Here’s the one of the Zombie Turkeys Chapter Icons from chapter 1:
Zombie Turkeys Chapter 1 Icon
Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, but to me it was a dream come true. You see, I was and am a big fan of Robert Jordan (See his author page on Amazon.) and he had chapter icons. Each one was a short symbol for something; they were never explained. You had to figure out what each one meant. Eventually, you came to recognize them in his vast, fourteen volume, ten thousand page epic fantasy The Wheel of Time.
Where Do We Begin to Create Zombie Turkeys Chapter Icons?
It all began here, in my email on August 4th, 2016:
I laid out the chapters and my suggestions for icons:
1 – Bartonville – A turkey with a hunter’s cap (deer stalker?)
2 – Edwards – A turkey driving a tractor?
3 – Princeville – A turkey with a molotov cocktail, a chainsaw, or an axe?
4 – Henry – A turkey with a soldier’s helmet – or over flames
5 – Tiskilwa – A turkey flying a helicopter–or rappelling from a helicopter–or driving a tractor. More subtly, with a silo in the background, or a straw hat and chewing a strand of hay.
6 – Henry – A turkey looking through a microscope
7 – Joliet – A turkey with a bowling ball – or in a wedding dress, with a veil
8 – Plattville – A turkey with a dew rag and giving a gang sign
9 – Chicago – A turkey with a football helmet
10 – Navy Pier – A turkey with a drama mask (tragedy/comedy)
11 – Shedd Aquarium – A turkey riding a shark
12 – Turkey institute – A turkey looking through a microscope (repeat, to signify Turkey Institute)
13 – Goodenow – A turkey using a pair of crutches
14 – Schaumberg – A turkey with the White House in the background
Epilogue – A turkey playing a video game
Note the chapter titles changed somewhat.
I didn’t sketch anything. I’m more verbal than artistic.
What Next, Andy?
Even before any sketches were done, my daughter and artist made some improvements. Other artists chimed in via email. Then, my dear illustrator, Sean Flanagan, came up with a quick, initial sketch of my ideas four days later:
Initial Zombie Turkeys Chapter Icons
Through our brainstorming, we made some changes, for the better. Every icon was to be based upon the same turkey, except for two symbols: one for the fictional “Turkey Institute” and another a play off our nation’s Presidential seal, where we replaced the eagle with a turkey. That one was especially appropriate, since Ben Franklin advocated that the turkey should be our national bird, not the bald eagle.
So How Did the Zombie Turkeys Chapter Icons End Up?
Normally, you have to buy Zombie Turkeys to find out. But since you’re a reader of this blog, here’s your treat: the original icon artwork.
Hunter’s Cap Chapter 1 IconFox Hat Chapter 2 IconPolice Hat Chapter 3 IconHelmet Chapter 4 IconStraw Hat Chapter 5 Icon
Turkey Institute Seal Chapter 6 IconVeil Chapter 7 Icon
Do-Rag Chapter 8 Icon
Turkey Caller Chapter 9 IconComedy Mask Chapter 10 IconShark Hat Chapter 11Corn on the cob Chapter 12 IconCrutch Chapter 13 IconPresidential Zombie Turkey Seal Chapter 14 Icons8 bit turkey Chapter Icons
But That’s Not All: We Also Overcame These Problems
You just saw the final product. But not quite.
Each book format, print or ebook requires a different pixel density.
Say what?
A pixel is one point of print or screen. Ebooks require pixels 100×100, like this:
A print book requires 300×300 pixels, like this:
And the original illustrations were in far higher pixels than either of these.
Everything had to be changed for each version of the book.
I also changed the number of chapters.
And we changed the chapter icon of one chapter.
So everything didn’t go smoothly.
Somehow, I don’t feel so bad about being a month late to book launch.
Finally, There’s This
Please reply if you find this interesting or helpful. I would have liked to have known all this before I did my book.
