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| Visitor Cover Art | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 10 2015, 10:52 AM (1,487 Views) | |
| Neco the Nightwraith | Dec 10 2015, 10:52 AM Post #1 |
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Living the Right Life
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Since I am not aware of any "official" release of the cover art for Visitor, I really want to know where these folks found this image: http://www.risingshadow.net/library/book/49214-visitor It looks like one of Todd Lockwood's, but I did a search of his stuff and haven't found anything, so I wonder where they found it? |
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| BlueCatShip | Dec 10 2015, 11:13 AM Post #2 |
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Unlabelled Browncoat Scaper
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The image I'm seeing from that link is in greyscale with "NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION" stamped on it. The typography looks right, though; it matches the series. Exactly what typeface that is, I'm not sure. The last time I'd looked, the closest matches I'd found were from Jonah's Fonts, available at MyFonts.com, but DAW/Penguin may use a customized font. At a guess, I'd say it's a comp, a mockup with an artist's sketch, or possibly a greyscale version of the finished art, again used for a publisher's comp. How that site got hold of it, I don't know. Curious, isn't it? I looked just in the past week, and Amazon was not yet showing cover art for Visitor either, though it's been up for pre-order since maybe September. Convergence is not yet showing up for pre-order. The details of Bren's face look rather different to me than Todd Lockwood's last couple of covers, but then, the image is smallish. I don't think we've heard of any change in the cover artist this time, so I'd presume the finished cover art will be from him. His previous covers have shown more depth of light and dark, more shadows, but the sketch is likely some earlier stage, if that's what this is. Especially interesting if it is the final art, or if it is a sketch that's s little different from the final art. Interesting find, Neco-ji! I think you've shown us that site previously? |
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| Neco the Nightwraith | Dec 10 2015, 11:16 AM Post #3 |
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Living the Right Life
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Probably. I think they did this with a couple other covers for CJ's books. They always seem to have a version of it first. It's fishy, neh? *shrugs* Looks like a grey scale draft of one of Lockwood's pieces; it certainly seems like his style, but a search of his website got me nothing, which got me asking. |
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| joekc6nlx | Dec 10 2015, 12:37 PM Post #4 |
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kendo bain sidhe
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someone going through his trash and stealing drafts? |
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| BlueCatShip | Dec 10 2015, 02:18 PM Post #5 |
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Unlabelled Browncoat Scaper
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Their site also has a Finnish version, so some number of their staffers / volunteers speak Finnish. Their "About Us" info says it's run by like-minded readers, fans of speculative fiction. OK. In order for them to have a sketch of cover art in greyscale and the logotype overlay for the title, it's likely they (someone) has access to the publisher's design dept. Or some sort of preliminary press kit, maybe given out to bookstores or to publishing industry advertisers. A friend in the biz who's leaking it, say, unofficially. Possibly DAW's people are doing that on purpose, to generate buzz. Or Mr. Lockwood or Herself might have permission to do that. But most likely, a source at the publisher is slipping it under the table, and it might be, you know, officially unofficial. "What? We had no idea our publicity manager or our cover design dept. manager sent that out to everyone so there'd be a buildup of interest. Nooooo. We'd never do that! -- Quick, Scooter, tell 'em they're on lunch break. Hide 'em in the...I don't know, just...do something!" LOL. In such a case, slapping "Not for Distribution" on it could go either way. But I'd go for, someone, somewhere is hot for generating buzz among fans and influential whoevers in publishing and critics. Surely, they'd quote the Third Stage Guild Navigator: "I was not here. I did not say this." LOL. But did they turn off the recording devices? ;) Atevi and at least one human, standing around or walking somewhere, everyone looking very earnest. Yep, Foreigner cover art. :D Not complaining. It seems to be a common thing for SF&F cover art. ... Though in some, Bren and the atevi would be wearing much less clothing and their poses would be athletically challenging to an unlikely degree, you know? And perhaps outlandishly well endowed.... Ahem, not that there's, you know, anything wrong with that.... :: whistles innocently :: |
