“ Edge of Midnight” RPG Covers and INTERIOR DESIGNS
I had the pleasure of working on two book cover illustrations and logo designs for author Rob Vaux’s role-playing game series “The Edge of Midnight”, a gritty, film noir setting and game system featuring gumshoe detectives and dark magic.
Chapter Header Designs
With most book design, I usually start with the chapter header design, which influences the rest of my approach to the book’s internal design. They’re also, of course, the most fun. Playing off of pocket watch I illustrated on the book’s cover, each chapter shows the hands of clock counting down to “the edge of midnight.” It’s extremely satisfying that the book has exactly 12 chapters. For the header art, I selected the most evocative pieces that Rob Vaux commissioned from some of the best illustrators in the game industry. I combined these with a gritty treatment of the classic headline font “Agency” by Font Bureau, and quote in a grungy typewriter font. Behind this text is ghosted artwork that helps convey the tone and subject of each chapter, such as the tommy gun and shell casings for “Combat and Damage,” and arcane book for “Magic,” and hanging witches for “Warlocks.”
Page Spreads
In addition to the chapter headers I created for The Edge of Midnight, I designed the page templates used by Rob Vaux for the final layout of the book. I established the page design, baseline grid, typography, tables, art treatment, and spot illustrations used throughout this book and the supplements in the product line. The following page layouts are by Rob, based on those templates—as such, some minor typography errors might be present (but not too many… Rob’s a talented guy!)
