Hi everyone,

As we continue to get the book ready for print, here is a behind-the-scenes look at development on the Charlatan story featuring commentary from creator Leeanne Krecic!

Initial Design: In this design, Quinn’s core features are beginning to come together. I envisioned him with a Dark Academia aesthetic, but with a Gothic edge. I pictured him tall and lean, with silver hair and pale skin -- someone who looks almost ghostly or unwell, like he has one foot already in the grave. I liked the idea of him having long hair, but the red eyes didn’t sit right with me. I briefly considered making him albino, but that direction didn’t quite click. His look also felt a bit too feminine and polished, which didn’t align with the rougher edge I want his character to have. Overall, he came off a little too clean-cut for the role he’s meant to play.

Second Design: In this design, the Dark/Gothic Academia style is still present, now with a few added piercings and his hair worn down. He’s also in a chemise and a darker color palette. That said, his face looks far too soft here -- he doesn’t come across as a "Charlatan." Instead, he looks more like someone’s kind older brother in cosplay. I did like the addition of the glasses, though; they feel like a fitting prop for him and add a bit of intrigue.

Final Design: In this final design for Quinn, I moved away from the red eyes entirely, opting instead for a pale blue-gray tone to enhance his ghostly appearance. I trimmed his hair and added more layers to the cut, and scaled back the ear piercings to avoid the full “edgelord” vibe. His clothing palette became more varied, incorporating deeper, earthy tones while still keeping with the overall dark aesthetic. I kept the glasses and top hat, and added a cane -- or possibly an umbrella -- to complete his set of accessories. To better reflect his sly, scheming personality, I gave him a snarky, toothy smile. I also added dark circles under his eyes to suggest that rest doesn’t come easily to him.

Quinn is a morally gray character -- part anti-hero, part reluctant guardian, faux villain, and full-time cynic. When I described him to a friend, they said he sounded like a cross between Dr. Gregory House from House and Crowley from Good Omens -- which honestly feels spot on.

First Logo Design: This logo was an early, rough concept -- the idea was to shape the word Charlatan like a key. I threw it together quickly, mostly just to have something to look at for a while and see if any interesting or clever ideas might emerge from it with time.

Second Logo Design: This is another one of those designs I made just to sit with for a bit -- messing around with the idea of the logo having a more gothic feel. Nothing final, just seeing if anything interesting comes through after staring at it long enough.

Third Logo Design: Here, I was playing around with adding some extra design elements to the logo -- things like hands, a planchette, and sparkles. I liked this direction because it hints more at Quinn’s line of work and brings in some visual interest.

Fourth Logo Designs: With this one, I was going for something that felt like a vintage sign -- the kind you'd see painted on the glass door of a fortune teller’s shop. I played around with themes like angels and devils, life and death. In the end, though, it all felt a little too busy for what I was going for. I also looked at some old circus and fairground ticket art, including Zoltan's cards, to get more ideas.

Final Design: This version of the logo leans into that vintage, theatrical vibe I’ve been circling -- something you might see painted on the glass of an old fortune teller’s shop. I wanted it to feel a little mysterious, a little dramatic, but not over the top. The lettering is a bit extra on purpose -- kind of showy, kind of charming -- which felt right for Charlatan and Quinn.