Cover Art Day! (somewhere in the world...)

[busaikko]

Podfic coverart has size and purpose limitations that I think make it different from other fanart: it's often viewed at various sizes, some quite small, and it has to convey a lot of information (title, themes, characters, etc.) in that tiny space. My recs are for covers that work with those limits (because often I am choosing podfic from my iPod menu while cycling to work, and because otherwise there would be too many beautiful covers to choose from):
1. Size & Font: My iPod uses 3 sizes of thumbnail -- 4mm square (toggle), 14mm square (list of all podbooks), and about 45mm square (now playing). I like covers where I can read the title at the 14mm size and which have uncluttered graphics.
2. Art: I like coverart that's iconic – I've seen great use of screencaps and stock photos which give a good teaser for the story. I also like coverart that interacts with the story, for example establishing the tone which the reader will adopt, or suggesting how the reader views the story (hopeful or hopeless?, dream or reality?).

I am listing the cover artist in the top line; however, many podfics don't credit the covers. When not specified, I've assumed the reader made it, but if I'm wrong, please correct me.

Size & Font

The First Eight Don't Count (kate) 56:14, MP3 (51.5MB) M4B (26.9MB)
Great use of contrast, dark and light (symbolic of shapeshifting's dual nature!), with text that stands out and is easy to read even when small, as well as the perfect image to act as a hook to the story.	Story: The First Eight Don't Count Author: storm_petrel Reader: katemonkey Fandom: The Losers Pairing: Jensen/Cougar Rating: R Summary: Cats, man. Not to be trusted.
Teal'c's Five Favorite Board Games (colls) 18:12 min, 8.7MB
The title could be for a crack fic, but Teal'c's dignity is obvious from the cover, and the way the games are worked into the background colors (lovely green and gold) and textures suggest that they will reflect the way Teal'c sees and interacts with the world – it made me want to listen, because I was intrigued. The font is also quite large enough to read even as a 14mm square.	Title: Teal'c's Five Favorite Board Game Fandom: Stargate SG-1 Author: paian Reader: colls Characters/Pairing: Teal'c, Team Author's Summary: Character study and team study.

Screencaps and Stock Photos: two Harry Potter covers by adistantsun
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41 Random Facts About James Potter (adistantsun) .MP3 audio file, 27MB
Canon doesn't tell us much about James Potter, but he was a Seeker and he was Harry's dad, and the screencap recalls both those facts while the soft focus gives it a nostalgic feel appropriate for a story about Marauders-era James (Adistantsun's JE covers also make good use of soft focus for romance as well). The title disappears at small size, but the image is large enough to make it clear it's HP.	Title:  41 Random Facts About James Potter Author:  xylodemon Reader:  adistantsun Pairing/s:  James/Lily, hints of James/Sirius Duration:  19:32 Rating:  PG-13 Summary:  41 things James thinks you ought to know. Warnings:  None.
The First Few Feet (adistantsun) .MP3 audio file, 41MB
I love the colors of this cover, how the tropical reds and greens are tied into canon use of color (Gryffindor and Slytherin!) and relate to the story. It's a great pairing of screencap and stock photo, and all the different rectangles fit together like a puzzle. The title is easy to read.	Title:  The First Few Feet Author:  adistantsun Reader:  adistantsun Cover artist:  adistantsun Pairing:  Remus/Sirius Duration:  29:47 Rating:  PG-13 Warnings:  A mention of canine violence. Flaming flowers. Summary:  The First of September, 1971: the day they met, and incidentally also the first time Remus saw Sirius Black's feet.

Covers that (Seem to) Tell Us Something About the Story (or the Reading)

And I Miss You Still (juniperphoenix) 12:22 (11.9 MB mp3; 7.3 MB m4b)
This gorgeous gen story is heartbreaking, but have a look at this cover. It's all about the hope and happiness in the story despite what's happened, as if the bright clear colors and peaceful sea invite you to put aside your own POV and see the world through the eyes of the main character's innocence *tries not to spoil you*	Title: And I Miss You Still Author: less_star Reader: juniperphoenix Fandom: Stargate Atlantis (gen) Author's summary: They live near the ocean now.
Ricochet Guy (helens78) 2:20, 1.48MB
This cover was made by the reader/artist, and I love how it seems to speak to what comes after the story. Because 'ricochet' just refers to bouncing off something, but the ball in the image is doing more than that. It implies the ball will eventually stop ricocheting and come to rest – I like a happy ending so that's how I interpret it! But the opposite could also be true *worries*...	Title: Ricochet Guy Author: helens78 Reader: helens78 Fandom: due South Pairing: Kowalski/Vecchio Rating: adult Word count: 300 Summary: When Kowalski shows up on Vecchio’s doorstep, Vecchio always lets him in. Maybe he shouldn’t, but what can he say? He’s weak. Ricochet Guy: Text on AO3