Sanguine Foundations October Reflection
The Sanguine Foundations Cover feels pretty significant. Especially as Sanguine Foundations locked in its due date. It's full steam ahead but I'm taking a moment to check in before next month.
THE COVER
Bordered by gold hip-hop themed graffiti, Jes stands confidently with her wand casting fire in a circle framed by the phases of the moon. Stars fill the sky and below her are her friends Gabriel Luna, Tierra Wright, and Jacque Blaise. they stand in front of the main campus building smiling.
GRAFFITI:
Hip hop is such a core part of this story, it was necessary to bring that to the cover and when thinking about hip hop iconography, there's a clear line to graffiti. This is a fantasy story, so when approaching the border, gold intricate details are often the norm; I wanted to take that and bring the radical art of hip hop and graffiti to it; tagging it and signaling the ideas and themes that would be across the pages of this story. That graffiti is either a “welcome” or a “warning” to readers. I know who my target audience is and I want this book to find them. I want this book to find anyone that needs it and if it's not for you, just don't engage. It's not going to trans you or your kids. There are plenty of stories that are made for you, why waste time and energy on one that isn't?
CENTER PIECE:
Jes is a fire sign, so that's the magic that she's most connected to. She stands confidently in the center of the phases of the moon because while we see the phases/changes/transformations, the moon is the moon. Jes is Jes.
The idea behind posing her was thinking about vogue covers and the way models have been posed for their shoots and trying to emulate that with Jes.
Her friends, Gabe, Tierra and Jacque are integral to her story, so it was important to see them share the cover with her.
DATES
KICKSTARTER LAUNCH:
March 31st, transgender day of visibility made the most sense for launching because I want this to be a celebration of trans visibility and of trans resistance.
RELEASE:
June 30th, ending pride month on a big note, I want to give myself the room to get this story done and done well. I also want to use this as a celebration of trans folks, highlighting the traditions of trans resistance that led Stonewall and continue to guide us toward liberation.
