Evolution of a Cover: How to Make Monsters

When I was approached last year to design the cover for Gary McMahon's collection HOW TO MAKE MONSTERS, I was a bit chuffed, and more than a bit concerned. I'd finished the cover to my own book a few months earlier, and the satisfaction I had with it and its reception led me to wonder what it would be like to design more covers. Interestingly enough, though I did approach Gary about doing some cover work, it was for a different book, and Gary never really knew why I was asking after it. It was his own idea to suggest me to his publisher, and thus, a marriage was made.

Of course, I'd only designed one cover at that point (well, two if you count the GRAY FRIAR PRESS CHRISTMAS CHAPBOOK 2007, but that one was created in such a short time-frame that I hardly had time to do it "right"). Needless to say, I was a bit concerned I'd be able to deliver the goods. My own cover was meditated on for a long period. This one, I didn't have that luxury.

I started as I usually do when designing for other by asking what ideas they had in mind. Gary was thinking about something literal to the title, but also slightly tongue-in-cheek. Parts of a model kit was suggested, or something like the instructions from said kit. I was thinking something along the lines of the cover to the They Might Be Giants album MINK CAR, which is similar to the "exploded view" one sees of things like computers when ordering parts. These ideas were interesting, and I played with them a bit, but ultimately I didn't think I could do them justice.

I mediated on the cover for a while, and about what Gary wanted, and rather than a take-apart of a monster, I thought it might be more interesting to see a monster being formed. In my mind's eye, I imagined many different parts of a monster coming together — different eyes, different hands, different teeth — which would jumble together until one complete monster emerged. At the same time, I thought of Run Wrake's animated short "Rabbit", where each thing (eg. boy, girl, fly, rabbit) had its one-word description following it. Integrating the two ideas, I doodled this:

(Yes, it says "tentacles" in the bottom left corner. Honest!)

I liked it, I thought it could work, and told Gary that I thought I had something he would like. I went ahead and dummied-up a version for the him and publisher to see:

As you can see, pretty much all the elements of the final design were there, just not in the right order. In the background was an overlay from an anatomy book, an idea that I thought would further sell the concept of building a creature, but I wasn't pleased with the way it looked back there. Also, my idea for multiple hands fell by the wayside as I couldn't add enough variety in a way that didn't seem cluttered (the same with the mouth) so I opted for two different-looking hands (but of course, in retrospect, they weren't different enough). And of course the image resembled someone on siting on a tranquil beach rather than a monster being formed. Still, it was a rough idea for approval, and I received a good enough response to continue.

I'd figured out how to better use the anatomy image by superimposing it on the figure rather than the background. This associated it better with the monster in the image being "made". I'd found a city to add, but still wasn't sold on losing the hands. One thing I realised was making the mock up so unsatisfactory was that the camera was pulled too far back. I pulled in closer to have the monster fill more of the image. Also, the desaturated look did not win over any fans. The two hands remained because I needed something to balance out the title at the top of the cover. But then it occurred to me: What if I moved the title to the bottom? And, because I had that dead space now above, I brought the camera in further...?

What really helps sell this version is the return of a slight colouring, and the introduction of a red font. I really stands out and compliments what's there already. It goes from being washed-out to being striking. But there's a problem, one I hadn't thought of until that moment. In the English-speaking world, we read left to right. Thus, with the spine on the left-side of the image, the way it was designed, I had space trapped on the left side of the cover. The monster prevents your eye from leaving, and yet prevents the eye from exploring. After all, the most powerful image is the one on the right, and the end, so the eye goes and says there. It's bad design, if nothing else. Fortunately, it's one that's resolved pretty easily.

But not that easily, as a simple flip reversed all the text in the image. I had to rearrange the part names. Luckily, the anatomy could remain "unflipped" and still work (if not work better). What was left at this point were subtle things: they don't stand out, but they help make the image stronger.

You'll notice the terms for body parts and the anatomical drawing have been emphasised a bit more so they might stand out. Also, the shadow upon which the monster is based has been retouched, especially around the head, to make it seems as though that shadow was forming from the clouds behind. It had to look as though it were materialising out of thin air. But for me, the most important 'you can't see it but it helps' change was the repositioning of the highlights in the eyes. By making sure they all conformed to a light-souce at the far-back right, it added a sense of verisimilitude to the image, helping you to believe it is real. There are also drop shadows beneath the floating pieces to help deliver that same effect, and I'd also stripped away as much flesh around the floating eyes as possible, leaving them as not much more than a set of pupils.

The text of the cover went through a few more changes before we settled on a final look for it, but overall I must say I was quite pleased to see the printed book when I arrived at FantasyCon in September. Only one person asked me to sign it, alas, but nevertheless I'm quite proud I was able to put together something this nightmarish for my friend Gary. He told me privately that the image scared his son, and a few others have told me that can't look too long at it either. That's the sort of success money can't buy.