O designer-readers who like to work and play with Photoshop, this contest may be up your alley: Quirk Books, the outfit behind Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, has joined with Bridgeman Art Library to invite submissions for its "Art of the Mash-Up" competition. Basically, they want you to prove you can do better than the Regency unmentionable pictured above:
The iconic "Zombie Lady" on the cover of the New York Times Best Seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies captured the imagination of readers around the world and has become one of the most recognizable book jackets in recent history. Once the portrait of Marcia B. Fox, Quirk Books designer Doogie Horner obtained the image from Bridgeman Art Library and removed the flesh from her jaw line, reddened her eyes, and added a few blood stains to this once genteel image.
Um, indeed!
What I think remains woefully unexplored in the zombie-portraiture-faux-Austen genre is any rigorous introduction of medical or scientific accuracy. While the illustrious Doogie Horner achieved a certain ambiance with his Zombie Lady (is that the name of a band yet?) I highly doubt those are accurate depictions of rotting ligaments, and I don't think the skin is nearly ragged enough. So inspire yourself with these before-and-after Quirk covers, think "I could do better! -- FOR SCIENCE!" -- and get thee to their site pronto. Your submission doesn't even have to be about zombies!
Good luck!