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Best!

Brett

Thursday, April 29, 2010

What's wrong with this image?

This was supposed to be the cover to the second issue of the second volume of Frankenstein. The images was rejected by the authors camp. Can you tell me why? Derek, Baron and Andrew are not allowed to play;)

Best,

Brett

ETA: I told Brett he wasn't being specific enough. This cover was rejected for apparently overt sexual imagery. If you can spot it you have a much dirtier mind than I do. ~Jess

16 comments:

tkd_dbull said...

Mmmm... It does seem to be an interesting design. Even though I don't know what the story would be. I don't know if a male being pregnant would be accepted on a cover, or that the image maybe on the side of being a little bit of subtle posing. (Maybe Action was needed?)
Since it is a monster book, maybe they were looking for more of that dark gritter look of horror. When I think of Frank, Drac, & Wolf. B. Wrightson, Ploog, comes to mind. Not the art in it's self but the bring out the "HORROR" of the subject.
Not saying that your artwork isn't bad. I love your style, and would love to ink your stuff in the future for sample works in my portfolio. But I think I am guessing that when the "authors camp" saw it.... I think thoughts of "Image art" first, before "Frankenstein" second. But it's just a guess.

Tim Dzon

Brett said...

The 'pregnant' man is the lesser of the two antagonists in the story. That's a monster in his belly;)

No Frank in this issue and the Woman is the main antagonists clone wife, she kills the half formed head in the bubbles (assisted suicide thing.)

It was not lack of action on the cover.

Best,

Brett

Crow said...

I have a dirty mind but I guess not as dirty as I thought. I just saw the preggie man and that thing (cord) coming out of the other 'monster' mouth? I guess that a monster. I never read that book so not sure what it's about.

~Crow

Jess said...

That is a disembodied head. It lives in a vat.

tkd_dbull said...

It makes sense after explaining what's happening in the issue.

That makes me wondering if it has to with the casual reader then.

Does the cover art draw the fan to buy the book or not. Its a flashy image, but does it grabs me or the buyer?

You might have gotten the rejection by the author's likes or taste in what he wanted. Only they would know, and you will only find out when the issue comes out and what cover they finally decided on.

But that's the comic book field. Hope your next assignment comes out better.

Keep doing the great artwork

Best back at ya!

Tim Dzon

Jess said...

TKD- The image was rejected for a single, very specific reason. The reason quite frankly flabbergasted and confused me and I want to know if anyone else can see it or if I happen to be exceptionally obtuse.

Anonymous said...

Is it because he is touching her ear? Cause if so, that's pretty lame of them.

tkd_dbull said...

Oh duh... then I totally miss read the Post... (stupid me..)

I was looking at it as a artist perspective, Was thinking of the sex point of view. Which I don't really care, Independent comics don't use the comics code anyway. So why the problem on there end?

It's still great artwork, their lost. But a fan will have it in there collection soon.

Sorry, for not having a dirty mind. lol...

Tim

Anonymous said...

Is it because of the nipple (actually only a half of it)? That's the last, sexual content in this image to me. If it is, than the "political-sexual correctness" sucks.
Best.
Tom B. "White"

Jess of All Trades said...

O_o

o_O

o_o

...maybe I don't have as dirty of a mind as I thought. Hurray!

...I don't see whatever it is.

Brett said...

Tim,

No worries. I did have a more dramatic layout but I was going for that pregnant celebrity glamor cover look. The problem is I didn't do anything overtly sexual on it.

Tom,

If it was just the nipple I would have fixed it, but man nips are usually OK for comic covers;)

Jess,

I, like all men, have a filthy, filthy mind. But this was something that NEVER occurred to me and I still don't get it. The Wife didn't get it either. It's more like someone is seeing something that isn't there.

Best,

Brett

Lovely said...

I've read the trilogy, and Jess is right that Brett was kind of obtuse with "find the error". Sorry, lol. Now that it's been mentioned that it's due to "overt sexual imagery", the only thing I can think of, is if you look at the picture from far away, it almost, -almost- looks like the guy is humping/mounting/whatever Helios's wife. Now, whether that's it or not, any rational normal person would see that the two people are in two different perspectives, and way out of proportion with each other. Unless she was a monster-sized wife or something ridiculous. Which she is not. And you can't make everything on a cover the exact same proportion because then you have no depth and it's boring. Right?

-Brittany

Derek Ruiz said...

I'm still angry about this. I bet if it was seen in color first they would have been okay with it.

-Derek

Anonymous said...

Is it the spatial relation between the man's crotch and the woman's head? We were always taught that was a no-no in design at Art College, but I think it looks fine, unless they are doing the Family Guy ear sex.

Steve

Brett said...

Brittney and Steve are correct. The pregnant guys crotch is too close to the woman's head.

Steve, I have never heard of that idea.

Once colored it wouldn't really have mattered as the foreground character would be in full color and the background character would be in limited color. I did something similar on the other Frank cover. I don't think it's a big deal and since this was a rush job a little leeway for the artist should always be give. I do it for Andrew when he's forced to rush out colors. But if I can't be granted that kind of consideration I simply won't continue to work on it which is why the last Frank cover I did was the last Frank cover I will be doing.

Thanks for playing!

Best,

Brett

Inaire said...

lol preggo man the superhero of male dantdalada preggo man to the rescue.
The male pregnacy lol I think they has problem with male prego lol