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| griffinmoon | Dec 10 2015, 04:12 PM Post #6 |
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Ranger
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Looks good though. These books have used other artists from time to time. |
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| Neco the Nightwraith | Dec 10 2015, 08:13 PM Post #7 |
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Living the Right Life
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Just thought I'd share, at any rate (yes, I was trolling for cover art. I can't wait to see how this piece turns out when it's completed and colored.) And you know it's a Lockwood, because that lace thing at Bren's throat is of the same design as that on another cover. :D And the jackets on the atevi are designed the way he does them as well. |
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| ready | Dec 10 2015, 10:48 PM Post #8 |
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Member Mathematicians Guild
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Thanks Neco-ji for finding this. I'm sure this is not the completed cover if it is a Todd Lockwood design. I'm still in love with the "Tea and Politics" cover for Tracker that Todd did with the stunning window and lace curtains blowing, and using CJ as the basis for Ilisidi and Todd using himself as Bren. Todd will have to go a long way to top that cover. :sor: :sob: |
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| jlsjlsjls | Dec 11 2015, 12:16 AM Post #9 |
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Yes, this site has had other cover roughs in the past ... some publishers will release those for early promotion. While most of it looks very nice, I must confess, to quote myself from elsewhere: "I really REALLY hope that it's still going to be tweaked a bit because those sidearm holsters buckled to Banichi's and Jago's pant legs made me burst out laughing. Honestly, first thought in my mind was Assassins across the continent continually having to fish their guns out of toilets the same way humans here do with cellphones that were in their pants pockets (and since it's made quite clear in the novels that atevi and humans have developed and use very similar facilities this is not improbable)" I know, I'm a bad bad person. ;p (makes absolutely no attempt to look sorry for putting this in other peoples' heads) |
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| Neco the Nightwraith | Dec 11 2015, 01:24 AM Post #10 |
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Living the Right Life
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I admit to having a good laugh over that thought! Edited to add: Why the hell buckle the holster *to* the pant leg? With the weight of that hanging off their clothing, they're going to need sturdy belts! Or else be continuously hitching their trousers up as they slowly slide off their hips. And no, I'm not sorry for that image either. :P Surely a separate harness would be more sensible? |
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| jlsjlsjls | Dec 11 2015, 05:46 AM Post #11 |
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--snerks-- Oh the ways we can run with what you said. Looking at the image again, Banichi's obviously holding onto the top of his holster to prevent garment slippage. And while we can see Bren's right hand, his left isn't visible ... however there's a slight hint of outline suggesting that his left arm is at an angle which would let him have a grip on the back of Jago's waistband. We can only speculate on how Algini and Tano are managing ... :atwink |
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| BlueCatShip | Dec 11 2015, 06:48 AM Post #12 |
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Unlabelled Browncoat Scaper
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Aside: I've just seen jlsjls' signature quote, and am much amused. Meanwhile, about the holsters and slippage and saggy-baggy such-like: There's something in Ecclesiastes about how it is good to have an helpmate, to travel together, as when one falls, the other can hold one up. Or two? Felicitous third? There's something about the strands of a rope in the same quoted portion, so perhaps threes there too. One did not think the writer had wardrobe malfunctions and holsters in mind, but on second thought, perhaps heavy Bronze Age swords and sheaths would've been a factor, so.... Ah, it's so good to have friends to lean on in such dire circumstances, yes? ----- Or does this give new meaning to "This is a holdup!" What about, "This is a stickup!" After all, they do have sticks, er, staffs, quarterstaffs, such-like. Just as long as the handgun clears the holster before they fire. |
