#printing process

The original print cover of Book 1

I self-published the original print of HoT Book 1 in 2016. This was before I joined @hiveworks, and I was using an on-demand printer not really known for their comics, so everything - including the InDesign template I placed the pages in - was done from scratch.

Here's what the cover for the original print looked like:

Helene and Cyrus are front and center amidst tapestries depicting the four chapters of the comic. It's not a bad illustration - not in the slightest! And the comic sold very well at TCAF 2017. But I think you can tell it's an amateur effort. I may have completed four chapters of my comic, but I didn't have comparable experience designing books.

Brainstorming for the reprint

I joined Hiveworks in 2018. Hiveworks has a lot of experience independently publishing webcomics. I planned to re-print Book 1 as well as print the first editions of the rest of the comic under their banner.

I had a good idea of the bonus content I wanted to include in the reprint. I had less of an idea of what I wanted the cover to look like. My first sketches were very movie poster-esque:

All of the main characters are here, with the villain ominously looming over everyone. It felt like an upgrade from the original cover. But... it felt generic, too. It didn't capture what was unique about my comic.

I put preparations for the reprint to the side for a while, until...

Inspiration

I love the opening of the Netflix cartoon Hilda. I love the music, the fluid animation and the super cool transitions between her adventures. Hilda goes from riding a dragon to dodging viking warriors, running through the locations and characters she meets during the season. It really captures the vibe of the show!

That's when it occurred to me what was missing from my cover. Readers of Heroes of Thantopolis will know that every chapter has a different color palette, giving them each a unique feel. A unified illustration wouldn't show the diversity of color or feelings. But a cover made of flowing segments, like the Hilda opening...

Now I felt like I was really getting somewhere!

The final cover

Working with my editor Isa (@secondlina), I continued to refine the design of the comic. I wasn't sure what to put in the top left. Isa suggested creating a special version of the logo that flowed along the border created by the Sag segment.

(Isa's sketch in green, on the right)

From there, the final cover began to take shape.

Until we got to the final cover that appears on the actual book!

(Print colors are never as vibrant at RGB, but it still captures that colorful vibe.)

Conclusion

If there's one lesson in my creative life that I've seen play out over and over again, it's that your first idea may not be the best idea. Iteration and reflection improves the end result. I'm not saying you need to waffle over every decision. But rather, tp let your creative juices marinade your idea, rather than immediately put the concept to the fire.

I also couldn't have done this without help from people more knowledgeable than I on book design. Not every webcomic creator has access to print experts, true, but there are communities of webcomic creators out there that pool resources and share advice. We can always learn from other people. And that's why I made this post! I hope you enjoyed a peek into my creative process.