Skybound
Welcome to Skybound Insiders, the free VIP group for lovers of comics and entertainment!

Forgot Password?
Or
Fb Connect
Welcome to Skybound Insiders, the free VIP group for lovers of comics and entertainment!

Login
Creating an account means you're okay with Skybound's Terms of Service, Privacy Policy
 
Skybound
Welcome to Skybound Insiders, the free VIP group for lovers of comics and entertainment!

Or
Cancel
Fb Connect
Creating an account means you're okay with Skybound's Terms of Service, Privacy Policy
 
Skybound
Almost complete! You will now receive a confirmation email for your registration, please click the link in that email to finish the registration process and claim your comic rewards.
Skybound Entertainment
  • About
  • Comics
  • Games
  • TV / Movies
  • Podcasts
  • Shop
The Walking Dead
Invincible
Skybound Insiders
Nothing Found
View All Search Results
  • The Walking Dead
  • Comic
    • Latest
    • Story
    • Characters
  • Show
    • Latest
    • Story
    • Characters
  • Games
  • Fear TWD
    • Latest
    • Story
    • Characters
  • Galleries
  • Videos
Skybound Entertainment
  • Account
  • Logout
Nothing Found
View All Search Results

A Look Inside Our Cover Process!

April 1, 2016
Brian HuntingtonbyBrian Huntington
in Comics
Reading Time: 2 mins read
14
19
SHARES
FacebookTwitterRedditQREmail

UPDATE:
APRIL FOOL’S!

We’d never get anything done if we still worked this way. This was just a love letter to processes from day’s gone by. Hope no one feels too taken in.

PREVIOUSLY

We haven’t posted raw cover art in a long time, and one of the reasons is that we’ve completely changed how we make our covers. When we hired our in-house designer, Andres Juarez, one of our goals was to get back to the roots of comic book design. That means every single one of our covers is laid out BY HAND on top of artist Charlie Adlard’s original art. Corrections are made with white out, logos are carefully cut with X-acto knives, and we go through lots and LOTS of rubber cement and tape. In fact, Andres doesn’t even have a work computer!

Anyway, we wanted to give you a look at one of our covers (issue #153, out next Wednesday), before it gets sent off to color processing:

153-cover-art-raw

Pretty cool, huh? You can see all of the imperfections that are carefully concealed in the final product, including some whited out areas (Charlie!), acetate pegs, tape, and approval marks.

Here’s our photomechanical transfer, where the elements are combined into a larger-format photo-exact copy:

1615074147

153-acetate

The combined, cut, cleaned up, and enlarged acetate (above, taped to some bristol board for shipping) is sent to colorist Dave Stewart, who does his colors DIRECTLY on the back of the acetate, meticulously working on the reversed image:

153-acetate-colored

If it looks a little messy, it’s because the black ink actually blocks out a lot of the color when the acetate is flipped. The final colored acetate is sent back to us for another round of approvals before we send it to Image for production. Every single one of these steps requires, time, patience, approval, and FedEx! It all adds up: It takes about 3 months to complete a cover! But it’s worth it for the final product:

The-Walking-Dead-153_Cover

THE WALKING DEAD #153
STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN
ART: CHARLIE ADLARD, STEFANO GAUDIANO & CLIFF RATHBURN
COVER: CHARLIE ADLARD & DAVE STEWART
APRIL 6
32 PAGES | Black & White | Mature
$2.99

Heavy hangs the head.

Become a Shareholder in the Skybound Universe!
Announcements

Become a Shareholder in the Skybound Universe!

by DWelch
January 23, 2023

POPULAR

  • Become a Shareholder in the Skybound Universe!

    Become a Shareholder in the Skybound Universe!

    72 shares
    Share 29 Tweet 18
  • Dr. Ali Mattu, Ph.D., Weighs in on Lizzie

    1548 shares
    Share 619 Tweet 387
  • The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 15: Comic vs. Show

    10969 shares
    Share 4291 Tweet 2682
  • WE’RE DEVELOPING A CHRONICLES OF AMBER TV SERIES!

    673 shares
    Share 269 Tweet 168
  • The Top 10 Carl Grimes Moments From The Walking Dead

    662 shares
    Share 265 Tweet 166

SkyboundShop

Recommended from the SKYBOUND shop


Tags: Cover ProcessCoversIssue 153PrintingTWD

Home | The Walking Dead | A Look Inside Our Cover Process!

