Stickman Cover Ideas and Illustrations for Self Publishing
75I wrote this page as a joke.
The idea that anyone would really want to use my pictures seemed amusing.
What do they say about life imitating art? Or fact and fiction? Something like that.
Anyway, over the months I have been doing this, the occasional person has said "Can you draw me something?". I say 'occasional' - I mean it's one so far. But for a head up their own artist like me that is encouragement enough.
So. If you are interested, or just on a wind up, I will listen to suggestions and possibly create, yet another, masterpiece, just for you. And me obviously. You can use it on your pages, and give me a link in return.
Here's the article...
This page contains a variety of cover ideas that you can use for your first eBook. Why go to the expense of professional art when at a fraction of the price you can use these hand illustrated stickman classics?
These beautiful and original pieces will surely add to the value of any marketing - enabling you to promote with confidence. No need to feel ashamed of your writing with a picture like this on the front cover!
Please feel free to download as you wish, these pictures come royalty free for a limited time period. All I ask is that you mention my name in the foreword and give me 10% of takings in perpetuity.
I have offered a variety of title choices, which may get you thinking as you start penning your 0.99c masterpiece.
In all seriousness I am very open to the use of my pictures elsewhere - in return for a link or a mention - or both. Mail me and ask first?
And I may also do commissions if requested. I want to retain the right to use the image for my own purposes, which is probably to post it on this page plus maybe on a fridge magnet.
On the offchance that a proper commercial organisation is reading this, and thinking of a new advertising campaign - I can assure you that I can charge astronomical amounts if required and will possibly wear a suit.
Evolution
A major work, in actual size this covers an entire wall of the Serpentine Gallery. It describes man's journey in images, from Creation through to, er. just after Creation.
Picasso
A homage to another artist who was also quite good, this is what happens when you deliberately do things wrong.
Exodus
A moving scene as the stick people move from one place to another. Hard to look at this one without crying.
Hard to look at it all really.
Do It Yourself
A humorous comment on the instant nature of our flat pack society, and the mix and match attitude to death, religion and politics.
By dealing head on with these issues the artist raises questions that question our very being.
Three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Art Award, and three times vehemently rejected.
When Stickman Goes Wrong
A shocking exhibit banned from our village school exhibition on grounds of upsetting the children.
Part of a nearly award winning series - the original "Head Up Yo Ass Mofo" was vandalised in 2007.
A Simple Series
Entitled One Man, Two Men, and Three Men - the following series ask us about ourselves and our relationships. The ultimate Three's a Crowd poses a fundamental question about the over crowding of the planet, or someone trying to get off with your missus.
500 Miles
Based on the Proclaimer's song and a yearning to return to his native Scotland, the painter asks how far is too far? Created before cheap air fares the question is less relevant now, but still a deeply stirring and emotional journey awaits the potential traveller.
A Chinese rip off of this painting poses a similar question but is called 5,000 Miles to Bejing, thereby losing some of it's impact.
The Mona Lisa... Stickman
The Mona Lisa is an instantly recognisable picture, with the famous badly drawn, or enigmatic smile.
Apparently they just discovered another one, by one of Leonardo's pupils.
I have not yet reached the stage where I have a team of apprentices creating my stickmen drawings so rest assured you are looking at the genuine article.
The Last Supper - Stick Style
A challenge for me recently was the drawing of the Last Supper.
I don't know what it was like because I wasn't invited, but I found an old drawing by some equally old, probably dead, dude and copied it. When I say copied I don't mean that in any legal sense, I mean I reinterpreted it using the medium of stick art.
The question was - could I possibly do justice to this, the greatest artwork in history (ed: don't overdo it).
The answer being - no, actually I couldn't.
But it turned out as I hoped for...
Thinking Stickman
Sometimes life gets a little bit much, even for a humble stickman.
That's when he needs to have a good sit down and adopt a meaningful pose.
He may be thinking "What the hell am I doing here?" or "Why is that idiot drawing me?"
StickHenge
This magnificent piece of posthistoric construction has puzzled archeologists for a couple of weeks.
What civilisation existed that could build such a thing, and what did they use it for?
Did ancient and even quite young Druids gather there at Solstice time to amuse themselves by smoking large scented cigarettes?
It is likely that the medium sized twigs used to build Stickhenge were carried by one or more people a distance of some half a mile from the nearest tree.
Different Types of Wee
I can't excuse this.
It's not clever. Just a bit rude.
