Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Terre des Monstres 2: Marque de Sang


A hasty post to share the absolutely splendid rough for the proposed cover of the French edition of what we commonly know as MBT2 Lamplighter. Mr Lacombe you have made my day!

And I am liking the spontaneous character descriptions, too - will seek to do something with them in the new year I reckon...

57 comments:

noelle said...

Wicked awesome! It's interesting how her appearance is translated pretty accurately, except for the spoor. How do they explain that away in the book? Or is it just artistic freedom?

drionti: a pack animal that looks something like a cross between a donkey and a camel. It is usually spotted.

Anonymous said...

I think Europe is a little freaky looking in French... She looks more Geisha than lahzar...

Anonymous said...

Very cool cover! I really like the typefont.

I have decided to make a Europe costume (the one that is in the background of the blog and on the new cover of the Foundling).... this will be a long costume journey. Hopefully have it ready in the Spring. :)

portals said...

Awesome.
I managed to recommend Foundling to my English class today.
ellorneo-
She does actually look quite Geisha-y.
Anyway, very cool.

Femina said...

Oh, beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I don't suppose you need someone to read it for you and check that the translator has your worldbuilding right? No, I thought not :). (I did mention you in the speculative fiction blog carnival, BTW, as threatened)

Anonymous said...

she looks upset. and tired.
as she should, i suppose

bremoro:a small amphibian with a penchant for fastening itself to the underside of automobiles and slowly sucking away the gasoline

portals said...

antach- a dark green vine which engulfs neardy objects in flurry of greeness

pearl said...

I like this cover; the style captures her personality quite well. But yes, I agree on the geisha thing. Maybe it's because she's so pale? xD

Whare: Items made only of parts of whale. (I have no imagination whatsoever.)

portals said...

Pearlius- Yeah, she looks like she has to much makeup on, but I still think it's a good cover.
hacessed-
Adjective, verb is hacess, meaning to wrap in such a way that whatever is wrapped is nearly impossible to get out.

Anonymous said...

Nice. Creepy but nice. Still waiting to see some poor bloke playing a living lightning rod, though.

Mr. Cornish.
I'm wondering if it's cheaper to travel by land or water in the Half-continent. I imagine all hte protection when traveling in unsavory lands would really put a mouse hole in one's purse.

bicsidg: (bik SID deg {last 'e' is a shewa e}) one afflicted with a rare but serious complex wherin one MUST be right and will even start meaningless debates or arguements to prove oneself correct.
-Ben.

Anonymous said...

steconso: a object with no obvious purpose, capable of inspiring pants-wetting terror, often found in doctor's offices. usually metallic. usually pointed.

Anonymous said...

think she looks like an alien, big head, small body. And way too young, if you compare with Mr Cornish drawings. Don´t think Europe´s age has been said, but she looks to be my age perhaps (yeas, i´m ancient).

noelle said...

Mr. Lacombe's version is definitely a lot more stylized. This picture and Mr. Cornish's are both good, but in different ways.

The thing I like about Europe - and all of the other MBT characters - is that she is very real. A lot of fantasy heroines seem to float everywhere they go, like they're too perfect to have any real weight. But as Shakespeare says, "My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground." Europe is a very realistic character with human problems and shortcomings just like anyone else; in this sense I like Mr. Cornish's picture better (of course - he'd know her better than anyone else!). She looks like a real person.

Guisenti: a person who attires himself in the pelt of a dead monster, complete with horns and a mask made from the beast's face, and then uses this disguise to scare people away and steal their belongings.

Anonymous said...

i like it, but it kind doesn't really show what/who Europe is accurately.. well i hope u get what i mean

Zakk said...

Ahh. Doesn't France use your illustrations? Quite frankly that isn't exactly Europe in a nutshell.

Zakk said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hello, Mr. Cornish.

I am a friend of Zack's, soon I will get up to reading your books. They seem very interesting, Zack thinks I probably wouldn't like it, but I'll read it anyway.
I enjoy reading books, but I've got no more to read.
Have you ever met Carole wilkinson? She's a great author, she writes the DRAGON KEEPER series.

Pizza.

portals said...

Pizza-
Monster-Blood Tattoo is very awesome, and all should read it because of its greatness.

I agree that it doesn't show Europes personality, but I think it does make her look dangerous and quite mean. I still much prefer Mr. Cornish's drawing, though.
Frativ-
A boring person who lives their life through restaurants.

Snooze said...

I must agree I like Mr Corish's Drawings the best (mainly because I'm a fan of realistic pictures). But it definately is an interesting perspective.
I must ask though, why aren't the original drawings used? Surely they depict the characters best seeming as the author drew them, or do French people use different styles?
Either way it is a pretty kewl pic.

And Pizza, I have read the first two books in the Dragon Keeper series and they were very good.

resse- (pronounced: Ress - ee) Slang for an area to rest after travelling for some time. "Let us pull into this resse for a quick drink." Often a small picnic area by the side of the road, some may have small latrine blocks.

Anonymous said...

I´ve noticed that some countries use their own pictures on "foreign" bookcovers. For example Astrid Lindgren´s books looks quite different from those printed abroad. In the US Pippi Longstocking is just as Disney as they have managed to make her. I think it´s sad that they don´t use the original drawings.

Emperor said...

I can't actually say I like the cover. The shape of the head just makes the picture look to cartoony for my liking...
On the subject of different countries having different covers two series that I know of having different covers are Ranger's Apprentice (I am very jealous of the American's not having to put up with those completely horrible covers on the Australian versions) and Ancient Chronicles of Darkness.
Pizza- I don't think there is anybody who would not enjoy the greatness of MBT
repicur- Ummmm... Uh... I'm not really good at this.

portals said...