Previous

The Walking Dead #153 Preview

Next

Producer David Alpert Claims Negan Will Destroy The Internet

Related Posts

The Walking Dead Deluxe Reveals Stacked Lineup of Variant Covers for Landmark 50th Issue
Comics

The Walking Dead Deluxe Reveals Stacked Lineup of Variant Covers for Landmark 50th Issue

by DWelch
3 months ago
0

LOS ANGELES 10/04/2022 – Today Skybound revealed seven all-new The Walking Dead Deluxe variant covers from a lineup of superstar artists in celebration of the series’ milestone 50th issue, presented...

The Walking Dead Season 10c Trailer
TV

The Walking Dead Season 10c Trailer

by Johnny O'Dell
2 years ago
0

Negan returns in the easter egg-filled trailer for The Walking Dead 10c, which begins its six-episode run on February 28th, 2021.

New WALKING DEAD DELUXE #1 Covers Revealed from Adlard, Adams, and Tedesco

New WALKING DEAD DELUXE #1 Covers Revealed from Adlard, Adams, and Tedesco

2 years ago
Colman Domingo Discusses Quarantine Baking: Friday Night In With The Morgans Clip

Colman Domingo Discusses Quarantine Baking: Friday Night In With The Morgans Clip

3 years ago
“The Walking Dead: The Alien” Getting a Hardcover This July

“The Walking Dead: The Alien” Getting a Hardcover This July

3 years ago
The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 14 Opening Minutes

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 14 Opening Minutes

3 years ago

Related Posts

The Walking Dead Deluxe Reveals Stacked Lineup of Variant Covers for Landmark 50th Issue

The Walking Dead Deluxe Reveals Stacked Lineup of Variant Covers for Landmark 50th Issue

by DWelch
3 months ago
0

LOS ANGELES 10/04/2022 – Today Skybound revealed seven all-new The Walking Dead Deluxe variant covers from a lineup of superstar...

The Walking Dead Season 10c Trailer

The Walking Dead Season 10c Trailer

by Johnny O'Dell
2 years ago
0

Negan returns in the easter egg-filled trailer for The Walking Dead 10c, which begins its six-episode run on February 28th,...

New WALKING DEAD DELUXE #1 Covers Revealed from Adlard, Adams, and Tedesco

New WALKING DEAD DELUXE #1 Covers Revealed from Adlard, Adams, and Tedesco

by Brian Huntington
2 years ago
1

THE WALKING DEAD: DELUXE will have some amazing variants! Check out the Julian Totino Tedesco, Arthur Adams, Charlie Adlard, and...

Colman Domingo Discusses Quarantine Baking: Friday Night In With The Morgans Clip

Colman Domingo Discusses Quarantine Baking: Friday Night In With The Morgans Clip

by Johnny O'Dell
3 years ago
0

Fear The Walking Dead star Colman Domingo discusses what quarantine creations he has been baking in this clip from Friday...

“The Walking Dead: The Alien” Getting a Hardcover This July

“The Walking Dead: The Alien” Getting a Hardcover This July

by Johnny O'Dell
3 years ago
1

The Walking Dead: The Alien, a special one-shot issue by Brian K. Vaughan, will be be released in hardcover form...

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 14 Opening Minutes

The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 14 Opening Minutes

by Johnny O'Dell
3 years ago
1

Negan and Carol seem to be forming an unlikely alliance in these opening minutes from The Walking Dead Season 10...

Comments 14

  1. GovernorPhillip says:
    7 years ago

    We need more articles like this! I love finding out the process behind my favourite stories.

    Reply
    • GovernorPhillip says:
      7 years ago

      It seems that… I, am the fool. 😛

      Reply
  2. BASTET. says:
    7 years ago

    GovernorPhillip took the words right away from my finger tips! Since I can’t take the Raving Fan Tour, I like all the inside peeks of Skybound & its processes I can get! This is very cool!!

    Reply
    • Neutral-Grey says:
      7 years ago

      Makes a much more interesting article than “actor said this, driving more hype.”

      Reply
  3. Palitoh says:
    7 years ago

    I was expecting a video 🙁

    But it was a nice article tho

    Reply
  4. Epic A says:
    7 years ago

    Gee, that’s quite interesting… That image of your photomechanical transfer is also the SAME exact picture included on the Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies… hmmm.
    .
    http://www.forgottenartsupplies.com/?what=artifacts&image_id=178
    .
    Other than that, great informational piece about the process of covers! I’m an aspiring comic book artist that wants to make his own comics so this article is a great tip! Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  5. BarbaLucy says:
    7 years ago

    It is nice to see graphics done the old fashioned way. There is something about putting your hands on the product and working with it rather then clicking and dragging.

