alittleilliterateworm

[alittleilliterateworm]

Hardcover Designs

Hardcover books are some of the most beautifully designed books. Many avid readers get super excited to see the surprise hidden under the sleeve, although today many hardcovers do not always have something in the inside and if they do they are more expensive. Many special editions of books feature cover designs under the sleeve. These designs make the book more unique and beautiful to look at.

Designing beautiful and unique hard covers takes twice as much effort as designing a paperback cover. When readers pick up a hard cover the first thing they are drawn in by is the sleeve of the book. Then they become curious about what is under it on the actual cover. If there is nothing there many readers will be disappointed and discouraged to buy the book. Whether you prefer you hard cover with the sleeve or not, each reader still wants to have a pretty book that they can display

Hardcovers are significantly more expensive than paperbacks so in order for then to sell to avid readers they have to have something special and worth paying the high price for. In my opinion the most beautiful hardcovers have designs done in gold that relate to specific themes or things in the book. In addition to that end pages make the books even more beautiful. Hardcovers look much classier than paper backs so it makes sense to treat them as such.

 In the end hardcovers are still special without fancy designs on the actual hardcover and each reader has their own preference’s on how they would like their book to look. 

Virtually yours,

Anandhani (✿◡‿◡)

[alittleilliterateworm]

Real people on covers. Yes or no?

The topic of having real people on book covers has been a debate in the book community for some time now. Most people feel that it is tacky and not very aesthetically pleasing. This does not mean that all books that have real people on the cover are terribly designed. Real people on book covers can work if  done correctly. If not, it looks very unprofessional. The success of this also heavily depends on the genre of the book; genres like horror and non-fiction do well with real people on the covers, while with genres like YA and fantasy illustrated people or no people at all work better. With general fiction, it depends on the type of book.

Most book covers will depict the characters on the front cover. Having real people depicting the characters already gives the viewer an image of what the character looks like; While this does not seem like a significant issue, many people like to have their picture of the characters they read about. It's one of the unique experiences when reading a book; we can all read the same story but have different pictures of the characters.

In my opinion, not having real people on the covers is a good decision. I am drawn to the covers that are illustrated and simplified. I will, however, consider a book with a person on the cover if it is incorporated into the entire design well and does not look like it was just photo shopped in. Below are examples of good and bad cover designs with people on them.

Virtually yours,

Anandhani (✿◡‿◡)

[alittleilliterateworm]

What makes a good book cover?

Despite the saying don't judge a book by its cover, people most definitely judge books by their cover. I am guilty of this; if the plot of a book is interesting to me, but the cover is terrible, chances are I won't end up reading the book. The cover of a book is the first thing you see; when shopping in a book store, boring covers can easily get lost in the sea of books. An eye-catching cover can ensure that people take an interest in the book before even reading the blurb. So how do designers create good book covers that will make people want to read the books? Here are a few tips to help.

1. Make sure your title stands out against the background and can be read clearly; the font should be easy to read. Positioning of the title is also important, depending on the background. Many books I've seen in stores often have books where the title is not easy to distinguish, often discouraging me from buying the book.

2. Ensure that your cover design is not overdone and overcrowded. If there is too much going on, the title gets lost and the reader's attention. A visual hierarchy and symbols that relate to the genre and story can help keep the cover clear and aesthetically pleasing.

3. Colour pallet: The wrong colour pallet of a book cover can make or break the cover's design. The color pallet is one of the most significant assets a book cover can have; if done correctly, it will draw in the viewer. It will also help establish the mood and tone of your book.

4. The spine and the back cover are just as important as the front cover, and many designers often forget that. Readers love when the spine and back cover have just as much thought as the front cover. These designs make books unique and different.

Virtually yours, 

Anandhani (✿◡‿◡)

[alittleilliterateworm]

Jujutsu Kaisen: 0

Jujutsu Kaisen was created by Gege Akutami  in 2018.  The main story features Itadori  Yuji being caught in the fight against sorcerers and curses, after he swallows a cursed object; one of the fingers of the King of curses himself, Ryomen Sukuna. He now finds himself attached and hosting the awakened Sukuna within himself, and is taken to Jujutsu Tech High, in Tokyo, to face the consequences of his actions. The councilmen decide that he must either be executed now, or collect and eat all 20 of Sukuna’s fingers and then be killed to ensure Sukuna’s death will be permanent. 

Itadori chooses the latter and begins his life training as a sorcerer under Gojo Satoru, the strongest and most arrogant sorcerer to date.  

 In the events of Jujutsu Kaisen: 0 (A prequel to the ‘normal’ Jujutsu Kaisen,) it shows us a year prior to the main storyline. It begins with Okkotsu Yuta, who is haunted by his childhood friend, Rika, who is a powerful cursed spirit. Yuta is helpless in trying to control her and is taken by the Jujutsu Sorcerers to defeat her. Yuta, at first, is reluctant to join them, but once again Gojo steps in and convinces him. Gojo gets him to join the school and begins to train him to control Rika, as well as fight alongside the other first years- Maki, Toge and Panda (who appear as second years, in the ‘regular’ manga and anime.) However, it takes a turn for the worse, as Geto Suguru a curse user and ex-jujutsu sorcerer plans to overtake society, and kill all non-sorcerer humans.  

