Judas Priest: Screaming for Vengeance — 40th Anniversary Graphic Novel

Role: Design direction, cover and interior design, and vinyl packaging design

Created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Screaming for Vengeance, this graphic novel draws on the visual legacy of one of heavy metal’s most iconic albums. The editor commissioned new cover artwork by Jan Meininghaus, and I developed the larger design system around it. I wanted the book to retain the intensity of the original album while giving it a cleaner, more contemporary presentation. The finished design combines retro-futurist influences with a modern editorial approach across the book and its accompanying formats.

Project Responsibilities:

• Cover & Slipcase Design: I designed the deluxe slipcase and cover, along with the spine and back cover for the standard edition. The challenge was to create a cohesive system across both formats while working within the constraints of the licensed artwork and established branding. I added a splatter treatment to the existing Judas Priest logo to connect it with the textures in Meininghaus’s artwork and make it feel integrated into the composition. (Standard edition spine and back cover images to come.)

• Interior Design: I designed the gallery pages, title spread, indicia, and custom endpapers. A limited color palette and recurring lightning motifs carry the energy of the album throughout the book. Several pages incorporate original linework by Christopher Mitten, which I recolored, layered, and composited to fit the book’s visual identity while preserving the character of the original artwork.

• Vinyl LP Design: I also designed the vinyl sleeve and label, extending the book’s visual system into the accompanying music release.
  
  Available now from Z2 Comics