Zine Cover Reflection (18/1/2025)
Hi, I wanted to write this post to reflect on the making of the front page of Magazine 2. The cover image for the magazine depicts the Intruder from the final project I created ‘The Mask in the Theater.’ The Intruder is the antagonist who breaks into the abandoned theater and steals the mask which Patrick found in storage. Both Intruder and mask possess the letter F as part of their design connecting them to each other. The idea was that the antagonist is part of a group who follow a figure who once owned the mask. Getting the mask back is a quest for the Intruder.
This character seems to be the one that’s stuck in my head the most since doing this project. I think it’s because he’s a combination of something scary, but also bizarre. The fact he throws bombs with the letter F painted on them is a weird visual choice and a consequence of the character having a more comedic origin.
The mask also creates a barrier between the audience and the character. What is he feeling? What’s going on in his head? Of course there’s an obvious element that people use it to hide their identity for a variety of reasons. This is a lot of words to say, the Intruder’s mask creates intrigue.
When writing the 2-part reflection I decided that I wanted to create new photos for the covers rather than just reusing preexisting examples. For Magazine 1, I took a new photo of the hat used to represent Threadrik Von Yarn in Video 1 ‘Thoughts of a Hat.’ This can be seen below:
I decided to include a picture of The Intruder on the cover of Magazine 2. While I like the version in ‘The Mask in The Theater‘ for looking uncanny, the red F and little details on the eyes aren’t easy to see in pictures and on video. Also I wanted to update the look to be closer to what I had originally planned in the mind map. This is a black balaclava with a large red F on the front with a fuse close to what the bombs would become.
However, I decided to remove some elements like the fuse and added eyes to the mask. I took inspiration for the eyes from comic books where masks often have the eyes replaced with white voids.
After some searching I found a cheap ski mask online. I also bought some white fabric too. Once everything was together I sewed the white fabric onto the eyes-holes using black thread. I then embroidered a red F onto the forehead with red embroidery thread using the seam of the mask as a guide.
The results came out well, thankfully the mask hides my sewing around the eyes. I do like it compared to the original as it’s closer to what I had originally intended for the character. But if I were to remake it, I would carry over the red eye details from the original mask to add some extra flare.
I took the photo by a blank wall. I tried to get even lighting using two lamps either side and a desk lamp in front of me just behind the camera (my phone, I did try my camera, but the phone was easier to get what I wanted). I set a timer on the phone so, I could get into the position. Now this is where I run into a issue with the mask. While the material of the mask is easy to see through, the white material I used for eyes was not. So, while the results of the photo look good, my visibility was somewhat limited. I will use sheerer materials in future even if it makes my eyes visible under the mask. Overall, I like the final photo I used as the Intruder does look menacing in the photo.
However,which version of the intruder do you prefer? The old or the new?
Magazine 2 cover
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post.
NJ (NJ Creative Writing)
NJ Creative Writing 