![Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Blue War
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: Weta Original Rayguns
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
Notes:
As opposed to the official release artwork or even my previous fan design, I opted to use an ultra minimal approach: no quotes, barely any color. The gun design is from Weta Original Rayguns.](http://29.media.tumblr.com/UceLE0vqL88x84jjpzI17Uyv_500.jpg)
Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Blue War
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: Weta Original Rayguns
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
Notes:
As opposed to the official release artwork or even my previous fan design, I opted to use an ultra minimal approach: no quotes, barely any color. The gun design is from Weta Original Rayguns.
![Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Blue War
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: unknown.
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).](http://30.media.tumblr.com/UceLE0vqL88x5fraRIVhSqCR_500.jpg)
Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Blue War
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: unknown.
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
![Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Deadstock
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: Thomas Allen
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).](http://27.media.tumblr.com/UceLE0vqL88wz0jbs51xntke_500.jpg)
Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Deadstock
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: Thomas Allen
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
![Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Deadstock
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: unknown.
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).](http://28.media.tumblr.com/UceLE0vqL88wts9nuHX4VonF_500.jpg)
Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Deadstock
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: unknown.
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
![Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Punktown
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: Jeffrey Scott, ”A Modern Day Sagitarrian.” Model: Zoria.
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
Notes:
I opted to use F. Paul Wilson’s quote about Letters From Hades at the top instead of the standard China Mieville tagline for Punktown.
Jeffrey Thomas, the author, replied to a post of mine including this image over at the Shocklines Message Forum. He stated: “Nick’s cover is fabulous! I love his design skills, and it’s especially impressive that this was done with limited tools in a brief time period. Wow! Were PUNKTOWN to be rereleased (again!) or released in a translated edition with this cover, I’d be more than pleased. It gets across the collection’s blend of SF, horror, surrealism, erotica, etc.” (on 5/9/06 @ 4:22 pm).](http://25.media.tumblr.com/UceLE0vqL7pr9a8l6j18bWA4_500.jpg)
Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Punktown
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Photography: Jeffrey Scott, ”A Modern Day Sagitarrian.” Model: Zoria.
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
Notes:
I opted to use F. Paul Wilson’s quote about Letters From Hades at the top instead of the standard China Mieville tagline for Punktown.
Jeffrey Thomas, the author, replied to a post of mine including this image over at the Shocklines Message Forum. He stated: “Nick’s cover is fabulous! I love his design skills, and it’s especially impressive that this was done with limited tools in a brief time period. Wow! Were PUNKTOWN to be rereleased (again!) or released in a translated edition with this cover, I’d be more than pleased. It gets across the collection’s blend of SF, horror, surrealism, erotica, etc.” (on 5/9/06 @ 4:22 pm).
![Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Mostrocity
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Imagery: Fritz Lang’s Metropolis
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).](http://30.media.tumblr.com/UceLE0vqL88xbwgefbZDHUJd_500.jpg)
Status: Fan Design [not for publication]
Title: Mostrocity
Author: Jeffrey Thomas
Imagery: Fritz Lang’s Metropolis
Design Program: Microsoft Word (part of the “It’s the Man, Not the Machine” series).
It’s the Man, Not the Machine
There’s this theory among the newest breed of graphic designers: that the tools make the designer. Which, of course, is simply stupid. Tools — like the computer — may make the task, but solid design is, well, solid design.
In an attempt to disprove this theory, I’m undertaking what most would certainly believe to be a fool’s errand: I’m going to design book covers in Microsoft Word. Since these are merely being done for my own purposes I’ll be ignoring a couple of important things most designers have to concern themselves with: (1) copyright — if I find it on the web (no scanner or photoshop allowed), then I can use it; and (2) not 300dpi CMYK output — this isn’t being printed, so I won’t concern myself with figuring out how to produce printer-ready work.
I’ll be posting the results here and I hope you enjoy.
