Doctor Who - A Journal of Impossible Things (Novelized Version)

[TheNickFox]

Thanks, Protokev. I should have the whole thing done by tomorrow. Hopefully I can call in a favor with a friend in a print shop to get this printed up by next week...though I might want to wait for my Torchwood novel to come in so that I can make sure everything is sized completely correctly.

-Nick

 

[Risu]

I'm going SA with mine, so the inside flaps won't have any writing. As for what you've got right now, here's my 2 cents:

1. Good job on getting the UPC sized correctly, I have to go back and do it over because I made it an 8th inch too wide.

2. Your gold bar at the bottom and title text lacks the contrast it should have in the gradient.

3. The back inside flap is a continuation of the back cover gradient and the front inside flap is a fade to black. After the cover folds, it has about a quarter inch "dissolve" into flat black, which runs from top to bottom.

4. The journal image still needs to be purple-washed out a bit more. Made lighter.

5. the author bar at the bottom of the front and side should be black.

and 6. Nice Gallifreyan writing! Did you do it with the vector tool or what?


And to comment on other things said. There is a fairly detailed image of the pocket watch in the journal, but yea it's just a TV show. Maybe she described it in vivid detail in her own journals.

And there is also some Gallifreyan writing in the journal, although for the most part it's old high Gallifreyan and the basic numbering system, not so much the Davies era stuff.

 

[TheNickFox]

You used numbers, so that's going to be the easiest way for me to respond:

1. Mine is still a hair off too, That's all fixable though.

2. I've gone back and forth on whether the gold bar has a gradient or whether it's just a trick of the lighting and shadows in the screenshots and image. I have the gradient as a correction layer over top of it, but have it turned off for the time being...it looks better without it.

3. Care to share your reference for that?

4. Still nowhere near done the journal. Color matching it will most likely become the bane of my existence in the coming days.

5. The author bar, like the gold bar, is something I've gone back and forth on. Looking at the screenshots, on the spine, it appears that it is the same color above and below the gold stripe, and on the other images, there is a noticeable purple hue in it (Even after I've color corrected it to properly set the white point and black point) so, based on my best information, I'm calling it purple, until I can find reference materials that say otherwise.

6. Thanks, amazingly it's all raster graphics. Since I know the ultimate print size of this thing, vectors would have slowed me down.

Where you heard that there wasn't any writing on the inside? Do you have a good source? I was under the impression, based on what was written in that other thread, namely, "The detail that is put into the jacket is amazing though with the depth that there is about the author and such," that there WAS content there. Since we don't see an "about the author" on the outside, it stands to reason that it was on one of the flaps.

Also, I believe there were multiple versions of the cover made. At least one without the picture of the author on the back, and another that continues the bottom, dark (Black or purple) bar onto the back of the book. So that further confuses what constitutes SA.

Also I'd love to see your progress! I always love to see how different people can interpret the same thing. It's amazing how two people can come up with different methods for the same thing.

-Nick

EDIT: I should also note that what I posted is extremely low quality (To prevent people from just enlarging my image for their own purposes) so the colors are all a touch off...the gradients are much more pronounced, and the colorss much richer in the full-quality PSD.

 

[Risu]

My source for the flaps is an HD recording of the episode at 1080. When the Doctor hands her the book she flaps it open and for a second you can see the inside front flap. My only reference on the back flap is that if you look at it from the side you can see the gradient go all the way into the pages. There could be something written in there, but I think the statement about detail about the author was referring to the picture and summary on the back. if her picture was right there already no self-respecting graphic designer would put the same thing right next to it.

Mine is still farther off than yours, but here's what I've got so far.

By the way, why do you have guides at the edges like that? The dust jacket doesn't fold over or anything, it's just a clean cut.

 

[TheNickFox]

Having worked as a freelance graphic designer, before, I always add an 1/8" bleed area to everything. Just standard practice...like working in CMYK.

And since I plan to get my copy professionally printed, I wanted to do things properly from the start.

And that looks great! The only small thing I can say is that your gradient on the back appears a little "long." To my eye it fades out a little more quickly. (Like the spine gradient) Then again, so much of this is interpretive anyway, so who knows!

Keep going! It makes me feel slightly less nerdy to know there are other people working on this same thing.

And I'm curious what you put as the name of the person who designed the cover (Next to the Barcode box on the back). It was a little hard to make out. Perhaps if it's the actual name of the designer, I can try to track him/her down through my fob watch source!

-Nick

 

[Risu]

It might be a LITTLE long, but I think it's pretty close. I altered the perspective on the photos and resized the image to get a better idea of where everything goes and that just about matches up. The bleed is a good idea, I should have thought of that.

 

[TheNickFox]

The bleed is a good idea, I should have thought of that.

It's like a reflex anymore to just add 1/4" to anything I do, then throw guides on top of that.

If you want to add a bleed, you could always just create another file, make it 1/4" larger in length and width, add 1/8" guides, then duplicate all of your layers into it, line it up with the guide, then scale and fill appropriately. Should take 15 minutes tops.

So, figure out the cover designer's name yet? I really hope it's the name of the actual designer.

-Nick

 

[Risu]

No idea, but it probably is.

 

[TheNickFox]

To me it looks like "C Foar" which could just be the employees of the BBC attempting to stick it to Channel 4 (or C4)...or maybe my mind is so scrambled from staring at this screen for so long I'm just seeing things.

