sega_SHARK Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 (edited) I would like to see a some stuff regarding Sectaurs, Star Com, Cabbage Patch kids, hockey tables... But I think that the non video game products could be in a sidebar, or introductory chapter. Edited October 17, 2015 by sega_SHARK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editionsbooqc Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Hey there! Sorry for the delay. Here are three new mock up covers for the book. I just want to express that this mock up cover will not be the final version of the book cover. It is just to have a rather cool image for our Kickstarter (starting on Saturday October 31st at 12pm EST by the way). The final cover will be done by a professional artist. Anyway, let me know what you think of these ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I tend to prefer the first one. The middle one is interesting, although the Coleco logo should be much bigger, to really catch the eye like it does on the first cover. The third cover has too much going on in the lower half. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ten-four Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I have a bid on the cover. No bells and whistles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+5-11under Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 The turtle looks like a slug. I don't know what Sectaurs is, but I recognize the logo and the left-bottom pic on #3. The right-bottom pic on #3 (and the right pic on #1 to some degree) looks like the turtle's cousin. Pic #2: Does anyone care about 3 mostly generic buildings? Pic #1 is the cleanest, although perhaps only because #2 and #3 are very bad. However, I can't see DK, and it needs some basic typographical/page layout fixes. Where is the company's most popular product? I have little or no interest in that, but for the cover, I wouldn't choose it over the turtle, given a choice. I'm not sure where it would fit in, but the Coleco handhelds, in my opinion, are iconic and generally look great. Pong too, perhaps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editionsbooqc Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Thanks for your feedback! I don't have a better picture for the turtle pool but if somebody has one, I'd be glad to use it. The first pic is also my favorite, not perfect, but clearly we're getting somewhere. So if the turtle pool is not the most iconic item of Coleco's years prior to video games, what would be? I agree that the handhelds are missing but I didn't want to overcharge the picture but I'm thinking of a transition that could be good. I'll upload it when it's up. ten-four I appreciate your input but I'm afraid it's too dark and we like the bells and whistles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Hey there! Sorry for the delay. Here are three new mock up covers for the book. I just want to express that this mock up cover will not be the final version of the book cover. It is just to have a rather cool image for our Kickstarter (starting on Saturday October 31st at 12pm EST by the way). The final cover will be done by a professional artist. Anyway, let me know what you think of these ones! The wording of some of the subtitles is a bit convoluted. Also, I'm not sure you can use the Coleco logo as part of the title like that. It almost looks like that's the book brand or something, i.e., it's not necessarily clear that that's the main title of the book. You might want to just use a good title font for the Coleco part. Overall, these three mockups are better than the first three mockups you presented, but I think where each design really breaks down is the collage aspect. Collages like that rarely, if ever, work from a visual standpoint for a cover of anything. In any case, if for now you're going to go with a collage because you're waiting to get a designer, then you might want to design something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Videogames-Hardware-Genius-Guide-ebook/dp/B0052N2152/ref=sr_1_66?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445263116&sr=1-66&keywords=videogame where the collage elements are in distinct boxes and done in an extreme close-up so as not to worry about each element's shape (for instance, zoom in on a doll's face, the ColecoVision gamepad, etc.). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editionsbooqc Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Thanks Bill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikrananka Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Personally I don't find any of them eye-catching enough and dislike the generic brown textured background. Was the turtle pool really one of their iconic products - I don't think so? If anything swimming pools were a bigger part of their business. Using an image of a bare circuit board on the second cover is far from Coleco specific even if it is from a Coleco product. I agree with 5-11under that the Coleco handhelds should feature on the cover. Bright colours and some of their most iconic products. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editionsbooqc Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 I understand. The brown texture is supposed to be a leather one because I wanted to suggest the leather past of the company without putting in big bright letters. Would you have a better suggestion for the background? