Isis: Wrath of the Cybergoddess Cover by Bill Walko

I’m a big fan of Bill Walko’s The Hero Busine$$. It’s a hilarious strip about a public relations company that helps superheroes craft their public image. The strip reminds me so much of Dwayne McDuffie's early Marvel Classic Damage Control. I highly recommend you take a read from the beginning; I never miss a strip!

The Hero Busine$$ storyline Frenemy Mine inspired the Isis story Isis: My Sister My Frenemy. After reading the storyline I got a lot of ideas from reading about the friendship between Morgan and Glamazon for developing the relationship between Isis and her sister E’steem. 

I first saw Bill’s work on www.comicbook resources.com after following a link from my blog to their boards. Looking to learn more about his work, I went to his DeviantArt page and looked through his portfolio on his official website. Going through all 17 pages, I loved the bright colorful style and the unique way he rendered superheroes and classic animated characters; when I saw his renditions of Wonder Woman and the Teen Titans ladies such as Starfire and Wonder Girl I knew his style would be a great fit for Isis.

Unfortunately, money has always been an issue with me being out of work for so long. I thought I couldn’t afford his rates.

But I just decided to go for it. While I was working on my Kickstarter, I wrote up a business letter and contacted him. When he wrote me back he gave me a great rate I couldn’t pass up. Having a professional cover by an artist whose work I was a big fan of was part of what gave me the motivation to keep pushing and promoting the Kickstarter as hard as I did.

When the Kickstarter failed in May, I almost gave up. But I believe God works in mysterious ways. During the Spring recess, a family member came to me asking me to sell some books and dolls she was going to throw out. And my brother told me about the rate New in Box Darkseid Destroyers were going for on eBay. (My brother bought one WAY back in 1989 on clearance at Kiddie City and couldn’t sell it at a comicon, so it sat in my closet for over 25 years) Looking for that box buried at the bottom of my closet, I found a bunch of collectibles and other superhero memorabilia to go along with their stuff and went on a selling spree.

Over the last two months, I sold everything from those old dolls, that Darkseid Destroyer, action figures, Toy catalogs from the 1990’s and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pie wrapper. (I just kept it because I liked it; had no idea it was worth so much today) With the money I made from those sales I was able to raise the funds to pay for the cover. 

Looking at this cover I love it! I love the way Bill drew everything; his art tells a great story. I love his rendition of Isis; she’s so cute! He really captures her spirit, and I have to say his version of her New Heliopolitan attire is the coolest I’ve seen rendered! And his Cybergoddess looks like a dangerous diva! There’s a lot of action going on in this one image; I believe it gives the reader a great insight to what’s going to happen between the pages of the book!

If I do get more funds, I’d love to hire Bill to do the covers for the earlier books in the Isis series like Isis: Amari’s Revenge, Isis: The Ultimate Fight, (have a great idea for a cover based on Hell in a Cell 1997 with Undertaker & Mankind for that one) Isis: The Beauty Myth (have an idea based on DC’s Vigilante #50 for that one) and Isis: My Sister, My Frenemy. I love Bill’s art and I’d like to share it with my readers. I believe this cover is going to leave a powerful first impression on them and compel new readers to pick up the paperback and the eBook!

Isis: Wrath of the Cybergoddess is coming to Kindle, Smashwords, and the Nook on the July 4 Weekend! Get ready for some action packed African-American fantasy as the goddess next door takes on the Digital Diva in an all new Isis adventure!