When it came time to start thinking about the cover artwork for 21:24 there was already some quite well established imagery we’d been using to promote the book during the time we were writing it. One particular image had resonated. It showed a dark foreboding corridor with a sinister red light at the end of it and what looked like blood splashed on the floor. That original artwork was not the highest quality, but it conveyed quite nicely the darkness that is 21:24.
A newer version was done and whilst it looked much better than the original it was in the end simply an image of a corridor. It needed more, much more.
Serendipity played a part in a connection that was not even fully appreciated at the time. I met an Australian illustrator. Not just any old illustrator. The guy I bumped in to was Wayne Nichols, an artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics. Yes, THE Marvel Comics. Also IDW Publishing, who do Orphan Black and The X-Files, as well as Dark Horse Comics, who do Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Falling Skies.
Resistance was futile, I had to get Wayne to illustrate the cover of 21:24. It was simply one of those completely random, but totally meaningful connections. To quote Peter O’Toole from Lawrence of Arabia, “It was written.”
Fortunately Wayne was keen to throw his amazing talent at the task and after sending him the previous foreboding corridor and giving him some insight to the two main characters behind 21:24 I left him to work his magic.
After the nervous wait Wayne sent through his illustration and it was like seeing these characters come to life. I recognized them. However well you describe a character you never really expect to see them as you imagine them. A bit like seeing your characters come to life on the silver screen I imagine.
The finished artwork Wayne presented was perfect. I cant imagine the cover of 21:24 any differently now. I can’t picture the characters he illustrated looking any different.
He really did a (wait for it …. wait for it) MARVELous job.
Below are some other examples of Wayne’s amazing work.