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikrananka Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I understand. The brown texture is supposed to be a leather one because I wanted to suggest the leather past of the company without putting in big bright letters. Would you have a better suggestion for the background? I would just avoid trying to pictorially represent their background in leather production. In my opinion, a plain untextured background is visually more appealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+5-11under Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 So if the turtle pool is not the most iconic item of Coleco's years prior to video games, what would be? It's not prior to video games, but I'll give you a clue... it rhymes with Babbage Batch Bids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editionsbooqc Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Yes I know about those Kabbage Watch Lids but as you said it, it's not prior to video games and I liked the chronology aspect of it. But I agree that it is missing from the picture. I'll do another cover based on Bill's suggestion that allow me to use many more items of Coleco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I'm not sure where it would fit in, but the Coleco handhelds, in my opinion, are iconic and generally look great. Pong too, perhaps. Yeah, at least one Coleco arcade tabletop should appear on the cover. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Tarzilla Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I would also use a different Cabbage Patch kid image, the boy in the black suit isn't representative of what most people remember 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamshaft Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Being a graphic designer for over 20 years. The book cover is what's going to sell the book. I think more thought should be put in the overall design. Keep it simple, yet attractive. Don't try to say too many things. I find the above covers to be too busy. Also, I'd stay away from using the Coleco logo, you might get into legal trouble with the current owner to the trademark. Good Luck, with the book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editionsbooqc Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 Thank you all for your input! Following Bill's advice, I think we're really getting somewhere. About the logo, I'm in the process of obtaining the rights so no worries. As usual let me know what you think. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+5-11under Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 That's cleaner, at least! Bright colors on a black background. Pictures: I'd give it a 3/9 or so (at a distance, most people would likely only recognize that many items). I can't help but think there's a more clever way to convey the "information", though. Alternately, maybe 4 pictures is the answer? (I haven't read the book, though... ). I like how you only put the ColecoVision controller in, rather than the whole console. Only what is necessary is shown to get the idea across. The DK screen would have been okay, too, depending on context. To me, those are the two recognizable things about the ColecoVision. The logo is big and clear. I think the graphic design people could improve it's size and location, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Now this one I really like, personnally. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youki Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Personally of all propositions you did, i still prefer the "special edition" of your first proposal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikrananka Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Well that's definitely an enormous step forward. Much cleaner and eye-catching. I do agree with 5-11under's comments about the logo and pictures though. I'd like to see a close up of the ColecoVision logo on the front of the console rather than the controller. How about a sub-title under "The Complete History" listing the years it covers, e.g. 1932 to 1988. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Big improvement. I think it gives a sufficiently professional first impression until you can get the funds for a designer. If possible, you may want to experiment with different book/background colors other than black. It was most famous for being a toy company, so maybe brighter background colors might work (or it may not, but at least you have a reasonable plan B with the black). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice2839 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Just my opinion. I think your first three examples look like school books, your second set of three look like programming guides and your last example looks like a technical reference. This is just my first impression looking at the cover examples and not knowing what is inside the book. I tend to agree that if the book is more a history of the company itself then the basic brown cover someone suggested gives me more of that impression and is not misleading. This is all coming from a guy that pretty much only reads technical material so take it with a grain of salt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamshaft Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 The cover needs to have an emotional connection with all of us, what I mean by that is how did we all feel when they went under. Disappointed, angry, relieved, surprised, etc... whatever the case was. the cover should reflex that. With the comments above, I agree that it was more or less about the various toys they produced, not really the leather. I'd focus the art direction on the toys, electronics. Make it playful, colorful but yet show the demise in some form or another. My 2 cents. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I feel like the cover of this book should have been a no-brainer from someone who has passion for the subject matter. The fact that it's taking this long to really figure out what the cover should include is honestly making me worried about the book overall. Is there anyone here on these forums that is good with photoshop that could try to mock something up to help these guys out? I have to think there would be quite a bit of passion within this group to take the cover and knock it out of the park. I get that this is just a "mock up" and the real version will be done by a professional, but nothing I've seen in any of these mock ups is hitting home with me, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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