Robot 6
Straight for the art | WhiteChapel reimagines Superman #1‘s cover
Superman #1 cover treatment by Paul Sizer
On his Whitechapel message board, Warren Ellis has a fun exercise where he typically asks artists to redesign a character of his choice. This time around, however, he threw out the challenge of creating a cover for a new comic called Superman:
You have been told that Superman is a man who dresses predominantly in a shade of blue, and wears a red S symbol. You know nothing else about the character.
The cover must include a logo and the text THE COMPLETE STORY OF THE DARING EXPLOITS OF THE ONE AND ONLY SUPERMAN.
And that’s it.
It’s up to you what kind of company you’re at. What kind of comics you make. How you translate that description of Superman. What era you’re in. Who you are, even. Go nuts with it.
You have one week. Go.
Some of the resulting artwork is pretty impressive; go check it out on WhiteChapel.
- March 3, 2010 @ 12:30 PM by JK Parkin
9 Comments
Chris Pitzer
March 3, 2010 at 12:51 pm
That’s a pretty sweet design.
Paul Sizer
March 4, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Congratulations! You’re both right!
Shaun
March 4, 2010 at 7:49 pm
“Looks like some typical sales-in-the-toilet indie book.”
Yep… If I saw this cover, I’d pass. This would not have launched a legend that’s lasted for 70+ years.
Felipe
March 5, 2010 at 6:20 am
It’s always the saddest losers that drop the most biting “critiques”. Paul did this for fun, and he’s an excellent designer, which is more that could be said of any of you two, sore jackasses on a fucking comment thread.
Berserker
March 5, 2010 at 6:54 am
Actually, the original cover of the issue of Action Comics #1 where Superman first appears is pretty much a total and complete turd.
It’s not something you look at and say: “this is going to become a cultural icon”. Not even close.
Andy
March 5, 2010 at 7:01 am
“Looks like some typical sales-in-the-toilet indie book.”
Actually, those lovely design forms remind me more of either a cover for an issue of Grant Morrison’s “Filth” or Fraction’s “Iron Man”. Hardly sales-in-the toilet.
And I’d pick it up in a trice!
Steevo
March 5, 2010 at 7:39 am
Hey Sizer, I wouldn’t worry that your cover didn’t have enough size DD tits for the fanboys up the way, I think it’s awesome
Also, there are about 40 other fantastic covers in this thread…for anyone that actually enjoys good art as opposed to being a smartass know it all.
Paul Sizer
March 5, 2010 at 8:24 am
Thanks guys, I wasn’t really that worried about negative comments, as I kind of questioned what kind of indy books those guys were looking at…
As yes, the Rian Hughes covers for the current IRON MAN book just kill me, they are so well executed!
For those of you who haven’t ventured over there, the thread is awash with killer stuff. I’m surprised that mine keeps getting singled out, as I would vote a ton of the others well before mine for sheer excellence, but I do appreciate the kind words.
Greasemonkey
March 8, 2010 at 12:16 am
Go look at the Whitechapel art thread, folks. Talented, talented people have created amazing art, and you get to look at it for free.