Maine College of Art in its winter finery.
I had the undeniable pleasure of talking book covers and the children’s book business with illustrator Mary Anne Lloyd’s small and hearty band of Maine College of Art (MECA) Illustration students today about the mighty YA series, Sirenz.
Curious City played Art Director today assigning the cover design for Sirenz (Book 3) which will appear as an e-book in 2013. Students gasped over the opening disaster featured in Book 1’s trailer in one breath and analyzed the covers of Book 1 and Book 2 in the next. Seeing no connection between the design of the first two covers, we discussed if Book 3’s cover could unite its predecessors or forge completely new ground.
“Hades is Haute” has become the book’s rallying cry and the illustration students were eager to play out the theme of the Greek NYC fashion obsessed gods with some character design of their own. Not only will they each submit cover art for Book 3, but they will illustrate avatars for the book’s gods–Persephone, Demeter, Zeus, Hera, Castor, Pollux, and Cerebus, and for humans, Jeremy and Arkady.
Authors Natalie Zaman and Charlotte Bennardo with host the sketches and finals on their series website and open the comments up to their fans. All the MECA avatars will be incorporated into their website and one cover may just grace Book 3 (and win a cash prize).
When? Keep your haute heels on, we will be sure to let you know…
It’s getting haute in here…
Yeah, Meg, you and Shar are sending out the Siren song alright. First authors Nat Zaman and Charlotte Bennardo do your sweet bidding, then Curious City, and now Maine College of Art. No worries, we are all happy to be on Team Sirenz and to help break the Hades spell, even if you MAY be compelling us to do so…
I didn’t do it >:)
Wow! What a wonderful assignment. Wish I was in Mary Anne’s class.