I loosened up for this one because it's a somewhat static pose and I needed to convey a degree of movement and aggression within the confines of the composition. I actually used charcoal smeared across the pic at one point to try and achieve an authentic 'dirt' feel on Carter, but it didn't have the effect I'd hoped for.

I was inspired by some Alex Raymond Flash Gordon images for this pic. Some people have said that the cover reminds them of another image in their memory, a piece of fine art or something. I've got to say that I had no particular image in mind whilst doing the thumbs for this pic. I just talked it through with Peter Tomasi on the phone and this is what happened.

I really enjoyed doing this pic, but although the painting stage was quick and straightforward, getting the pose right at the drawing stage almost defeated me.

The initial concept pencils for this image can be seen here.