Part 5 of Pixelween 2024

It's the bonus week of Pixelween! This means that while all the weekly challenge rules apply, this entry to your Pixelween series is totally optional and will not be shown to the contest judges. We do it just for fun and to occupy us while waiting for the results.

The subject of this week is Ancient Comedy Horror.

The classical antiquity is associated with European history from 800 BC to 500 AD, but we are open to all ancient history from all around the world since the beginning of writing to the start of the mediaeval era. If you are interested in something less obvious, check out this list.

Comedy horror is a subgenre that may or may not be focused on trying to be scary. It may be just a horror with comedy elements, but also a black comedy, a parody, or a spoof. Usually it plays with popular horror tropes and is almost as old as the horror itself.

The book cover itself should be exactly 140x200 pixels big and use the Atropoeia Palette. The cover can be for an existing story that fits the required era and genre, or you can make up a completely new one (actually writing the story is optional, but we will be very impressed if you do). The cover must include the title of  the story. Including the author as well is encouraged, but can be skipped. The book must be some kind of fiction, but doesn't have to be a traditional novel; for example, a graphic novel would be allowed.

Technical requirements for this week:

Canvas Size - exactly 140 (horizontal) x 200 (vertical) pixels.
Colors - Max 48, use this palette:

Transparency - No.
Animation - No.

Part 4 of Pixelween 2024

It's the fourth and final week of Pixelween! This week, your subject is medieval psychological horror.

The medieval era unsually refers to Europe roughly between 500-1500, a time characterised by castles, knights, feudalism, and the construction of elaborate chatedrals, as well as events such as the black plague and countless wars. Like earlier weeks you do not need to restrain yourself to one region, but can take inspiration from most any place druing the time period. Since the era is so closely associated with the fantasy genre, you could also slip some of that in there.

psychological horror focuses on the mental aspects of horror. It's the subgenre for subtle creeping terror, where the line between what's real and not becomes muddled and both readers and characters come to doubt their very reality. So make ready your most unreliable of narrators and bring on the nightmares, paranoia, hallucinations and delusions.

The book cover itself should be exactly 140x200 pixels big and use the Atropoeia Palette. The cover can be for an existing story that fits the required era and genre, or you can make up a completely new one (actually writing the story is optional, but we will be very impressed if you do). The cover must include the title of  the story. Including the author as well is encouraged, but can be skipped. The book must be some kind of fiction, but doesn't have to be a traditional novel; for example, a graphic novel would be allowed.

Technical requirements for this week:

Canvas Size - exactly 140 (horizontal) x 200 (vertical) pixels.
Colors - Max 48, use this palette:

Transparency - No.
Animation - No.

Part 3 of Pixelween 2024

Tremble and despair, the third week of Pixelween has arrived! The subject this week is Paranormal Sci-fi.

Sci-fi needs little introduction. It is a few years into the future, or many thousands. It is the grimy gutter of a dystopian megacity, or the shining sleek of a shining utopia, or a ship exploring the furthest reaches of space. It is a society changed by the march of technological progress, for better or for worse. But despite all our advances, mankind is still haunted...

Ghosts, demonic posessions, and other unseen but malevolent and dangerous forces still hold their influense over humanity. Your stories this week will be stories of unexplained phenomena, terrifying omens and strange apparitions, be it ghosts, witchcraft, psionic powers gone horribly wrong or whatever else you can dream up in your nightmars.

The book cover itself should be exactly 140x200 pixels big and use the Atropoeia Palette. The cover can be for an existing story that fits the required era and genre, or you can make up a completely new one (actually writing the story is optional, but we will be very impressed if you do). The cover must include the title of  the story. Including the author as well is encouraged, but can be skipped. The book must be some kind of fiction, but doesn't have to be a traditional novel; for example, a graphic novel would be allowed.

Technical requirements for this week:

Canvas Size - exactly 140 (horizontal) x 200 (vertical) pixels.
Colors - Max 48, use this palette:

Transparency - No.
Animation - No.

Part 2 of Pixelween 2024

The second week begins with a shriek! This time, the subject for your book cover is the Prehistoric Undead.

"Prehistory" covers the very earliest stretch of human history. It's not just cavemen and nomadic tribes, but also the very first argicultural stone-age civilisations. Since there isn't much pre-litterate litterature to refer to, you'll have to get creative with it. Don't worry about including some anachronistic extinct animals, because after all...

...The dead walks! In more or less every time or culture across human history, tales have been told of various forms of undead who rise from their graves as the sun goes down to to prey upon the living. The story for your book cover must center one such creature, be they seeking revenge, consuming the blood of the living for sustencance, or a servant created by a higher evil.

The book cover itself should be 140x200 pixels big and use Atropoeia Palette. The cover can be for an existing story that fits the required era and genre, or you can make up a completely new one (actually writing the story is optional, but we will be very impressed if you do). The cover must include the title of  the story. Including the author as well is encouraged, but can be skipped. The book must be some kind of fiction, but doesn't have to be a traditional novel; for example, a graphic novel would be allowed.

Technical requirements for this week:

Canvas Size - exactly 140 (horizontal) x 200 (vertical) pixels.
Colors - Max 48, use this palette:

Transparency - No.
Animation - No.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obXMbCNHK88