tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post282006300176150508..comments2024-03-28T11:13:05.893-07:00Comments on The Rap Sheet: Face OffJ. Kingston Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17073921191624535912noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-70449424067194534432011-01-03T06:17:36.570-08:002011-01-03T06:17:36.570-08:00While all of them are pretty awesome, and I especi...While all of them are pretty awesome, and I especially love the cover for Rag and Bone, I have to go with The Detroit Electric Scheme. As an author, that cover makes me jealous. (Well, all of them do, but that one makes me the most jealous.)Todd Ritterhttp://www.toddritteronline.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-12261839579125303682010-12-23T17:33:35.757-08:002010-12-23T17:33:35.757-08:00I love the CITY OF DRAGONS cover exactly because t...I love the CITY OF DRAGONS cover exactly because there's so much to look at. Everywhere I gaze, my mind starts making up another tale of Chinatown. I wonder about the girl in the red dress, those old cars, the intricate design of the green box border.Jack Getzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09516237388744739669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-88822724402900753562010-12-22T08:35:41.375-08:002010-12-22T08:35:41.375-08:00Interestingly, Clara, both Rut and City of Dragons...Interestingly, Clara, both Rut and City of Dragons got thumbs up from me for exactly the reasons you objected to them.<br /><br />One thing to consider: these are BOOK covers, meant to attract attention on a shelf in a bookstore, not a 72 dpi scan maybe 200 pixels wide on a computer screen.<br /><br />The impact of some of these covers in the real world is not to be sdismissed. Trust me -- I work in a bookstore, and most of these covers fairly leap off the shelf.<br /><br />Anyway, there is no 100% rule for cover design (or any art form, for that matter) -- what works works, and personal taste is often, well, personal. But certain things seemed to find a consensus among the judges this year: cleverness, wit, freshness and a certain boldness in approach.<br /><br />It wasn't so much that we rejected nostalgia (far from it, in fact), but in most cases we chose those covers that offered more than just a simple retread of previous era's design tropes. A certain modern "spin" if you will was evident in many of our choices.<br /><br />Of course, you can't please everyone. Some folks would be very happy if we had just limited our choices to lame, poorly designed retro pastiche covers featuring men wearing fedoras. And other people are probably disappointed we didn't choose more covers with cats on them.<br /><br />(One twinkie a few years ago objected to a cover on my web site that featured a man smoking a cigarette -- it was okay he was shooting someone, but the blatant use of tobacco offended her)<br /><br />I'm actually hoping Jeff will post some of the comments from the other judges and readers. It might be fun. Besides, of course, the always entertaining foot-in-mouth spectacle of me trying to pin down something as nebulous as why some designs work and others don't.Kevin Burton Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08366595974389658683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-16977776202852170962010-12-21T09:18:40.704-08:002010-12-21T09:18:40.704-08:00Some great ones there but you guys obviously misse...Some great ones there but you guys obviously missed THE BLUE VIRGIN. That cover said it all--women in the story, set in Oxford, mysterious, and with a blue color wash all at once!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-12828794846797422492010-12-19T12:11:19.527-08:002010-12-19T12:11:19.527-08:00I thought Rut was too simplistic and City of Drago...I thought Rut was too simplistic and City of Dragons was way too busy. Those two seem to be the odd two out. Just not as good as the rest.Clara Stephensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-57282864002534384102010-12-19T10:38:31.253-08:002010-12-19T10:38:31.253-08:00Andi's right, you guys came up with some fanta...Andi's right, you guys came up with some fantastic choices. Not a dud in the bunch, with the possible exception of the DEADLY DUES cover, which may be just a little too simplistic.Gar Haywoodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-67207052779385386102010-12-19T08:01:02.867-08:002010-12-19T08:01:02.867-08:00The cover for VILLAIN raises an interesting questi...The cover for VILLAIN raises an interesting question regarding "best" covers. While it is graphically very strong and ingenious, it has little to do with the book it adorns. I suppose it is a noir novel and that's a noir cover, but that's about it. So are "best" covers simply the graphically most striking or should they be revealing of the book inside as well?YM Kleinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-80691513916236044142010-12-18T16:47:31.752-08:002010-12-18T16:47:31.752-08:00Wow, I don't understand why mos tof these cove...Wow, I don't understand why mos tof these covers are even on the list. I must have NO taste.<br /><br />RJRRJRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16749171.post-22809107486679048522010-12-18T14:38:04.633-08:002010-12-18T14:38:04.633-08:00You guys chose wonderful examples! thanks. I had n...You guys chose wonderful examples! thanks. I had not seen many of these (reviewers of course often don't see the final but the ARC which does not always have cover art.) And I admit it, you sent me in search of a book i did not know, but which got my attention from the cover. And alas, is not in my public library.<br />The subtlety in some of these "you gotta LOOK" designs is splendid.Andi Shechterhttp://www.journalscape.com/hedgehognoreply@blogger.com