Elvira
The Shape of Elvira
Elvira Meets Vincent Price
Elvira Meets Vincent Price
I designed the covers and interiors for every Elvira book published by Dynamite Comics, including Elvira Meets Vincent Price and The Shape of Elvira. The objective was to capture Elvira’s campy horror style while tailoring visuals to the unique themes of each story. Elvira Meets Vincent Price called for a traditional gothic approach in line with Price’s legacy in classic horror, while Shape of Elvira - inspired by the films The Shape of Water and Creature from the Black Lagoon - required a surreal aquatic atmosphere. The challenge was to make each title feel distinct yet cohesive within the larger Elvira brand.
Covers - Vincent Price & Shape of Elvira
Title Page
Credits
Title Page
Credits
Chapter Break
My Approach
For Elvira Meets Vincent Price, I built the visuals around gothic tropes - bats, ornate detailing, and dramatic B&W contrast - to echo the feel of Price’s films. For The Shape of Elvira, I crafted an undersea-inspired design, using layered aquatic textures, a muted yellow-green palette that merged Elvira’s brand colors with the creature’s skin tones, and sea-life motifs. By tailoring the design language to each storyline, I reinforced their individuality while unifying the line under a consistent Elvira aesthetic.
Reflections
This gave me the chance to continue to shape Elvira's ongoing visual identity across multiple books while also celebrating horror comedy.
Praise
"Many of the trade paperback editions of my comics writing work for Dynamite have been designed and produced by Cathleen, and they have been uniformly excellent. Her work makes it easy for me to be proud of my own work, as it is presented with intelligence and care, in a beautiful, artistic package. Readers often comment to me on how beautiful the books are, and that's all the result of Cathleen's fantastic work. Highest recommendation!"
David Avallone
Writer, Elvira titles
David Avallone
Writer, Elvira titles
Clients
Queen B Productions
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Project Type
Print Design
Book Design
Book Cover Design
Comic Book Design
Book Design
Book Cover Design
Comic Book Design
Tools Used
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Canva (3D-Rendered Work Samples)
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Canva (3D-Rendered Work Samples)