06 The Real Cover Art
The Phantom Pleasure First Episode Art
Link to the all PHANTOM PLEASURE online episodes so far.
Happy Halloween! I hope you all enjoyed it and avoided having to go to the dentist afterwards.
I had a really fun time at a small Vapor 95 Halloween gathering. (Phantom Pleasure stuff is still available there for a limited time if you want it!) My friend and I rushed to get costumes at the last second (she really pulled together a miracle) and ended up having a lot of fun. I was some kind of half-assed Catwoman, as you can see here. I wish I could have gone as Echo, but the cosplay suit isn’t nearly ready yet!
Ok, on to the update…
Sometimes I have to fully render an idea, declare it to be finished and post it publicly before I realize I’ve made a mistake. Which is exactly what I did with my cover idea for the first issue of THE PHANTOM PLEASURE over a week ago.
I had a really fun time drawing and shading this image of Echo, but it’s just not quite right for a cover piece, no matter how many extra elements I might’ve added. There’s a real lack of energy to the central art, with no hint of Echo’s personality or the world she’s a part of. I really want this first print issue be special, you know?
So as I’ve continued to work on the pages, I kept thinking of better ideas for the cover. After a few loose sketches, I finally settled on this:
I think this makes way more sense for a cover! It’s certainly more evocative, Echo looks cooler, and it shows her crazy Synth Suit going into overdrive for a mega punch. I feel so much better about this now, I really hope you all like it. I’m still finishing up the logo I want to use above her head…
Thank you to everyone for keeping up with, and supporting, this Cyber Noir E-rotic comic journey. The first updated print version episode is coming very, very soon. I’m so excited to show you all. The first episode centers around Echo’s gang preparing for a raid on some content thieves, while Echo’s brain receives a private message from an anon user… A mysterious stranger who she can’t block or ignore. Sexy danger and hilarity ensues.
Here is some cool fan art of Echo from a great (and very kind) illustrator, @dougerbert (check out his work on instagram)
So cool! I love the mischievous expression on her face.
He does great work, drawing lots of cool genre and sci-fi characters with an expressive comic style. Here is a small sample of his work, give him a follow!
And here is a work-in-progress drawing of the lower levels of GEO-CITY ONE:
I still have some work to do, adding more screens, details, wires, dumpsters and users. I’ve been listening to this track a lot while drawing these haunting, CRT monitor-lit labyrinths, really gets me in the mood…
That’s it for now!
The next time you hear from me, I will be presenting the first updated Phantom Pleasure episode. Sorry for this long wait, but hopefully each episode should come out on a good schedule after the first one is released. Then it will be compiled and printed for analog release. I still don’t know if a publisher will be involved or not, but one way or the other I will get this story in the hands of anyone who wants it.
All the best to you all, and see you soon.