    Reply
    • BASTET. says:
      7 years ago

      Agree! I enjoy both!

      Reply
  6. Caesar says:
    7 years ago

    It’s April Fool’s Day people. Clever joke for sure. Although Dave Stewart has been an Eisner Winner so many times that he could probably paint not just old school but even with his toes.

    Reply
    • BASTET. says:
      7 years ago

      Damn it!! I didn’t even realize the day when I posted!!

      Reply
  7. ronnyhaze says:
    7 years ago

    Awesome!!! Would love videos of the behind the scenes!!

    Reply
  8. BASTET. says:
    7 years ago

    I can’t believe I fell for this. Loading my Fanheld Firing Gun for Brian.

    Reply
  9. MikeLacey says:
    7 years ago

    Nice article, must have taken you ages, took me right in 🙂

    I’m pleased you let Andres use a computer though. The cover price would be … horrible if you duff things the old way!

    Reply
    • MikeLacey says:
      7 years ago

      And that should read “did”, not “duff”…

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Skybound Entertainment Makes Substantial Investment in Mega Cat Studios

Skybound Entertainment Makes Substantial Investment in Mega Cat Studios

January 26, 2023
Joshua Williamson, Goran Sudzuka & Davide Gianfelice’s Ghosted Collected in Compendium This September From Skybound

Joshua Williamson, Goran Sudzuka & Davide Gianfelice’s Ghosted Collected in Compendium This September From Skybound

January 24, 2023
Become a Shareholder in the Skybound Universe!

Become a Shareholder in the Skybound Universe!

January 23, 2023
Check out the Invincible Season 2 Teaser!

Check out the Invincible Season 2 Teaser!

January 20, 2023
Skybound Announces Fourth Installment of Hit French Fight Comic Lastman

Skybound Announces Fourth Installment of Hit French Fight Comic Lastman

January 20, 2023
Follow @skybound Tweet to @skybound Tweets by Skybound
  • afterschool
  • assassin-nation
  • baldurs-gate
  • battle-pope
  • battle-pope
  • big-con
  • birthright
  • brit
  • callisto-protocol
  • clementine
  • clone
  • creepshow
  • crude
  • cuphead
  • dark-ride
  • dead-body-road
  • deaths-gambit
  • die-die-die
  • disco
  • the-electric-state
  • escape-academy
  • everyday-herd
  • excellence
  • extra-fabulous
  • extremity
  • fear-the-walking-dead
  • fire-power
  • gasolina
  • ghosted
  • glitch-busters
  • grimm-forest
  • grimm-masquerade
  • guardians-call
  • guarding-the-globe
  • hardcore
  • heart-attack
  • homestead
  • icewind-dale
  • hate-this-place
  • invincible
  • invincible-universe
  • kroma
  • last-man
  • the-labrynth
  • the-long-dark
  • manifest-destiny
  • murder-falcon
  • mr-lovenstein
  • neverwinter-nights
  • notmycar
  • oblivion-song
  • the-obsoletes
  • outcast
  • outer-darkness
  • outpost-zero
  • pitchstorm
  • planescape-torment
  • rainbow-billy
  • redneck
  • the-walking-dead-saints-and-sinners
  • science-dog
  • scurry
  • sea-serpent-heir
  • six-sidekicks
  • skull-girls
  • skybound-x
  • slime-rancher
  • the-walking-dead-something-to-fear
  • sorcerer-city
  • stealth
  • stillwater
  • stray
  • superfight
  • tech-jacket
  • the-walking-dead
  • the-walking-dead-last-mile
  • telltales-the-walking-dead
  • thief-of-thieves
  • tidal-blades
  • trial-by-trolley
  • vice
  • wrestle-quest

READ

About
Comics
Games
TV / Movies
Podcasts

SHOP

Games
Clothing
Accessories
Comics & Books
Toys & Collectibles

LEARN

Robert Kirkman
Contact
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Careers

© 2022 Skybound, LLC and/or its affiliates. The Skybound mark and any related logos are trademarks of Skybound, LLC

  • Login
  • About
  • Comics
  • Games
  • TV & MOVIES
  • Shop
  • Podcasts

Forgotten Password?
Don't have an account yet?
Sign Up
Copyright © 2018 All Site Content and © 2018 SKYBOUND, unless otherwise noted here. All Right Reserved.

Fill the forms bellow to register

Cancel
Already have an account?
Log In
All fields are required.

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In