The Howl's Moving Castle that I read had a hideous cover. The other covers i'd seen were much better.
rexpal- ... a king's ... friend?

tanita✿davis said...

Ooh, gorgeous!! Weirdly ethereal -- I do like the lettering best of all, but you do better coats, Mr. Cornish!

monexie: a clan leader in the pixie community

portals said...

equarf- an airborn duck.

farts said...

Wow. Gorgeous illo. You just attract talent, don't you?

Anonymous said...

The French Europe reminds me of a china doll. Her proportions and coloring are too surreal to be... well...real. And her eyes seem odd, with the irises looking very pale (the pale that creeps most people out) and the area around the eyes is slightly red, reminscient of blood-shot eyes. I wish that lightning/electricity would have been coming out of her but it is still a pretty good cover.

Peter said...

Hey everyone,

Please visit my book blog if you have the time.

It's address is:

http://pizzasbookdiscussion.blogspot.com/

Peter said...

Well, I've never read the books but as I said before I will.

I have seen the covers though.
The Australian version is much better than this one, sorry, no offence. But since I've never even read them, I feel it unfair to judge a book by its cover.

Anonymous said...

Well, I suppose I may as well make a comment. Goodness knows I've lurked for long enough. Normally I dislike different covers (I get too hidebound with the covers of my own edition), but this one is the exception. Quite nice, with the dash of surrealism.

Hmm. Harkerta (noun): 1) A female in the vocal advertising business. Her loud voice and forceful personality make for increased business for her employer. See also STREET CRYER. 2) A street cryer in the employ of a municipality. See also TOWN CRYER.

Conduit Felix said...

Oh, um. Hmm. I seem to have forgotten something I wanted to say. (Type?)

I saw something some time ago about using Hc words as handles or in everyday conversation. While I haven't found reasons to use many, I have found a reason to use "sis edisserum," probably because I'm a terrible geek and still play text-based MUD games and so get to use fun words therein.

Larsiess (noun): A female apprentice bookbinder, perhaps? (I keep getting words with feminine morphology, I'm not really sexist.)

Anonymous said...

Shrina: a nine-pronged candelabra made from dried and molded black mud while being sung traditional songs over by its maker.

Anonymous said...

riati: the tooll used in making the shrina

Anonymous said...

rebollms: the songs sung by the person using the riati to make the shrina

sorry, is this this annoying yet? :)

portals said...

Monday- keep up the good getting to 80 comments commenting.

I started to read Twilight because my friend said it was good. It seems like fluff leading up to nothing.

portals said...

morsp- a sandwich found in a dead persons hand

pearl said...

I might as well do this.

Elitzes- Special lanterns made to shine dimly so not to hurt one's eyes in the dark.

Oh so lame...

Jeffrey L Riffe said...

I have to say that I prefer your art over the French version.

Bloater: A smoked half-dried herring.

Anonymous said...

I´ve read all 4 Twilightbooks ...in english and they were readable. Not good but not entirely bad either.

Anonymous said...

graph:
no fair.

portals said...

momoteli- A big blue turban!

portals said...

diganesa- long pole used for poking people and then turning your head and pretending you know nothing.

noelle said...

cretox: a small spined crab-like creature that reproduces at an alarming rate.

I must say I'm disappointed with the commenting...we should have some kind of subject. Any suggestions?

Anonymous said...

Today I´m off to Africa so I wont be posting for a while. I´ll promise the when I stand on the eastern coast I´ll wave to all you Aussies.

portals said...

Noelle- The subject should be something that everyone wants to comment about ... like the Loch Ness Monster.

Anna- Where in Africa (if your haven't gone left) will you go? I've been there.

Termaltu- Jacket with a cape at the back.

Anonymous said...

yes, i think we have exhausted the suject of Europe's french persona for now

felychro: a sport involving players moving, jumping, etc to and from the baskets of hot-air balloons in pursuit of one another.

portals said...

I wonder why Rossamund didn't think something was different about him when he saw that all the other children had belly-buttons.

Perys- condiment which is a blend of salt and fine, ground pepper.

Peter said...

EURGH!!! Sorry, the library is shut and there is no book shop close to where I live. I can't read it until tomorrow. Don't give too much away folks. Not that I can understand what your talking about. (Is Rossamund a disease?)

And whats with the...?: e.g.

Portals says: Perys- Condiment which is a blend of salt and fine, ground pepper.

Everyone keeps saying weird stuff like that. I'm confused.

portals said...

Pizza- The words we are making up are the word verification codes. We make up definitions for them.
Don't read the 'wierd stuff' because it probably has spoilers in it.
dinkl- a very big mess

Peter said...

Sorry, ok.

Check out my blog everyone:

http://pizzasbookdiscussion.blogspot.com/

Jeffrey L Riffe said...

Word verification codes? I thought they were obscure words people were pulling from some arcane source.


Intimp Malicious imps that cause random and unexplained hardware failures on Intel Processor based computers. ~AMD based systems are immune to their magics.

Anonymous said...

Mocambique. I«m right now in Lisbon,Portugal (airport).

portals said...

Anna- Ok
extri- um... a has-been tree?

portals said...

Anna- Ok
extri- um... a has-been tree?

noelle said...

If you haven't read the books, don't read this next bit. Spoilers.

Rossamund probably has an "imitation" bellybutton, since the person he "grew" from (not quite the right word but best I can do) had one.

Eunli: an hors d'oeuvre made of monster sausage on the end of a tiny fork.

D.M. Cornish said...

You guys are too much fun! I could spend a life time puting together the Varificon.

Peter said...

Ummm... What is Rossamund?

Sounds like a disease to do with roses and mundane.