I'm a writer and artist, working mainly in comic books, and living in the South East of England (although I'm technically half Scottish and half English).

I'm the managing editor of Orang Utan Comics, group editor of AAM/Markosia, writer of Alpha Gods, Hypergirl and Hero: 9-5, and also do freelance inking and lettering work for the likes of AAM/Markosia, Slave Labour, Top Shelf, Image, Marvel/Panini and I letter the official Doctor Who graphic novels for BBC Books.



Orang Utan Comics - Alpha Gods - Hero: 9 to 5
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Captain Marvel Cover Debate

kellysue:

All right people, here’s the deal: my editor and I have a disagreement about whether this cover needs dialogue or not.  In general, I like balloons on covers — the silver-age of it appeals to me. That said, I’m afraid of it being too heavy-handed here.  

(Anybody recognize the homage in this cover?  Captain Marvel button to the first right answer. )

Now, some would say that Wacker is THE EDITOR and as such, he’s going to win this little scuffle one way or the other — and some would be right — BUT… he’s been kind enough to allow for some public debate.  

So… what say you.  To balloon or not to balloon? 

Weigh in.  

To balloon…definitely. To me it really looks like she’s shouting something, so it looks odd to have it silent.

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  1. deadend reblogged this from kellysue and added:
    I love a good dialog balloon, but it comes down to if it fits the story. Since you are the writer, you know if it fits...
  2. notgoingtohelp said: I honestly think it looks good either way. I like both type of covers. I’ll be buying the book either way :-) so I’ll look forward to being surprised.
  3. najalater said: Yes bubble! It’s got the silver age feel and Carol’s going to be dwarfed by the background otherwise (just what you really don’t need for a superheroine).
  4. angrysunbird said: I think it would depend on what the dialogue was. I’m not a huge fan but it can work (Amadna Conner’s Power Girl covers for example).
  5. cdamascus said: I vote balloon! I wish more comic covers these days would have word balloons and breathless prose describing the awesomeness inside!
  6. ramonvillalobos said: The fact that she’s looks like she’s talking and she’s pointing right at the reader, I’d say it warrants a word balloon.
  7. somethingfell said: Balloon, definitely balloon. Not every cover needs dialogue on it, but I think it would make this one look even better.
  8. wilwheaton said: Balloon!! Silver Age for the win!
  9. magnetgirl said: I’m not a huge fan of dialogue on covers but this one is pretty much screaming for it, almost literally. I vote to balloon.
  10. sowdahday said: No balloon! Breaks up the awesome with trivialities.
  11. the-daily-robot said: Balloon
  12. costak said: I vote for word balloons. I miss that silver-age insanity on covers, which I remember seeing all the way through to the 90’s at times. Text and word balloons on the covers are awesome.
  13. timholtorf said: I do actually like the old cartoon bubbles on cover pages. I grew up in the tail end of the silver age, so there is that appeal for me.
  14. dogfutt said: This specific cover would feel incomplete without some dialogue.
  15. stephenwacker reblogged this from kellysue
  16. barbarossa42 said: Hmmm. I’m a bit torn apart by this. Basically, I prefer covers without balloons. But here a bit of dialog might improve an already awesome cover. Shouldn’t be too much, though.
  17. thehappysorceress reblogged this from kellysue
  18. thehappysorceress said: Yes. Definitely requires the balloon.
  19. soufex said: i think it’d actually look pretty awesome!
  20. cortexiphankid47 reblogged this from kellysue
  21. cortexiphankid47 said: I vote dialogue, I feel like it’s just really needs it with her mouth wide open and pointing like that. Also LOVE the detail in the cover with the flag, machine gun ect. Love seeing Carol as like a solider during what looks like D-day Normandy? hmm
  22. aburningrose said: It’s hard to say. Dialogue is good to convey the character’s personality when reading the cover, but there’s no reason that body language can’t also convey a character’s personality and attitude. I think it would look great with or without dialogue.
  23. tbranch said: Balloon would be fine, but not an overpowering one. And if you like Silver Age, GO all out! Total retro lettering and styling. Old school Marvel logo n everything!
  24. halforc80 reblogged this from iandsharman and added:
    Yep, needs context to the image that would come with a little dialog.
  25. dirtyriver reblogged this from kellysue and added:
    pointing at something but we don’t see that, so it feels like a...make this scene...
  26. krelllabs said: Oh, and this reminds me a LOT of the cover of Sgt. Fury and the Howling Commandos #12, though I’m probably wrong on the source.
  27. davepress said: I think the balloons would make it too busy.
  28. joemoc said: I think it depends on what the balloon would say. As it is, it’s an awesome cover but I certainly can see how it might be lacking something. It’s so dramatic, I think a word balloon could add to it.
  29. markdtaylor76 said: Wow. Great cover. Dialog would be cool. Something along Spaceballs - “You shot my hair!”
  30. iandsharman reblogged this from kellysue and added:
    To balloon…definitely. To me it really looks like she’s shouting something, so it looks odd to have it silent.
  31. menshevixen said: I think it looks cool without. Allows the reader leeway to imagine what’s going on.
  32. kellysue posted this
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