Creating covers for The Chronicles of Narnia, one of the classics of children’s literature, was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. There is such a wealth of wonderful imagery to choose from, it seemed as though the hard part would be choosing from too many choices. The reality was much more challenging and complex than I imagined.
I started with ideas for several of the jackets. There was no overriding concept to them, just interesting images. The image for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was the first one that I conceived and the reaction from everyone involved with the project was instantly positive. This image set the path for all the others. We decided to maintain a more intimate approach, focusing on the “good” characters—not the villains, attempting to find an emotional pull to the covers. This turned out to be much easier with some jackets than others.
Dawn Treader came together immediately. The first sketch was followed by the final sketch, and then I went to the finish. One, two, three. This was going to be easy!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe started with an image of the wardrobe and a moodier approach. A portrait of the Queen was abandoned after the decision to avoid the villains. Then we thought, well, why not Aslan? After a couple of attempts, I found I was drawn to the scene right before Aslan’s sacrifice, when, as he realizes what is coming, he is comforted by Lucy and Susan.
Which brings us to Prince Caspian. For a book with so much great imagery, this turned out to be the hardest one to conceive within the parameters we had set up. Finding the right combination of concept and visual representation of that concept was very difficult. In the end, it seemed that Susan’s horn and the sword that represents Caspian’s return to power were the best choices. Ultimately, the sword and the flame of its forging best represented the return of Narnia to its true inhabitants.
The experience of living with Narnia for so long was more fun, difficult, challenging, and rewarding than I had ever expected. I could not have done it without Toni Markiet and Martha Rago, editor and art director respectively. It was quite a journey.
David Wiesner |