Hardly Imaginary
ryuvine
See it On Campus: Level 2
John C. Kerr Chancellor Emeritus Awards for Excellence in Visual Arts — Honourable Mention
“Hardly Imaginary” is a series of books featuring original stories imagined by the illustrator.
The main focus was on illustrating original cover spreads and interior illustrations, but this project includes everything from illustrating and designing spots and dust jackets to endpapers, title pages, table of contents, mock chapters, and a double-sided bookmark for each book. The illustrations maintain a cohesive style across the series, with each book featuring unique colour palettes and handwritten typography that suit its specific tone and genre.
Murder Ensue
Names are meant to be original.
In this town, “common” names like Joe or Jane show one’s status. Legacy. Power. A name can be used by one person at a time, and only when the original-named passes away can the name be reassigned to another.
When her cat finds the body of John in room 12 of The Caldon Hotel, it’s up to Reddenhemner to catch the culprit who has yet to make their exit. Who are they? What do they want? And what is their name?
- Cover features a hotel key card and other objects that act as important clues in the story
- Checkerboard motif relates to the hotel tiles that appear in the book, and helps keep the overall design consistent
- The dust jacket focuses more on the setting and scenery of where the story takes place
- The illustration beside the table of contents shows how Reddenhemner’s cat found John
- Character design sheet includes their names, which room they stayed in the night the murder, and their generalized tropes/descriptions
- The character sheet also show the state of their room at the time of the crime. Janet and John, the deceased man, both have “Do Not Disturb” signs hung on their doorknobs; an important hint in shedding light on this case
Process
Murder Ensue is a locked room murder mystery based around the sudden death of a wealthy businessman, John. Room 12 of The Caldon Hotel was taped off for police investigation, and there were low murmurs of a chance of it being a self-induced tragedy.
Reddenhemner, however, isn’t satisfied with this conclusion. She decides to take matters into her own hands and do a little digging of her own…
The Appraiser
“Just trust me on this.”
The international organization Estimel examines and evaluates all human inventions to test whether they’re beneficial or harmful to humanity. If an invention passes their strict screening process, their success in the market is guaranteed.
Lim Seung-won was quite satisfied with the life of an appraiser who gets great treatment and has a secretary who deals with all of the troublesome work. That is, until an inventor barged in, claiming his invention is a time machine.
- Intended to look like the appraiser’s personal notebook, so hand-drawn elements are an integral part of the design
- The inner title page shows the same cover design, but written and drawn by the appraiser himself. Thus it includes his personal notes and critiques about each failed invention
- Minimal palette for more visual impact and feel more contemporary
Process
Set in modern day, Estimel appraiser Seung-won and his secretary Rohan is roped into inventor Soo-an’s “Time Machine” adventure.
However, it soon becomes clear that they did not travel through time; they had travelled through their own memories.
Seung-won was just about ready to leave and officially label this invention a failure. If, that is, any of them can find a way out.
Heathen
He will do. Whatever it takes.
A beast lurks in the woods surrounding a kingdom, hunting the townfolks’ livestock and all the people who go searching for them.
Justice-driven Prince Tarin gets so blinded by his own “noble” vision to hunt the beast that even the people he’s fighting for start to fear him—he who turned into the beast.
- Tarin faces away from the light, indicating he is stuck in a tunnel vision state regarding his mission
- Spindly branches surround him, as he gets further and further “lost in the woods”. The back cover only shows the silhouette of Tarin with the branches, showing how lost and strayed he has become from his original goal
- A bird is seen on the front cover with its beak bandaged up, symbolizing how Tarin didn’t listen to the warning calls from people around him. On the back, the bird has flown away
- Endpaper shows an entanglement of thorns, symbolizing how the Prince, the figure the kingdom relies on for protection and safety is in turn, harming them
Process
Heathen takes you on the journey of Prince Tarin and his “honourable” mission to protect his kingdom from whatever beast lurks beyond the walls surrounding them. But what exactly needs saving, and from who?
Protection, maintaining control, and fear of the unknown are some of the big themes surrounding the book.
