"Cover for Rules -- Watch Your Six!!" Topic

Got an e-mail today with a rather humorous suggestion for the cover of my soon to be published rules. They used a font called eyeballs for the following:

WATCH YOUR SIX!!
Aerial Combat in the Great War

Actually pretty funny but not all that appropriate. My artist has some criteria on how his work will be used. Frankly I don't think he would appreciate the humor.

Got me thinking though, might be someone out there with a good idea or two.

Anyone want to forward a suggestion for the cover page?

mjc

Maybe not the most imaginative suggestion, but what about a font like the ones used on inter-war pulp aviation magazines?

Theres a thought -- I'm not familiar with these. Can you give me an example that I might view on the net?

mjc

link

Kinda lame IMO

first, off-the-cuff idea: use a period-appropriate font.

none come to mind, but i just had the thought that the font should maybe match the era?

more importantly, i suppose, is that the font match the style of the artwork/theme. are you going for serious or dashing/adventurous? the mood of the game should be reflected in the cover --if you want people to think it's exciting, make sure your title/artwork says that. maybe not so far as "Raiders of the Lost Ark"…but you get the idea.

bottom line: i'll take mine written on cardboard in crayon if it means getting a copy sooner! ; )

Well, I'll try and pick up a pulp magazine and see what they are all about. I have some books printed back in 1920 or so. The fonts back then were nothing special. This was the age of the type writer and hand set printing press. Pretty standard stuff. Guess I should look at Hollywood posters. Might be a bit more inspirational.

mjc

Find the Movie posters for "The Blue Max" or "Hell's Angels".

You could aways try to incorporate the combatants recognition
signs ie. the Balkan Cross, Roundels etc.. into the type face of the words being used.

How about taking the top wing of a Fokker Dr.1 in the vien of "Kempf" write "Watch Your Six!" instead.

I too am looking forward to the release of these rules.

Quidveritas,

A lot of the Pulps feature a banner style of title, often in lurid colors (Sort of like the Indiana Jones title).

Here is a link you might find useful:

vintagelibrary.com/blog

A cover for "G-8 and his Battle Aces" is near the bottom of the page.

Well, these aren't bad ideas.

Many of the Pulp covers may cause some issues in terms of my art work contracts. Wish I had thought of this sooner.

How did I ever miss these comics way back when? I'm not that old but I had a couple of uncles . . . Guess I didn't dig deep enough.

mjc

My opinion would be something like a nice 'stencil' font, possibly with it done to look like it's been painted on the side of a plane or the like.

If it was WWII, I'd say do it up as bomber nose art. Buxom lass in flight jacket, helmet, and not much else winking, with the title wrapped around her, the subtitle on a bit of ribbon at the bottom.

I suggest doing the cover in the form of a WWI propaganda poster. There are many styles of these. here is an aviation related one i have in my game room: picture

James,

Love you poster, where did you get it?

I also like the "nose art" suggestion. That I may actually be able to use without getting grief from the artists. -- that and I really like some of the AEF markings -- you just don't see these anymore. Really too bad, there's some good stuff there. Had I been thinking about it, I might have used this instead of the art work.

That said, I'm jazzed about the cover art I've got lined up. The cover alone will be worth the price of the rules.

mjc

If you want to go the pulp route, visit ebay and do a search for pulps and WWII, 1940s, combat, etc. You'll find LOTS of cover scans, and a nice variety, too.

I like the nose art idea, by the way. It's very appropriate for what you're doing, and it could help you create a theme for the book and your Website.