 The art style follows the regular black and white paperback, with a slight sketch appeal. All the characters have interesting designs, and a lot of emotion and intensity can be seen in every scene. The cover art for the series is also very dramatic and colourful, which absolutely draws in the viewers eyes. 

This particular manga has been made into a movie, and was released in South Africa in February this year. I had the pleasure of seeing this twice in cinemas, and it definitely does it justice! It's really exciting to see it animated and in colour, with a spectacular OST (original sound track) to boot! Otherwise, the rest of the series is also an anime, with a second season coming to our screens next year.  

I read this manga online, but i have purchased 6 more from the series. These can be found on Takealot.com, but I was unable to get this manga in April, as they did not have it. However, I my last purchase was late June, and they had it available.  

 Jujutsu Kaisen is definitely worth a read and a watch, as it has enthralling characters and scenes, as well as great tension and emotional connections between the characters.

Virtually yours, 

Maya ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

[alittleilliterateworm]

Attack on titan: No Regrets

 Shingeki no Kyojin, or Attack on Titan, was created by Hajime Isayama in 2009. It features people living inside cities that are fenced in by huge walls to protect them from humanoid creatures, called Titans. These Titans eat humans, at a moment's notice, but no one knows why. Young ern Yeager and friends' lives are altered and scarred forever when the Colossal Titan breaks through one of the walls, and begins raining havoc onto people, including Eren’s mother. They vow revenge and decide to join the Scout Regiment (also known as the survey corps), who give their lives to journey beyond the walls and kill Titans.  

 This is where we meet both Levi Ackerman and Erwin Smith, who are captain and commander of the Scout regiment. In the No Regrets manga, we see their mysterious past. 

 In this special edition, we see Erwin as a mere soldier for the corps, wanting to climb up the ranks, and Levi, a talented gutter rat living in poverty and stealing, in order to survive The Underground. The Underground is a trash-ridden area underneath the capital city, where crime and death flourish. Levi longs for a life up-top, with his friends whilst Erwin obsesses over the Titans. The corps send Erwin out to recruit Levi, which goes down as swimmingly as you would think, but begrudgingly they accept their task at hand; to slay as many Titans as possible. Throughout their story, you will be entertained with action, heartbreak, and the ever-popular wisecrack.  

This manga is printed in colour, with glossed pages and a hardcover, unlike the normal standard manga; a black and white paperback. This addition provides a new level of immersion into this world, as well as giving it the necessary push to add tension and surprise into every scene. An added bonus is that is manga also supplies exclusive art for viewers, who are fans of Levi and Erwin.  

This manga is featured as an OVA (original video animation) and acts as a story/world-building extra episode that does not feature in the main anime. Attack on Titan: No regrets part 1 and 2, is the summary of this manga. The episode follows the manga fairly well and I believe that it is a suitable episode adaptation.  

 I purchased this manga at the 2018 Comic-Con South Africa, for a whopping R600, and it is currently the most expensive manga in my possession. However, it is available to purchase on Takealot.com.  

 This is totally worth a read and a buy, if you’re a die-hard Levi fan.

Virtually yours,

Maya ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

[alittleilliterateworm]

Hyôryu kyôshitsu (The Drifting Classroom)

  Hyôryu kyôshitsu a Japanese Horror manga, known as The Drifting Classroom in English, was originally published in 1972 by Kazuo Umenzu. It portrays the life of Sho, grade 6, who leaves for school after a heated argument with his mother. However, disaster strikes as the school disappears into thin air after an earthquake hits the town. Unexplainably the school ends up in desolate land, with all of its inhabitants now having to face the harsh reality of their situation. Both students and teachers alike begin to fear the worst, as more and more tragedy strikes within the school.  Like dominoes, their situation becomes more intense, as food shortages, monsters, deranged teachers and fights begin to break out within the halls. 

 Umenzu’s use of black and white, paired with aggressive shading techniques make for an eerie and dread-filled atmosphere, and really help to make each scene feel absolutely shudder some. By doing so this enraptures the reader into the story, and takes them on the journey with the lost souls.  

 Whilst this manga series does not have an anime made for it, it did have a movie produced in 1987, which I will look into. 

 Personally, I really enjoyed reading volume one of this manga. However, I am unsure if it available here in South Africa, as I had been gifted this from my brother in Australia. This was absolutely enthralling and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, as the tension steadily rises and just doesn't stop.

 This manga series could give Lord of the flies a run for its money!

Virtually yours, 

Maya ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

[alittleilliterateworm]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse is an animated movie created by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and is based on the Marvel comics. The film tells the story of a Brooklyn teenager, Miles Morales, and his experiences in the spider-verse. 

The ground-breaking animation or design style shown in this movie has never been seen before. The producers wanted to create the ultimate feel of a comic book within a film; they reconstructed and experimented with new ways of animations and rendering to make the final film, which in my opinion, is breathtakingly beautiful. New techniques were used or created, and lines became an essential part of the film whilst also linking to the comic book style. The producers perfectly balanced heavily stylised techniques, standard in comics, and emotional appeal, which would help the audience connect to the characters and storyline. 

