– rejected –
TERRY PRATCHETT COVERS
Once again, I received a fantastic opportunity: to design covers for Terry Pratchett's Mort, Wyrd Sisters and Guards! Guards! novels.
I love the colorful, whimsical and often comedic world of the books, but the client was looking for a different, cleaner style – targeting new audiences.
The approved version is still fine and I enjoyed drawing them, but I decided to finish the original layouts for my own enjoyment once I had a little time.
I love the colorful, whimsical and often comedic world of the books, but the client was looking for a different, cleaner style – targeting new audiences.
The approved version is still fine and I enjoyed drawing them, but I decided to finish the original layouts for my own enjoyment once I had a little time.
Mort is he fourth Discworld novel and the first to focus on the character Death, who only appeared as a side character previously. The title is the name of its main character and also a play on words: in French, mort means "death".
As a teenager, Mort has a personality that makes him unsuited to the family farming business. Mort's father takes him to a local hiring fair in the hope that Mort will land an apprenticeship, and just before the last stroke of midnight, Death arrives and takes him on as an apprentice (though his father thinks he has been apprenticed to an undertaker)
Mort later accompanies Death as he travels to collect the soul of a king, who is due to be assassinated by the scheming Duke of Sto Helit. After Mort unsuccessfully tries to prevent the assassination, Death warns him that all deaths are predetermined, and that he cannot interfere with fate.
As a teenager, Mort has a personality that makes him unsuited to the family farming business. Mort's father takes him to a local hiring fair in the hope that Mort will land an apprenticeship, and just before the last stroke of midnight, Death arrives and takes him on as an apprentice (though his father thinks he has been apprenticed to an undertaker)
Mort later accompanies Death as he travels to collect the soul of a king, who is due to be assassinated by the scheming Duke of Sto Helit. After Mort unsuccessfully tries to prevent the assassination, Death warns him that all deaths are predetermined, and that he cannot interfere with fate.
The story of Guards! Guards! follows a plot by a secret brotherhood, the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night, to overthrow the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork and install a puppet king, under the control of the Supreme Grand Master. Using a stolen magic book, they summon a dragon to strike fear into the people.
Once a suitable state of terror and panic has been created, the Supreme Grand Master proposes to put forth an "heir" to the throne, who will slay the dragon and rid the city of tyranny. It is the task of the Night Watch (generally regarded as a bunch of incompetents) to stop them, but luckily, a new volunteer named Carrot Ironfoundersson's enthusiasm strikes a chord with Captain Vimes, who decides that the Watch should try to carry out its ostensible duties.
They begin investigating the dragon's appearances, which leads to an acquaintance with Sybil Ramkin, a breeder of swamp dragons. Ramkin gives an underdeveloped dragon, Errol, to the Watch as a mascot.
Once a suitable state of terror and panic has been created, the Supreme Grand Master proposes to put forth an "heir" to the throne, who will slay the dragon and rid the city of tyranny. It is the task of the Night Watch (generally regarded as a bunch of incompetents) to stop them, but luckily, a new volunteer named Carrot Ironfoundersson's enthusiasm strikes a chord with Captain Vimes, who decides that the Watch should try to carry out its ostensible duties.
They begin investigating the dragon's appearances, which leads to an acquaintance with Sybil Ramkin, a breeder of swamp dragons. Ramkin gives an underdeveloped dragon, Errol, to the Watch as a mascot.
Wyrd Sisters features three witches: Granny Weatherwax; Nanny Ogg, matriarch of a large tribe of Oggs and owner of the most evil cat in the world; and Magrat Garlick, the junior witch, who firmly believes in occult jewelry, covens, and bubbling cauldrons, much to the annoyance of the other two.
King Verence I of Lancre is murdered by his cousin, Duke Felmet, after his ambitious wife persuades him to do so. The King's crown and child are given by an escaping servant to the three witches. The witches hand the child to a troupe of travelling actors, and hide the crown in the props-box. They acknowledge that destiny will eventually take its course and that the child, Tomjon, will grow up to defeat Duke Felmet and take his rightful place as king.
King Verence I of Lancre is murdered by his cousin, Duke Felmet, after his ambitious wife persuades him to do so. The King's crown and child are given by an escaping servant to the three witches. The witches hand the child to a troupe of travelling actors, and hide the crown in the props-box. They acknowledge that destiny will eventually take its course and that the child, Tomjon, will grow up to defeat Duke Felmet and take his rightful place as king.
Since the titles were short, I decided to use handwritten lettering – I know these are far from perfect but I just loved to draw them :)
Here are the original layouts in the first row and the following transition into a more modern, minimalistic style
