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Concept Art
Like The Joy Divisions' protagonist, Ed Pullman, I was an arty kid when I was growing up, and I still love to make images and music. While waiting for my publisher's cover art, I started to play around with Midjourney, the AI image creator, based on prompts from my novel. Below are some of the results, what I liked about them, and what didn't work.
Goth Hippie?
This one really shows some of the limits of AI. I wanted to get Ed and Ester in an abandoned factory. I wanted him to be a contemplative goth and her to be a smiling hippie in a floral dress. But Midjourney has a hard time making different emotions and tends to collapse them into sadness.
Zipperhead Comix
The much beloved goth-punk store, Zipperhead, which features so prominently in Chapter 2. I love the whimsy of the image, but it does not remotely capture what Zipperhead was like. The prompt was: "cartoon drawing of 6 giant ants crawling up the side of a 3-story building." Close, Midjourney. Close.
Removable Africa
The perfect place to have a dinner with a dance floor. Reserve you event today!
Whatever this is Ed
When I typed "Contemplative goth guy in a factory in the style of Looney Tunes," I got four almost identical sad sack kids, looking more like an extra from Oliver Twist than our protagonist.
American Gothic
To get the emotions right and to emphasize the darkly humorous tone to the novel, I separated out the forms from two separate images and posterized them into Grant Wood's "American Gothic." They both kind of look like art from Grand Theft Auto.
WWII Griffon
A fake griffin logo for the real closed factory in the shape of a Third Reich eagle. Perhaps that imagery was going too far.
Striking Ed
This image is a somewhat late one, showing Ed's involvement with the textile union's strike. I like the person standing under the sign and glaring at Ed, like they know he isn't fully committed yet.
Princess Ester
Still chasing the humor aspect of the novel, I used the prompt "Smiling hippie woman in a factory in the style of Looney Tunes" and got 4 similar Disney Princess types.
