Create Eye-Popping 3D Posters of Your Favorite Comic Book Covers

I love comic book covers, and I’m sure many of you do too!

In the realm of pop-culture, comic book covers are an amazing medium to tell a story and entice people’s interests with a single eye-catching image. With comics, you can and should judge a book by its cover.

Comic book covers are timeless. Even if you’re not a comic book fan, I bet you know what Action Comics #1 (1^st Superman) and Amazing Fantasy #15 (1^st Spider-man) look like. These covers capture the imagination and reflect great moments in history.

The myriad of covers throughout the decades that are controversial, thought-provoking, emotional, and action-packed are endless. Now there’s variant cover promotions where one comic book has a ton of ‘limited edition print’ variations by different artists. And who can forget (as hard as I do try) the dreadful covers of the 90s. These were die-cut, embossed, holographic, lenticular, mass-produced messes meant to raise sales during the industry’s darker years. Every industry has those ‘desperate for sales’ days.

To celebrate the overall wonder and impact of great comics, (and just for the fun of it) I have been making 3D cardboard renditions of well-known covers from the past. Everything looks better in 3D. When you can take an already beautiful comic book cover and make it pop out at people, that cover can really be eye-opening to the deeper visual messages within.

Welcome to the world of handmade 3D comic book covers perfect for wall display!

The first cover I made was She-Hulk #1 from 1980. I feel She-Hulk doesn’t get the respect or coverage she deserves. She-Hulk was one of the first female Marvel superheroes to get her own solo ongoing book. She-Hulk #1 was one of my first comics as a child and I still cherish it to this day. So, for you Ms. Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk’s alter ego), this is your spotlight!

Deciding to stay with famous first appearance covers, my designs so far include Batman Adventures #12 (1^st Harley Quinn), New Mutants #98 (1^st Deadpool) and Action Comics #1 (1^st Superman). FYI — John Byrne’s Next Men #21 (1^st Hellboy) is next on my list to make.

Each cover is roughly 235% larger than the original cover. The process involves making a clean and detailed poster-sized print of the cover, backing that image onto Bristol board to strengthen it, carefully cutting out each character and logo meant to stick out, tracing each cut-out onto cardboard, and gluing each cut-out onto their respective cardboard tracings. Once the glue dries and a string is attached on the backside, the works are ready for wall display.

These 3D comic book covers are not hard to make and I do encourage comic fans to take the time to make their own rendition of a favorite cover. When you see it hanging there on your wall, you will appreciate not only the work you put into it, but the beauty of the cover itself!

Happy cardboard crafting!

Side perspective

Front perspective.

Side perspective.

Front perspective.

Side perspective.

Front perspective.