produced by Panini in the UK, on titles such as Essential X-Men...

Image

Is that closer to what you're thinking of?
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Post by Hawkeye »

yeah close to the DC style model although the text needs to be in a yellow starbursty kind of effect like when cereals advertise new cereal premiums.

DC actually gets some flak for this as it sometimes comes off over the top and too "silver-age" but I think it can be a valuable advertising tool. I think marvel and others that follow the text-less model are trying to create a more "iconic" style of covers in like a book or even a magazine might look. its really the next logical step forward after getting rid of the "show whats going on in the book" model.\


just look at every single issue of new avengers..... either a group shot or rarely a portrait of a single character. not much to tell whats goin on. but looks good on a magazine rack next to "cosmo"and "good housekeeping"
Image . "Hawkeye's the best! Hawkeye's got the cutest eyes! Hawkeye's got some kinda butt! I swear, Ralph, ever since that blowhard joined up, all I hear is Hawkeye, Hawkeye, Hawk...."- Green Arrow, JLA/Avengers #3.
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Post by bluekatt »

Originally posted by Hawkeye


just look at every single issue of new avengers..... either a group shot or rarely a portrait of a single character. not much to tell whats goin on. but looks good on a magazine rack next to "cosmo"and "good housekeeping"


thats the idea of a cover
it doesnt matter if it reflects the inside of the comic as long as it catches the eye of a non fan long enough to interest him or her in buying it and hopefully the contents will get them interested in buying more
if it does this while reflecting the inside its an added bonus
and if you cut your self you wil think you are happy

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Post by Thefallenone »

they're both cool but the retro cover looks better
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Post by Death's Head »

Retro all the way. Any chance you could do the Bumblebee and Starscream one? That's begging for some speech.
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Post by Denyer »

Will have a go later. :)
Originally posted by Hawkeye
I think marvel and others that follow the text-less model are trying to create a more "iconic" style of covers in like a book or even a magazine might look.
I've seen this comparison a few times now... books, I'd agree on (though just picking a few examples off the shelf, many have review quotes on the cover, particularly in paperback)... magazines usually have lots of cover text in reference to leader articles, though. They're selling themselves on contents other than art/photos. Film posters we've already mentioned (eg, "Love Never Dies" for Dracula, "Man has made his match... now it's his problem" for Bladerunner.)
Originally posted by bluekatt
it doesnt matter if it reflects the inside of the comic as long as it catches the eye of a non fan long enough to interest him or her in buying it
That's the thing... I can't recall a plain image ever getting me to pick up a comic I didn't already know about. Getting titles such as Hitman or Hellblazer, the story numbering on the front was incredibly useful. Getting copies of Essential X-Men, I know who's going to feature prominently in that issue, plus a bit more if there's a tagline. Multi-parters such as the Phalanx Convenant also gave the story title.

If I hadn't already been turned on to it, individual issues of Transmetropolitan would probably stand the best chance—they have some very OTT artwork, and still do stand out. Planetary and Sandman likewise, as they're very different from other comics on the rack.

I wouldn't say reflecting the inside was a bonus... I'd say it's essential that a cover appeals to both groups of buyers; and if there isn't anything worth an iconic image happening inside, readers are likely to be disappointed.
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Post by Cyberstrike nTo »

Originally posted by Denyer
I'm not too fussed by multiples... in fact, I think it presents an opportunity to cater to different types of reader and reach out to new readers, rather than just offer a choice of covers to an existing fanbase.



When it's done occasionally then maybe that's true, but when it's done for almost every single issue of a series it stops being anything other than a waste.

I would rather have a good book with one bad cover than a bad
book with 10 good covers.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Originally posted by Denyer
Film posters we've already mentioned (eg, "Love Never Dies" for Dracula, "Man has made his match... now it's his problem" for Bladerunner.


Nobody went to see either of those films, though ;) That and I really ****ing hate Blade Runner.

Most Marvel titles I've got from the past few names have an arc title and which part of the arc it is on the front. They seemed to swing to uber-minimalism in about 2001, and have moved back to a late-1990s style since - not quite retro, but comic covers tend to have a little to do with the content, if not quite the 1980s style... I'd say speech bubbles can work, but I can think of very few covers where it's actually been well-used. Lots of the Marvel UK stuff went for ****ty puns too often, and so did a lot of the main Marvel superhero stuff [note: I neither know nor care much about most non-Marvel stuff, especially pre-2000ish]... I mean, the other day I was looking for something, flipped through the first 50 issues of West Coast Avengers and nearly cried... lots of the Marvel stuff goes more for the "Can Hercules beat the Collector?!?" style... Like I say, it can work when it was done well.

I'm glad someone brought up Ian Micah Wright and SW: Team Achilles. Because those covers were contrived, ****ty and rarely tallied with the contents inside. Which was a bit silly, as Achilles before that generally had decent, relevant covers. It's all the more annoying when you find it was some prick banging his own drum...
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Death's Head
Retro all the way. Any chance you could do the Bumblebee and Starscream one?
This is probably overdoing it a bit—personally I think it needs to lose either the balloon or bars, but couldn't make up my mind:

Image

edit: Most likely the balloon, though it's in homage to the UK #43 one.
Originally posted by Cliffjumper
I'd say speech bubbles can work, but I can think of very few covers where it's actually been well-used.
Agreed. Straightforward information text... story title, issue X of Y and perhaps an overblown sentence fragment (something Furman's OTT style fits well with, IMO) pushes the concept more effectively in most cases, I'd say.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Mind, I've got to say the same thing can bite both ways... "By Primus' Balls! 5 of 8" would actively put readers off... The UK covers, once they shift into the more recognisable style post-full colour, rarely mentioned things like storylines and the like - I think only Time Wars gets a direct mention on a cover...
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