Issue #2 Cover/Cover Discussion

[calithena]

What do people want to see on the cover of issue #2?

A moody landscape with a castle?

This:



Pretty cool, huh? I have no idea if Kevin Mayle would let us use his art or not, busman just pointed this out to me and it rocks.

But, both ideas have the following issue: they are homage artworks, to Supplement II (because Fight On! 2 is dedicated to Arneson) and to Chainmail (because it's a direct homage) respectively.

The cover for the first issue is also a homage piece, but it (like the original in the LBBs) was drawn from a picture of Nick Fury retooled in fantasy garb, so there's a lot of borrowing history there. Plus it's only one image.

What I worry about is that if we do homage covers over and over Hasbro or whoever owns the D&D IP can come in and say 'hey, this is our brand identity'. I'm not sure I'd disagree with them, either. There are so many fantasy games with classes, levels, etc. that I don't think there's any real objection to using levels, standard attribute scores, etc. But if you use similar iconography over and over it seems like that's pushing towards a line I really very much don't want to cross.

So, what should we do for our issue 2 cover?

I had another weird idea of a skeleton with a sword and a d20 magic gem firing rays hacking through a bunch of robot men who vaguely resemble the Warforged.

I would add that although I'm thrilled with B&W line art we have license to do full color covers if we want.

Thoughts? Offers from artists?

[Zulgyan]

I like the pic, but it looks like the PC influence is too heavy in the art, and that does not look that suitable for FO! I think that the art should be in the tone of the 70s, and computer done coloration does not seem to fit too well. The pic is very nice, but not that appropriate.

The IP issue might also be true.

Mi idea still is: odd74.proboards76.com/index.cgi?board=fanzine&action=display&thread=787



Any cool cover will do though.

The key is "be special and unique to be attractive".

[ant]

I really like the homage to Chainmail (my favourite cover) but I'm not a fan of the obvious digital enhancements.

Overall, very nice though!

[calithena]

I have located a cover for issue 2, so I think we're all set here. However, artists who want a cover should know that there's still space on #3, and I'd love to showcase some new old-school talent, so drop us submissions!

[settembrini]

Did you find use for the graphic I linked to in my email?

I think there was a question pending:

I´ll not write an adventure around it, as it´s Wolfgang Baur´s adventure idea (that never got used). I could remove any names and turn it into a total map of mystery.

[calithena]

Sett -

If I use it I'll either put it on the back cover (may be competition for maps there) or else greyscale it and put it in as a 'map of mystery'. I like it a lot. What's this thing about Wolfgang Baur though? Did you make the map? If it's for something someone else has published we can't really use it...even if it is cool.

[settembrini]

It´s mine and only mine. I did it, for a sales pitch of Wolfgang´s that never came to be. So it´s made to his (veeery sketchy) idea, but I own all rights to the map, and he´s totally okay with using it.
He also pointed out to me that even if he wasn´t okay with it, he´d have no rights on it whatsoever.

But he´s fine with it. He´d be happy if we could mention him, maybe like:

"This map originally was made by Settembrini for an Open Design Project that never came to be, to find more about Wolfgang Baur´s OD visit XYZ" or somesuch.
If that´s too hard a shill, it could even do without.

It would just be courtesy, "one hand washing the other" of sorts.

Again, that´s all really not as important as the questions:

- greyscale/colour
- as is/ blind map for a total mystery

Thing is, I spent lots of time on that thing and I would love if anyone could use it in any way.

[calithena]

Actually, Wolfgang's name if anything would be a selling point for us, so if you don't mind, I think we will give him a mention. While making it clear that it's your map.