I *almost* bought an Avalanche Press book

[Inzae]

well since we are here

could yall do me a favor and pop over to our boards and check out this link

http://trolllord.com/630fa410.gif

this is the near complete rendition of the cover for the book of familliars. It has that 'provacative' feel to it. We have another cover in the wings and are trying to decide which one to go with.

the image is poor (sorry) but you should be able to get the drift. And yes there is a familliar. I iwll see if I can steve to post the other cover in the next few days.

the artists is the famous Daniel Horne.

Thanks

Davis

 

[Alzrius]

Inzae, I assume you're checking for our reactions, yes? If so, I'm fine with the cover shown on that link, for reasons I stated above.

 

[Mortaneus]

I can say with good authority that the authors of said books didn't really have any input on the content of the cover. Judge the works seperately, if you can.

 

[Bamphalas]

I'm 29 year-old male artist. I enjoy drawing pictures of women. They range a variety of body types and almost always have a "classic sexy" quality to them. I enjoy looking at pictures of women too. However, as with many of you, I refuse to buy any of the AP books because of their covers.
I have two reasons:
1) Sexy doesn't mean whorish. Unfortunately, that's what I see on their covers. The poses and costumes just read "pornstar". Probably because of point #2...
2) When you use photo reference, it's supposed to just be reference, not the basis for your image. You shouldn't try to duplicate the person and then add whatever costume or backdrop to fit the theme. One of the covers looks like it has Arnold with a mustache and goatee. Other cover images I can recognize as miscellaneous adult models. It just looks cheap. Unfortunately, that is the typical style of many Heavy Metal Magazine cover artists, which is apparently what their main cover artist does.

Unfortunately, I've actually never seen the gaming content of the books. The covers just kept me away. Figured anything that looked so "cheap and trashy" must not have anything worthwhile. The saying says, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Reality is, most people do.

P.S.
I just took a look at the "Little People" cover and I find that one just plain hokey. The Fey aren't silicone-implanted little humans! <sigh> Perhaps the next person to do a fey book should enlist an artist with a style like Brian Froud. http://www.artsforge.com/gallery_new/fairies/liminal.html
Now there's someone who can paint faeries.

 

[Krug]

Re: well since we are here

could yall do me a favor and pop over to our boards and check out this link

http://trolllord.com/630fa410.gif

this is the near complete rendition of the cover for the book of familliars. It has that 'provacative' feel to it. We have another cover in the wings and are trying to decide which one to go with.

the image is poor (sorry) but you should be able to get the drift. And yes there is a familliar. I iwll see if I can steve to post the other cover in the next few days.

the artists is the famous Daniel Horne.

Thanks

Davis

Well I don't know. The first thing you notice about the cover ain't the familiars but the hottie mage in the bikini. But hey if National Geographic can have a swimsuit issue...

 

[Mouseferatu]

Re: well since we are here

could yall do me a favor and pop over to our boards and check out this link

http://trolllord.com/630fa410.gif

this is the near complete rendition of the cover for the book of familliars. It has that 'provacative' feel to it. We have another cover in the wings and are trying to decide which one to go with.

the image is poor (sorry) but you should be able to get the drift. And yes there is a familliar. I iwll see if I can steve to post the other cover in the next few days.

the artists is the famous Daniel Horne.

Thanks

Davis

Well, count me as one vote against this particular cover.

It doesn't offend me, per se. Nor is it bad quality work.

Frankly, if you'll forgive my candor, I think it's just plain silly. Putting a Fantasy Bikini Chick(tm) on the cover of a book of familiars just screams "gratuitous use of flesh." I wouldn't buy a book like that, not because I'm ashamed of it, but because I couldn't take it seriously.

Just my opinion, of course. But you did ask.

 

[Alzrius]

I just took a look at the "Little People" cover and I find that one just plain hokey. The Fey aren't silicone-implanted little humans! <sigh> Perhaps the next person to do a fey book should enlist an artist with a style like Brian Froud. http://www.artsforge.com/gallery_new/fairies/liminal.html
Now there's someone who can paint faeries.

Its slightly ironic though that if you click on the picture to get back to the page full of pics there, most of the female fairies shown there do indeed look like that "whorish" drawing (which I wouldn't call whorish at all, since she's not naked, and not making a blatantly "come hither" motion - whereas the pic you link to is a fairy girl with her breast and ass both clearly visible).

 

[Inzae]

I'll take the blame

Yeah

We were knocing each other over the head on this one.

The writers have NOTHING to do with the layout or artwork.

The concept was a little different than the cover turned out. But we pretty much gave Horne to - do as you please - thing we give all artists. (I did give the directionso I will take the hit).

However, we are very seriously considering another cover - we even have a third being worked up - so this one will likely be dropped.

It was not really intended to be a provacative cover, the concept just seemed sorta neat at the time because we were discussing tropical barbarian familliars and I thought - what the hey.

The real question for us ( I am one of the developers) is with htree cvoers piling and money flying -- ahh what do we do?

If we pull this cover I will move it to another more approriate project because I do like it.

The thing is, is using women on covers out of the picture - think of all the raw near naked Frazzetta men and women pics that would have made awesome covers.

Davis

 

[jgbrowning]

I also certainly wouldn't feel "dirty" or "unclean" while looking through it either. Maybe its because I'm not married, but I feel that there isn't anything inherently wrong with people looking a sexy images of the opposite sex (or even the same sex if thats their thing). People have desires, and there's nothing "unclean" about that. What we have on the cover of that book is just Avalanche trying to lure more people into browsing their book by appealing to those desires. It is, ultimately, a marketing gimmick, and I certainly don't feel offended by it.

I think your missing the point a little bit.

Would you be ashamed to be caught reading this if it had a picture of a lithly muscled naked but for a g-string man on the cover? What if you could sort of see his "package"? Perhaps that wouldn't bother you, but is would surely bother a lot of people.

Also, doesn't the idea that someone is making a book about RPG's and they want to use SEX to sell their product? Its not the sex that most of use find offensive (I'd wager that almost 100% of use actually like sex ) but the use of it to sell products that are not related to the subject. Now if it was a book about sex, the cover wouldn't bother me a bit, although i'd prefer if a man was on the cover as well given our cultural history of female opression/sexualization.

just my .002$

joe b.

 

[Inzae]

Mouseferatu

Yeah don't worry about giving us your opinion. We actually change things based on opinions. well, some things.

Davis