The animators who worked on this movie used a technique called ‘Animating on twos’. Traditionally, CG movies are animated on ones, meaning that twenty-four images are held for one frame for every second of the film. However, to create the comic book style and emphasise some of the characters’ key aspects, the animators used twelve individual images for each frame and every second of the film. This created the desired visual style where the image seemed to stop, similar to a comic panel. 

This film uses comic-style animations in modern ways while still holding the feel of an actual comic book. Vibrant colours catch the eye, and blurred lines or colours create the fast-paced sense the creators aimed for.

Virtually yours,

Sanaa (x_x)

[alittleilliterateworm]

Midnight Gospel

Midnight Gospel is a cartoon series on Netflix that tells Clancy's story as he travels to simulated universes and worlds. Duncan Trussel, a comedian, and Pendleton Ward, the creator of the famous children's cartoon 'Adventure Time', worked together to bring this show to life. As voiced by Duncan Trussell, Clancy is a 'space-caster' (a mixture of the words' space' and 'podcaster') who journeys to extraordinary virtual worlds and includes people and creatures of all shapes and sizes in his beloved 'space-cast'. 

What makes this series any different from a regular podcast is the mind-blowing animations paired with the interviews, which creates an all-around enticing experience for the audience. Although this cartoon is fictional, Clancy's 'space guests' are actual experts that Duncan Trussell has talked with and included in the show. Comedy is paired with other-worldly visuals and the intimate nature of podcasts in this distinctive tv show. 

Each episode has Clancy visit a new world where he meets and talks to drastically different characters, allowing the audience to learn about various areas of expertise.

Mortician, Caitlin Doughty, shows up as a sociable grim reaper to discuss the funeral-industrial complex. Dharma instructor, Trudy Goodman, becomes a fearless, horse-riding vigilante for a talk on the significance of self-affirmation. In the first episode, Dr Drew Pinksy takes the role of "Glasses Man," a miniature president fighting zombies in a post-apocalyptic world, to convey his thoughts on recreational drug use.

This show's distinct style and technique keep the audience interested, while the podcast and various topics engage and connect to the viewers on a more personal level.

Virtually yours, 

Sanaa (x_x)

[alittleilliterateworm]

Love, death + robots

Love, death + Robots is an animation anthology series created by Tim Miller which explores numerous stories of adventure, sci-fi and horror. These short episodes are filled with intrigue and suspense, from sentient yoghurt to a giant crustacean taking over a ship. 

Each episode not only holds a great plot but also vastly different animation styles for each episode. My favourite technique is that of the ‘Jibaro’ and ‘The witness’ episodes, both created by Alberto Mielgo. Both hold a similar animation design which focuses on colour and movement, which is chaotic and desperate as both plotlines contain a chase of some sort. ‘Jibaro’ centres around a woman-like creature, with gold and jewels covering her body and her unusual interactions with a deaf soldier, while ‘The Witness’ follows the events of a woman realizing she’s witnessed a murder in the building across from hers. Both episodes contain mature themes of violence, and nudity can also be noticed in the case of ‘The Witness’. 

Alberto used unusual ways to show movement in these episodes; the fast-paced theme directly relates to the quick actions and is noticeable in the animation; when someone is running or jumping downstairs, the image moves with every step and effort that the subject makes. In ‘The Witness, ’ Mielgo used visual exclamations that would have been seen in comic books, alongside a different animation style. There are many other design or animation styles in this anthology, and although I enjoyed them immensely, these are a few of my favourites. ‘Zima Blue’ boasts thick, bold linework and flatly drawn characters with striking colours while telling the story of an artist who is not what he seems. ‘The very pulse of the machine’ centres around two astronauts on an experimental mission on a faraway moon; however, it doesn’t go according to plan. This episode is filled with definitive blocks of colour, solid linework and a unique, mind-bending plot.

 Every single episode holds breath-taking scenes and thrilling plots that are incomparable to anything you’ve ever seen.

Virtually yours, 

Sanaa (x_x)

[alittleilliterateworm]

What’s What :]

So here’s the basic lineup of our blog:

 Sanaa will write about tv shows or movies with exciting or unique animations or designs.

Maya will write about Japanese Manga and the different story arcs, art styles and how they show scenes/nature/emotions throughout the novel and or how it compares to its anime counterpart.

Anandhani will write about all things relating to the design of books such as covers, chapter titles, spines, sprayed edges etc.

Virtually yours,

Sanaa, Maya and Anandhani <3

[alittleilliterateworm]

Dearest Reader (●'◡'●)

A warm welcome to you!

We sincerely hope you enjoy our little thoughts and quips, and that it makes for an interesting reading experience.

The three of us are looking at different kinds of media, and our outlooks on it. All of the following blogs are entirely our opinion, so if you’ve got anything to add please post it in the comment section!

Virtually yours,

Sanaa, Maya and Anandhani <3