And it doesn't feature a stickman, just the wee part. I figured it worked without showing the whole tackle in action.
Pissing Stickman
Summary
If you like these and see possibilities, yet for some reason you feel unable to pick up a pen and just have a go...
Leave me a comment or mail me.
If I like the idea, and think I can do something with it, then we might both profit from it.
All I'm looking for at this stage is links and publicity. One day I might start charging, but that day has not arrived yet.
As always, thanks for reading, viewing or whatever other method you use when surfing the web.
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Comments (but no links thank you!)Loading...
This was a fun hub to read and if and when I ever publish a book I will certainly remember this hub.
Thanks Brandon, Susan - I couldn't think of anything to write so I just doodled.
LMAO!!!
This hub totally made me smile! Love it!
Paradise! Thanks!!
Krysanthe - I'm glad you smiled.
Your so funny I love the art images I think they will go over really well. LOL
I'm looking more for a stick figure in the renaissance style, though the pieces you've presented demonstrate considerable painstaking artistry, I find there's a certain, how should I put it, breadth of dimension missing. Have you considered a gallery display for your work?
Excellent.
Top idea Mark, I can see the cover commissions rolling in. Commissions as in getting the gig. Commissions as in sharing the revenue. Kind of a perfect circle really; pity they're impossible to draw freehand..
Anyway, since you've paid homage to him here, I thought you'd be flattered to know that in turn, Picasso showed he understood, and highly rated, the Ewbie school of artistic expression, when he said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up".
I think you've got that covered, (oops, bad pun, sorry.)
celebritie - thanks, here's hoping.
parrster - if my name was Emin I'm sure a gallery would welcome me.
Jason - pity there isn't an excellent button.
WO - one of the other art guys, possibly Dali, said "the only difference between me and a madman is I'm not mad". tbh I can't quite believe how positive the response is to very simple drawings with a caption. I am quite encouraged by this.
Mark, why doncha flick these to a greeting card company? If they like the concept, you could bang out plenty more. Built around well-known themes, like these ones are. This kind of loose, 'friendly' illustrative style has been around, and popular, for a long time in various forms; eg, remember the 'Mr Men' series, or the "Love is..." ones?)on printed cards, and other promotional items. Maybe (I haven't researched it, just thinking aloud)it's time for a 'new wave'...? The big benefit, I'd have thought, these days, is that it would cost a greeting card / poster company bugger all to concept/market test - online.
Interesting idea WO - as always you got me thinking.
Mark, they are all classics but the Picasso Stickman especially. I wanted to leave another comment just to get this to the top of the page again, in case anyone missed this hilarious giggle!!! I really did laugh all over again. I'm waiting to get my car inspected, looks good so far, the yahoos doing it aren't shaking their heads in utter dismay, yet.
Good luck with your car, but they should find something, that's their job after all. The Picasso works, much more than the others, but that sums up the variable quality of my output - whether written or doddled.
Anyway, thanks very much for the bump. It's a shame when you drift off the page never to return...
Def. want your artwork for my next cover! The yahoos went from smiling to frowning grimly to taking my car for three days and threatening to charge me between $1200 and $1500. I'm really bummed about it, but what can you do? I just have to grin and pay up. I can't get a new car for that amount, and ditch the one I have.
That's nice garage work right there. What I like is it's always a part I never even knew existed - the rear gromettometer blades are snarled - good job you came in when you did sir.
Heya, Paradise7, maybe you could offer to pay these guys with an original Ewbie artwork? Say, a pic of someone making a fortune out of changing a Volkswagen fanbelt...(check the video link at the end)
This is after the nice, helpful mechanic says, "OK, it's gonna be twenty-five bucks for the belt, an hour's labour to change it, plus workshop materials and incidentals, let's call it an even hundred. Good news is, we can get right onto it. Can you leave your car, and come back in an hour?"
Mark, I've been thinking more about the idea I suggested to you of you developing these concepts into a marketable range. (I'm being serious here). I’ve got some ideas that I’d like to tell you – but they involve brand naming, positioning strategy and differentiating product concepts. Very brief, (clearly thought out... :) but, I’d rather not just put them in the comments section, because they could have real commercial value, to you.
If you like, send me an email via HP, (I can’t see a contact panel on your profile, or I’d have sent you one) and I’ll tell you my thinking.
Or not. Up to you..
Cheers
Mark I think these will be a popular hit, so instead of having my book with one of these, for fear of having like dozens others with the same cover design, I'd like mine custom designed please. Email me a qoute...okay....ASAP
Hmmm. Are you pulling my leg? But I will email you.
