PS goes national!

[Baiyu-Dan]

Our own, our beloved Dirk is now in Previews! Paradigm Shift Vol 1: Equilibrium is on now availible for ordering from Diamond. Go bug your local comics store propritors to order a few copies, or Kate will eat your spleen!

[starstriker1]

Not my spleen! 

[Dirk]

Thanks, guys!   Seriously, once I get all my ordering info back from them, I'm going to need some serious help to get the word out.  I'm planning the first round, now.  More to come.

[Dirk]

Okay, so I'm going send out 500 postcards to the top 500 manga and indy-friendly comic stores in the country.  However, I need to make sure it makes a splash.  So, I need to design a card that will actually do the job.

Anyway, here is my initial stab at a design.  I'm leaning towards a full color front and back, but I'm torn, since I want to show some of the interior art, too. Also, the doubled-up skyline may seem redundant, even though that's how it looks on the book.  The B&W option just doesn't do it for me, though.  It should be art I can just reuse, though, since I don't want to dally.  I really should get this out by next week.

Also, the top paragraph "Two smart-ass detectives..." is the marketing blurb that will be appearing in PREVIEWS.  Maybe I should have vetted this with you guys earlier, but I guess it's too late, now.

Take a look.  Any feedback would be incredibly helpful!

Front:


Back Full-color option:


Back B&W option:


Thanks!

[Adam]

Hmmm. Guerilla/Viral marketing campaign... I'm in. Let me know how to have the comic shops order it.

[Dirk]

I'll give you the ordering details when I have them.

[Adam]

Senior Tiede will give us our orders. Viva La Resitance!!!

[KurtMitchell]

I prefer the B&W back... it's a better design (the other seems redundant to the front) and it gives you the option of having a "signing" card. Imagine the piece as a meal for the eyes, the full color side is the entree, the B&W back is the desert. I would also just do one-sided varnish on the color side... this adds a tactile dimension and the unvarnished back serves as a signing side. I would like to see the watermark element abou 5% darker. Just my $.02...

[KurtMitchell]

I prefer the B&W back... it's a better design (the other seems redundant to the front) and it gives you the option of having a "signing" card. Imagine the piece as a meal for the eyes, the full color side is the entree, the B&W back is the desert. I would also just do one-sided varnish on the color side... this adds a tactile dimension and the unvarnished back serves as a signing side. I would like to see the watermark element about 5% darker. Just my $.02...

I would also take the attribution of the second quote on the B&W back (by Marc Mason) [sic] and justify it to the right.

[Dirk]

Thanks for the tips, Kurt.  Between you and Ris's suggestions, I've worked up a few new versions.  The full-color version is based on the back of the actual book.  I do realize the downtown is redundant, though.  Does anyone have any better suggestions than the "Two Cops..." tagline?  It's kinda old, and I wonder if I should play up the 'high concept' a little more (Werewolf Detective Story/Chicago detective story with supernatural twist, etc.)  Also, I need to work up a good 'Call To Action' like 'Order Now!' or something like that.  It's probably still a little weak. 

I'll be printing these the same way I do my other cards -- through GotPrint.net, but the Color front/B&W black thing should work as a signer, since that's what I've basically got already.

Anyway, take a look and see what you think:

Front 2:


Back Full-color option 2:


Back B&W option 2:


Back B&W option 3 (vertical):


Back B&W (mailer version):


Thanks, again!

[KurtMitchell]

Here are comments on the B&W vertical and mailer:

B&W vertical option 3- the denser dot pattern is not as attractive. Is this the result of scaling it down? Is there a danger of moire' happenning? I also prefer the compositional scale and placement of the character in the horizontal option 2 and the way the type interacts with it...

Mailer- I think the "internet cult favorite" line needs to be spaced downward a bit more. There appears to be enough space below the critics' quotes to shift everything below the plot summary/teaser downward as a group.

I still prefer b&w option 2...

On a lighter note... how about "FREE BEER" as a call to action tag line? ...just kidding...

[Dirk]

Yeah, I don't think the vertical one works as well, either.  The denser dots are indeed because the image is scaled down.  Still bigger than actual size for that panel, but the visible pattern is the idea in the first place.

Turns out GotPrint has an option to do rounded corners.   I like the look.  It's a little classier.  What do you think?

Anyway, I think we're getting closer:

Front & Back:

[Adam]

I like the rounded corners.

How big are these anyways?

[Dirk]

4"x6"

[KurtMitchell]

Yep... the rounded corners are nice!