You might be wondering, “Why Part 1″? Well I still have a couple other drawings that I want to draw for the cover and next week hope to have those for you to vote for. Today I need your help in choosing between three versions of the same drawing. A part of me likes the white emptiness of the cutout background, but another part likes the packed in zombies, and the wood grain one adds a certain vibe.
Click on the images below to see the different types of covers. The voting poll is located below the images.
Version #1: 
Version #2:
Version #3:
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(NOTE: If you’re having trouble voting, please use the poll on the left sidebar. Not sure why this one isn’t working for some people.)
The next vote will be to determine the final result and what will be the final result for the cover for Issue #2 of Zombie Ranch. I’m really excited to see what cover will win!
Oh and just in case anyone wonders, the little blob in the flask is a logo we’re working on for a company name to publish Zombie Ranch and other projects under in the future. I just wanted to see how it would look.
I like #2. It’s more on-point. Interesting choice of using a cross as a cut-out shape. It suggests a more super-natural/religious/spiritual element than we’ve seen thus far. Foreshadowing?
it’s not letting me on :/ in any case i vote #2…the white of #1 too plain…and as much as i like the color scheme of number 3, I love the zombies within the cross!
What do you mean it’s not letting you on? Not letting you vote? I know we have first comments moderated so there’s a delay on that, but guests should be able to cast votes just fine.
The link at the poll of the post gave me trouble too, but the poll on the left sidebar worked.
awesome okay the one on the left shoulder worked for me too
But yes it was the one the link initially brought me to that kept saying I had to select an answer to continue,even though each time I definitely selected version 2 :/
What’s nice about the thumbnails is that the small size simulates the experience of seeing a comic on a rack from across the room and seeing what pops – and what doesn’t.
Initial thoughts:
V1 – The white POPS and catches the eye, but upon closer inspection it’s just too plain and leaves the cover looking unfinished or rushed. I would strongly recommend against this one.
V2 – This is the one that I voted for. Even though it doesn’t initially “pop” quite like the other two, the darker colors of Suz’s vest and hat blend in with the cross design element to create a more unified look to the piece. Upon closer inspection the Zoms appear and it all comes together quite nicely selling the overall idea of what the comic is about – even thought the title is a pretty good tip off, I‘ve always been told to let the picture tell the story as text and logos will be the last thing the potential readers looks at. So, yeah, leaps ahead of the others.
V3 – It does manage to “pop” but again, fails upon closer inspection as V3′s simple wood texture is kind of bland and boring. Suz looks great, but there is no energy or excitement that makes me want to flip through a few pages.
Final thoughts:
Suz’s pose is strong and iconic, but I think you need to have a zombie presence as well. Remember, sometimes you only have a passing glance to sell the concept of your book – you do not want to leave any room for doubt or misunderstanding in that literal blink of an eye.
Just wanted to say thanks for all the comments and votes so far, you guys have been very responsive and it’s highly appreciated! It’s always fascinating to see in action how changing just part of an image can have a big psychological impact on the viewer, and if that fits with what we intended. Keep ‘em coming.
What might look super cool is combining 2 and 3 somehow. Or maybe it would look dumb. I dunno. I chose 2 because if I’m being forced to choose real options that’s the one I think is the most fitting.
I voted for the wood grain cross, because various parts of Suzy kind of ‘disappears’ into the other two crosses. I also feel that the zombies look a bit too sinister, as if their role wasn’t limited to that of single-minded cattle. Thus, the zombies kind of imply that the comic could be about a ranch attacked by a zombie horde, and Suzy has to fight them all off like a real action girl. Because that’s what zombie stories seem to usually be about.
And you don’t even see the zombies that often in the comic, because the comic isn’t about them, it’s about the ranch. So I’m all right with the wood grain looking a bit boring, because that’s what work is like. One thing about the wood grain though, is that it looks kind of old fashioned, so there isn’t much on the cover that says that the comic isn’t a regular western, but with zombies. Having the cross show mindless zombies behind a chain link fence would make it obvious that it’s set in modern day (or later), but looking at the cover for the first issue I guess the old fashioned trickery is on purpose.
Number 2 definatly–has a dark element to it like the one that’s been floating in the back throughout the story. These peoplemay be used to living with zombies, but there’s always a gritty sense of danger and fear lurking in the background.
Number 1: As it’s been said, too plain.
Number 3: Seems more countryish than zombish
Ramsus – We’re not sure how we’d combine #2 and #3 either, to be honest. I get where you’re coming from, though.
Gillsing – It’s interesting because we were recently having a discussion like this in terms of the banner image we’re working on for our LBCC table. Dawn believes adding the chain link effect is too “noisy”, and she’s the artist so I have to trust her judgement on that. My other idea was a biohazard sign but again, apparently too much. So while I’m not intentionally hiding away the science fiction element (Suzie’s shirt certainly isn’t “Old West”), it’s proving difficult to incorporate.
Karen – Very good thoughts.
I picked the one with the zombies in it… The white was too visually jarring, the wood grain seemed kind of … boring? The zombies might have been a little darker than I would likely have picked, but is an interesting background without drawing too much from the foreground…
I keep getting an error message when I try to use the poll in the center of the page. However, the one in the upper left corner works just fine. Oh, and I went for #2 (Zombies! Oh, fuck!).
Yeah, I’m behind. It looks like I was not alone in my reasoning for voting #2. If I were going to buy a poster, I’d get #3. If I were walking past a comic stand, #2 has a better chance of getting my attention. From that standpoint, I would probably need less subtlety to grab me–those racks are huge.
Actually, the sharp lines of the cross strike me _way_ before the zombies do, and the contrast feels… something. Perhaps that’s just the point. WRT combining 2 and 3, if you had the background as wood grain, you get it in there and could potentially give the impression our gal is at a solid wooden portal of interest and import and doom.