Speaking of seeing things, back to the color of the bottom strip conundrum...

On the show, the spine is in a shadow (The light is directly opposite it) and the front is getting very little direct light. On top of that, the shot is about half a stop (f-stop) down from what it should be for the full range of shades (But that was for effect/style). So with that in mind, I just slightly brought up the exposure (Not brightness as that might introduce colors that aren't there) so that we could potentially see what the true color is. And to my eye, the strip looks purple, so I'm keeping it. But you make up your own mind:

This may become the Who Fans' version of what color Stormtroopers' eyes are.

Anyhoo, back to progress. I didn't get anything really major done, but it was important work nonetheless. I just went on a detail-fixing mission, moving and scaling things by 1/16" or less, tweaking some colors, redoing the front flap, and kerning like you wouldn't believe! I think I earned myself some sleep (Whether I accept that sleep is another thing entirely) so I can finish this all up tomorrow.

-Nick

 

[Risu]

The name is C. Foxx.

I did the spine gradient, cleaned up the spine fob watch, and fixed my UPC, plus a couple of other little tweaks. I keep meaning to get around to doing the title and gold strip, but I get distracted.

You may be right, but if it is purple it's a VERY deep purple. In my experience looking at colors on slightly reflective objects (how often is that useful area to have experience in) the color is washed over from the rest of it because of the angle of the light. I'll probably tint mine very slightly purple, but the inside flap is definitely black.

 

[Asp9mm]

Progress so far looks really good guys. I've tried hard to get images of the whole dustjacket for you, but it seems no-one has any idea where they are. A few were given out and they were indeed Torchwood novels underneath, the majority of which were Pack Animals ones. Also Risu is spot on as there is nothing on the inner flap of the DJ.

 

[TheNickFox]

Also Risu is spot on as there is nothing on the inner flap of the DJ.

Based on some of your other posts around here, I'll assume you have a good source for that. (Don't worry, I won't ask you to give it up)

That is awesome news, though, saves me a lot of work.

Goal for today: Finish the runes. (I may actually restart them, I'm not happy with how they're turning out)

...but first, I need lunch!

-Nick

 

[Asp9mm]

Based on some of your other posts around here, I'll assume you have a good source for that. (Don't worry, I won't ask you to give it up)

That is awesome news, though, saves me a lot of work.

Goal for today: Finish the runes. (I may actually restart them, I'm not happy with how they're turning out)

...but first, I need lunch!

-Nick

Well, there was no info on the inner flap in that filmed scene. When I asked about it, I got a "No I don't think there was on any of them ". While not a definitive answer as they could have made some versions like that. I have yet to find anyone who would actually know, that can 100% confirm printed inners.

 

[TheNickFox]

It makes sense. Heck! If I was a prop guy, I'd save myself the trouble knowing that it wouldn't be seen for long enough to matter. I mean Verity didn't even touch the pen to the paper when signing the book for the Doctor...seems like people would notice that before they noticed the lack of text on a flap. (And very few people notice it)

Thanks for the info! I really appreciate it.

Also, I just ordered a copy of Pack Animals (Cancelled my other Torchwood novel order). When it comes in, I'll get exacting measurements of the cover and book for everyone.

-Nick

 

[JKolton]

Thanks, Protokev. I should have the whole thing done by tomorrow. Hopefully I can call in a favor with a friend in a print shop to get this printed up by next week...though I might want to wait for my Torchwood novel to come in so that I can make sure everything is sized completely correctly.

-Nick

Hey Nick, I'm the head designer for a print shop here in Southern CT, and a GIANT who fan.

First of all fantastic job with the cover.

Secondly, we just got a huge new digital press that I could run these on for pretty much no cost (probably just a couple stamps to mail it) depending on how many you want to do. It'd take me about 2 minutes to run them. Let me know if you're interested.
-Jon

 

[WarMachine]

Mine is coming along nicely. Got pretty much everything in it's place. Just gotta type up the text and do the barcode. The rest is feeling and looking great. Risu, any chance on that CO toy Journal photo shot please? I used the low res version to place everything lol. Once I've typed up the text I'll post a low resolution preview of it all so far

 

[MacMantis]

Enjoying reading this thread... would definitely love to give this a go at some point. Great work folks.

This may become the Who Fans' version of what color Stormtroopers' eyes are.
-Nick

We already have one of those... The Question 'What Colour was McGanns Coat?' has caused various sects of fandom to explode messily over the years...

 

[Risu]

Pack animals, huh? I'll have to order that one I guess. My measurements came from Another Life, so the spine thickness might be a tiny bit different.

 

[TheNickFox]

Pack animals, huh? I'll have to order that one I guess. My measurements came from Another Life, so the spine thickness might be a tiny bit different.

Doing an ISBN lookup on it, Pack Animals "should" have 256 pages. I say "should" because it seems many of the Torchwood books are listed as having 256 pages.

Like I said though, once my copy comes in, I'll get measurements off of the cover and book for everyone.

So, MacMantis, what color WAS McGann's coat? *Ducks and hides*

-Nick

 

[Risu]

I just placed an order for a used copy on amazon. With expedited shipping it'll be here in....... about 10 days. What a bunch of wankers.

According to McGann the coat was green.