From the very beginning, I wanted to include some pretty snazzy illustrations to help give a visual idea of what I was thinking about while writing the FINDERS KEEPERS series. They have been wonderfully brought to life by two very talented artists, Michael Lunsford and Rich Koslowski. I have also included a backstory for each character, and how they came to be.
NOTE: These illustrations do not appear in any of the books. Each book in the FINDERS KEEPERS series is a standard novel. And yes, while both Rich and Michael are comic book artists, my books are not ‘comic books’ or ‘graphic novels’. I just happen to like this style of illustration, which you can find below.
For Finders Keepers character details, analysis and comments, click the thumbnails below …
Russ’s Notes:
When the time came I finally put up an advertisement on craigslist, and also on the job board of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In total I got more than 100 responses in the first week alone–and about 125 responses overall! Some of the applicants were art students, some were comic book illustrators and some were successful commercial illustrators. There was a lot to choose from.
The funny thing for me, is that, in my head, I had a pretty good idea of the style I was looking for–a sort of photo realism, where the illustrations looked more lifelike than cartoonish. But after I saw a few dozen samples online and got some feedback, I realized that I had it all wrong! I actually wanted something more … comic book-like, if I’m explaining myself right (which I’m probably not!). But the one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted the illustrations to be bright, colorful and fun.
And then along comes 20-year-old Mike Lunsford, an art student from the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, which is one of the most prestigious illustration schools in the country, and a staple of comic book artists in particular. I told Mike what I was looking for, and he delivered–HUGE–as you’ll see for yourself. (And if you want to see more of Mike’s work, you’ll find a link to his online portfolio on my LINKS page).
Recently added to the mix are new illustrations by Rich Koslowski, who also provided the incredible cover to the first FINDERS KEEPERS novel.
Also, with each illustration I’ve provided a little background about the character, why I gave Mike and Rich certain instructions for the design, and added a little section that’s like the back of their baseball card, with their key stats. It’s the baseball geek in me. I just couldn’t help myself.
Enjoy!
