Project: Avengers / X-Men - Cornered
Client: Personal Project
I've always been an aficionado of the cover branding on old Marvel Comics -- the "corner boxes" which depicted the main character(s) of a title in an easily recognized lineup of headshots, or full-body poses.
From a design perspective, they were a clever solution both to building a unique and consistent trade dress, and giving the books in question greater visibility on an often-overcrowded comic rack. As long as even the smallest identifier of the brand - the corner box - was visible, readers could still find their favorite title at a glance!
For a few years, I ran the blog "Cornered" to celebrate these under-acknowledged works of pop art, and to add to their legacy. The following pieces were speculative corner boxes for The Avengers and The X-Men, focusing on one character at a time.
I chose chest level shots for the most part because the most iconic components of a superhero's uniform are so often displayed across the torso. With the X-Men, I alternated between the chest level shots and more evocative cropping ...
Left to right : Captain America, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor and Iron Man.
Left to right: Rogue, Iceman, Angel, Professor X, The Beast
Left to right : Gambit, Colossus