Mark, some of your stick people snuck into a hub I wrote today, called "Pay It Forward" (Or something like that. Love got into the title, too, somewhere,as I recall.) I was so pleased to see the Mark Ewbie STICK PEEPS show up!! They made my day, a whole crowd of them. It was awesome.
The car yahoo still has my car...should have it back by tomorrow, MAN, what a PAIN that is! I don't know why it should take two days to fix the whoochedingy gromettrometer blades or whatever.
You know what? I think these people that think you have something marketable are serious. There really is something very charming about your stick people, and I think's because you whipped it off without overthinking the whole thing or taking yourself too seriously. I think that's why it works.
Thanks Paradise - I'll check out the hub in a mo'.
I was rather hanging my hopes on amateur charm, rather than some slick iPad created graphic. To be honest, if I can find a way to explain my 'art', that's probably the main battle.
Sorry about your car. Yeah, that's the other thing - charge you a fortune AND keep it from you for a while.
edit: Good grief! That's a lot of stick men!
I think I know what WO is on about ... as soon as I saw this hub I thought ... this boyo could make real folding stuff out of his work ... and I don't mean origami.
Just stop it being so funny, Ewbie ... it puts the rest of us to shame!
Thanks Angie! It certainly seems that a picture (if you can call it that) is worth a lot of trying to weave some story with words. WO got me thinking as well, as did some other comments I have received.
So I opened up a CafePress store (costs nothing, peasy to do) to merchandise 'art' on t-shirts and so on. It's a different angle. I mean, it still won't make me any money of course, but it adds to that dream I keep having.
The one where I wake up one day and say "I'm a writer" and I really am.
Dear Boy! Anyone who writes is a writer ... never let that 'published/unpublished' stuff put you off thinking you are a bona-fide writer.
All it means is that the published ones got lucky, is all. I have read some truly awful published crap ... but you, sir, are a genius. Your stuff is very like that Radio 4 funny series about a writer and his cat, Elgar. Can't remember the name of the programme and I know you don't like cats ... so belay that last bit.
Now you know hard it is for us English to accept a compliment. I'll make an exception, but believe me when I say it hurts.
Seriously, Angie, thanks very much. Maybe I can crack this, or get lucky. The trouble is, the Facebook generation are about as far removed from Radio 4 as you can imagine...
Let's face it Mark ... you and I may play around on FB but we are not the FB generation.
But then I only listen to Radio 4 as he who must be endured ... I mean adored ... has it on ... so I guess I am just a lost soul ... in between the two worlds. Sigh ...
This goes to show how creative one can be just by letting the mind go free. You've got it in you and you know how to express it. Great work Mark!
Thanks a lot Glenn - not bad for someone who can't draw!
I see someone tricked you into drawing stick women by asking for the Mona Lisa. I think she kinda looks like me. Can you see the resemblance?
Mona Lisa - a woman? I have been tricked.
Now you mention it I can see that enigmatic resemblance.
A truly GENIUS hub. Made me LOL ..... gonna mark this one up.
All the best mewbs, from PN.
Don't knock the stick figure. I drew them for about a year in my blog and they were popular. People said they would buy my drawings if I offered them on greeting cards or mouse pads. I never did. I just can't take them all that seriously.
Hey PN! Nice to see you... and thanks my friend.
TG - no way am I going to knock them. I don't think they need to be taken seriously but I think the idea of potential sales does. I was listening to a program about the marketing of the Smiley Face today. Someone made a lot of money.
Now if I could just shift a few more fridge magnets...
Mark, I loved these and I would consider hiring you if I ever write a book and need a cover. I was, however, disappointed not to find a Michaelangelo's David or that curvy lady by Botticelli, 'Venus or Summit' - I know you can do curves cos your stickmen often smile. We need a series of these hubs where your figures are based on actual works of art...so get cracking! Voted up, etc,etc
Hi Jools, I'm loving this feedback and thank you very much. There's a whole load of famous artwork I have my eye on, but I can't do the whole lot in a weekend! Even in a minimalist stick style. I'm using the long word there because it sounds better than doodle.
Both your ideas are excellent and in the queue. One I can't get out of my mind is the Sistine Chapel.
Love your work Mr Ewbie. I can see these stick figures taking off - especially the greeting card idea. Keep doodling if this is the result!
Thanks Karanda. I'll give it another year. Then another year... and another...
brandonhart100 10 months ago
LOL - Awesome