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| BlueCatShip | Dec 11 2015, 06:55 AM Post #13 |
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Unlabelled Browncoat Scaper
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Staffs and Quarterstaffs, or Staves and Quarterstaves? I believe it's technically the former, but I've also seen the latter. I'll confess I think the latter's more purposefully archaic than any American versus British usage differene. Hmm. Now I'll have to look. Drat. ...Or is that why the knight always has a trusty squire? To hold up his breeches? ...Oh, my, one could infer all sorts of ribald things, if one pursued that train of thought. One thinks that train's left the station, however. Note to self: Why yes, apparently, self's subconscious is more, ah, in need of companionship than one might have considered. Er, ahem. Do carry on. One must have a conversation with one's subconscious about tripping up one's conscious thoughts, proprieties, and so on. -- On the other hand, if there's a trusty squire thereabouts.... |
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| joekc6nlx | Dec 11 2015, 02:33 PM Post #14 |
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kendo bain sidhe
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According to my Webster's New World Dictionary, the plural of staff (when describing a wooden stick or rod or a musical scale) is "staves". When describing a group of people who work in support roles, then it's "staffs". "Staves" comes from Old English, so you are correct that it's archaic. I think that the slats of a wooden barrel also derive their names from the same root word - staves. Usually, but not always, a holster or scabbard was carried on a separate belt, not the one used to support the breeches, especially if the weapon carried was especially heavy, such as a broadsword or a heavy pistol. I believe this had more to do with convenience, such that the wearer could remove said holster or scabbard without having to undo the support for their breeches. I believe that in most cases, men-at-arms did not wear their weapons around the place unless they were on duty. I don't believe that the Knights of the Round Table would have worn their armor and swords while convening with the king. Weapons around the king probably wouldn't have been tolerated except with the most trusted of his vassals, and even they would have been allowed to wear only ceremonial weapons, such as a dagger (which would also be used to cut their meat at table). Samurai in Japan would wear two swords, the tachi or katana was for wear outdoors, while the shorter kodachi or wakizashi was for wear indoors. (In kendo, we practice kata with the tachi and kodachi forms, with the kodachi being used against a tachi). Even in the "Wild West", which has been blown out of proportion by Hollywood and TV, most people didn't carry a handgun, and if you were a cowpoke herding cattle, you didn't carry it on your waist, anyway. 14 hours or so of riding around with a 2 pound piece of steel banging against your hip was uncomfortable, to say the least. Plus, if it fell out of the holster, you might not be able to recover it without getting trampled. AND, most towns in the "Wild West" did not allow people to carry weapons around openly. So, those old scenes of people standing around the saloon with gunbelts and the Colt Peacemakers were usually inaccurate. (Of course, people did carry concealed firearms like Derringers, but if you got caught, you would be in jail at least overnight). I'd be willing to believe that it would have been the same in the Middle Ages. Besides, trying to sit at a table with a 30" blade at your side is not only uncomfortable, it can be embarrassing if you trip over the scabbard or you poke the fair maiden or comely gentleman seated next to you. Poking the maiden might result in you getting "lucky", or getting slapped, whereas poking the gentleman might also result in you getting "lucky" (depending on how liberal the atmosphere) or get you challenged to a duel. :rofl: Meanwhile, BCS, I think your subconscious is fine......don't stifle it..... |
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| BlueCatShip | Dec 11 2015, 11:25 PM Post #15 |
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Unlabelled Browncoat Scaper
