The Book Cover of the Beast

[sabotabby]

New and exciting blog the Eschatologist has an interesting and charmingly non-judgmental article on the redesign of the Left Behind novels and what the new covers say about how pop culture imagines apocalypse(s).



Aesthetically, I like the new typography—much more modern, fun, and refreshing. The old covers had an extremely formal design, with the horrible faux-stone 3D effect on the serif type. This made the apocalypse seem like a done deal, to be honest, which robbed the novels of any sort of suspense that their protagonists might, you know, actually lift a finger to attempt to struggle against evil rather than calmly waiting out the Tribulation. Also, the type on the old covers looked too much like a movie poster, which is presumptuous.

Image-wise, I am split. The photos for Left Behind, Soul Harvest, Appolyon, Assassins, The Indwelling, The Mark, and Glorious Appearing are clear improvements. Tribulation Force's new cover is terrible. It looks like a dull book on American policy in the Middle East. No one wants to see photos of faces on the covers of trade fiction books. It is simply Not Done.

The cover of the original edition of Nicolae is terrible—the new one is a much better photo, artistically speaking—but I agree with the Eschatologist that it kind of screws with the meaning. Carpathia is not supposed to look like an old Soviet bureaucrat. For fuck's sake. The original one is a terrible composition but at least it keeps the whole Antichrist-as-charming-visionary aesthetic.

I disagree with the Eschatologist on the cover of Assassins. I don't disagree that it's racist as fuck. It is definitely racist as fuck. It's prettier, though. The original looks like a Clancy cover.

I can't make up my mind on Desecration. Personally, I'm just not sure a book with dead fish on the cover will sell. Who is their target market, exactly? Does this target market like dead fish floating in blood and, more importantly, are they likely to either buy it to put on their bookshelves or give it as a gift? "Just what I wanted for Christmas, Aunt Maude! A book about dead fish floating in blood." Whereas on the old cover, it's clear that the Antichrist is rising and means business, and they manage to get this impression across without dead fish floating in blood. I'm just sayin'.

Both of the covers for The Remnant suck. Come on, book designer! This is a series about the end of the world—you really couldn't find a better photo to use?

The old cover for Armageddon is the clear winner. As a book designer, if I'm given the choice to show the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse or a helicopter flying over an explosion, I'm going to choose the former every time, if only because the movie Live Free Or Die Hard is pretty much the end of the story in terms of illustrating helicopters and explosions. Also, horses are cool.


What Would Sabotabby Do?

Both covers for Glorious Appearing are a bit shit, mostly because they missed the boat. That's the book where Jesus comes back and shoots laser beams out of his eyes and burns all of the sinners in a pit of lava (sorry, I guess that was a spoiler). That is the sole reason why anyone would pick up the book, to read about Jesus with laser beams shooting out of his eyes, and you're telling me that the designer couldn't be arsed to put that scene on the cover? What. A. Waste.


There, I fixed it.

I really like the new clock graphic, too. Subtle, Tyndale. Very subtle.

Still, this would be a very difficult book design project, both because a designer would have to actually read the books and also if you don't do a good job, Jesus will kill you with his laser eye-beams, so I doff my hat to the person tasked with this endeavour.

Comments

[radiumhead.livejournal.com]

Is that some weird canadian thing, do you guys hate dead fish or something?

Ill buy anything with a dead fish on it.

Yeah, you guys gave us william shatner and kids in the hall, and alpha flight, but except for that, YOURE ON PROBATION!

For hating dead fish.

[sabotabby]

I had no idea that Americans liked dead fish. Clearly I need to do more research if I'm ever going to do any book covers for the American market. Damn. None of my covers ever have dead fish on them.

Actually, maybe that's why the Canadian publishing industry is dead in the water.

sorrysorrysorry.

[sandoz-iscariot.livejournal.com]

all I can think is that Watchmen did the "clock ticking towards DOOM!" thing so much better.

[sabotabby]

It did. And really, it did it so well that probably no one else should be allowed to do it, though I like the idea that the poor Tyndale book designer was secretly a Watchmen fan and wanted to see if he or she could get that past the radar.

On a related note, the actual Doomsday Clock is another case where I feel the new design is an improvement.

[firinel.livejournal.com]

I think all of the new covers are vast improvements. The older covers look dated, really badly. Like, 80s. The new ones also look much more cohesive. This may sound odd, but I'm not phased by the racist cover, as it is appropriately racist, for a racist market.

Descretion sucked, but just because I didn't know it was a picture of a dead fish in blood-water without being told so. Maybe I'm thick, but I was like "why is there one fish, taken from a very odd angle, on a red background?" I think something like http://media2.newsobserver.com/smedia/2011/03/21/14/Personal_effects_from_the_tsunami___03.21.11_l5KR6DgF_0012.embedded.prod_affiliate.156.jpg or http://img4.allvoices.com/thumbs/event/609/480/75019548-redondo-beach.jpg would've been better.

I'm with you that the four horses are better, but the overall cover design of the new version is still, sadly, better. It's not difficult to hire a photographer to go out and take photos of four horses, and then apply that stripey fucking filter to it, which is what they should've done.

[sabotabby]

I think the dead fish picture is kind of beautiful. I'm partial to the second one you posted, though.

I'd do a photo of four horses. Not even ominous colours or anything, just a cool photo.

[sabotabby]

...I'd do something like this, actually. Apocalypses are creepier on white:

[firinel.livejournal.com]

that's awesome, much improved!

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

Proof of the divine!

[sabotabby]

YES THIS

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

I originally tried to send you this on FB, but it's FB.

I also tried to send you this.

[sabotabby]

I read the Salon one. Don't think you were the one who linked me to it, though.

[ironed_orchid]

Your covers win. LASER BEAM EYES MOTHERFUCKERS!

[sabotabby]

They should hire me.

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

I hate that thing where they blur the ends of the words. I can't even figure out what sort of motion that is supposed to connote. It just gives me head pain.

[sabotabby]

It's a lens blur, meant to convey the sense that you're GOING REALLY FAST ZOMG! Towards an apocalyptic future, no doubt. I don't mind it but it already looks dated.

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

So I'm moving towards the words, quickly? That doesn't really make visual sense unless the words are curved hyperbolically towards me.

[sabotabby]

No, you're right. Or maybe you're like me and have very poor vision, so the area covered by the centre of your lenses is sharp and blurs towards the periphery. The blurred edges, come to think of it, are how I see the world.

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

To me it reads like the words are bent sharply away and out of the focal plane. I just don't get it.