Illustration Friday: Fortune

click on image for larger view

for this week's entry i went for a different look and a different era in comic bookdom. sometime back in the 1980s would-be comic creators discovered the world of Self Publishing. largely thanks to the advent of personal computers and Desktop Publishing. for artists and writers with the drive and the bankroll to pursue this path to fame and... uh, fortune (ahem) it became much easier to just D.I.Y. than get a job with the Big Dogs of Comics (DC, Marvel, etc.)

comic book shops were flooded with dozens of titles from unknown publushers, artists & writers. most of them lacking the experience and skills of professional layout artists and letterers. again, computers to the rescue. with a glut of fonts to choose from, hand drawn lettering was no longer an issue.

it was the beginning of a change to the look of comics that has become prevolent today. no longer content with flat color and ink most comic covers are highly produced, computer generated paintings with stylish graphics and fonts. personally i feel comics have become over produced, which is why i prefer the "golden age" style of covers with their dynamic action scenes and colorful hyperbole, but i also love the fact that i can create an entire comic without ever picking up a brush, ink or buying bristol board.

created mostly in Adobe Illustrator (with a helping hand from Photoshop).

thanks for last weeks comments, have a groovy week ahead!