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Thanks, Joe! :D If enything, my conscious self has tended to be shy or repressed in that department, more so than most people. Upbringing, personality, and LGBT all contribute to that. Trying to get past that. Occasionally, as in that post, it'll catch me unawares. (As in, I don't realize until after I've typed something. Usually when speaking, I'm more aware what's going on with that, but not always. Heh.) ----- :nods: Staves, definitely staves for anything like a quarterstaff, rod, cane, stick, etc. Hmm, I'd tend to say staffer, for a person on staff, so staffers as the plural. "Staffs" sounds a bit off to me. But last night, it seemed like something worth wondering about. My old in-print dictionaries are two editions (one from when I was in junior high, one from as an adult) of the American Heritage Dictionary. -- Webster's and the Oxford English Dictionary are the two most common standards, though. ----- From photos and written accounts, both from the Old West and the earlier 1900's, WW1 and WW2 and somewhat thereafter, cowboys and police officers and military/naval vets usually wore a separate belt for their pistol holster and ammunition, with various methods of storing the bullets, on the belt or in an ammo pouch, being the two most common. Also, it was typical to have a strap or length of thong cord (or rope) to secure the lower end of the holster to the thigh or above the knee, so it didn't move around too much. Having that bang against your leg while on horseback or motorcycle or walking, not nice, I'm sure. Swords -- Back in the antebellum era, then during Reconstruction, and even prior to WW1, when military personnel wore swords, either for duty or as part of the formal-dress uniform, they had to contend with what to do about their sword and scabbard. So there were even chairs intended so that a military gentleman or soldier might sit more comfortably with his sword belted on. Some of these chairs were a sort of diamond arrangement. Others were more like a lounge chair or had a footstool or ottoman. Examples still exist at historic homes in the South or Civil and Revolutionary War era sites. I think including Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg. How much difference there might be between officers (gentlemen, upper class or middle class) and soldiers (common citizens, working class or middle class) might depend on where you were and what local customs or what the host's personal opinions were, or the prevailing social customs of the times. In other words, there was generally some separation, more so than tends to exist today, among Americans, between officers and men. Even though non-commissioned officers (sergeants, petty officers) were generally seasoned, experienced at leading men and at serving in peacetime and in war, and non-coms were then, like now, more likely to have some level of education, a middle class background, or to have worked their way up through the ranks and gotten their educations on the job, even if they began as poor, working class boys or young men. It entered into how class and behavior existed back then in a different way than it tends to now. But the officers and the non-coms and the enlisted men all would've had a sidearm and/or a sword, up until around WW1 or thereafter, as part of their working uniform and part of their ceremonial uniform for the most formal occasions, like a ball or a dinner. Oh, my. -- This was (and often still is) included at military academies and prep schools. Senior cadets at Texas A&M, for instance, sometimes wear a sword with their formal dress uniform, and I think this is true at VMI (Virginia Military Institute?) as well. Historical reasons: The cadet corps are modeled on old army/navy models dating back to when there were actual cavalry units, for instance. (That's exactly why senior cadets at A&M wear riding jodhpurs and boots. They're from WW1 era cavalry uniforms.) I was not a military brat, no military prep school. But I was a civilian student at A&M, alongside cadets. Those guys and girls, men and women, are ordinary folks, but some commit to the full cadet course of study to become full officers on graduation, in each branch of service. So you could see, any time of day, units running in formation singing cadence (5am, oh boy) or clomping across campus in senior boots, with sword, the guys in jodhpurs, the girls in riding skirts, not quite like gauchos. So even as a civilian, you were conscious of this going on, and conscious of it around Muster and whenever there was a Silver Taps service, plus, you tended to have classmates and friends who were cadets, no matter what class you were taking. This also gives rise to some very curious traditions, since it began as an all-male military agricultural and engineering college.... Heh. I once had a slightly confused freshman cadet introduce himself to me, a civilian student, as if I were a cadet. LOL, it was memorable. I did apprise him that he didn't really have to do that, unless an upperclassman had ordered him to. :D -- I don't recall now, but at the time, I got a complete rundown on who he was, his major, and other details. It amazes me that new cadets were required to memorize all that, to be able to repeat it back when any upperclassman asked them, as an exercise. So...Bren and his aishid, running around with sidearms thumping and trousers slipping precariously downward. Ah, the unexpected dangers one faces in atevi security! (I wonder how much longer the saggy, baggy thing will last for all those urban kids...? Gotta wonder how many have actually had their pants fall down. Hard to look tough and cool when that happens, you know?) |
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2:33 PM Jul 11