Inspired by her interest in the publishing industry, Maja Szumilas decided to explore the world of ‘Snotgirl’, a young adult comic book series. This project required three hypothetical front cover designs in response to the series by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung. As a fan, Szumilas was familiar with the work, and created each design to focus on a specific theme relevant to the plot.

The first cover reflects on the theme of ‘Hidden Identity’, presenting Lottie Person, the protagonist, through the reflection of a compact mirror. Although the limited shot distorts her identity, the audience of Snotgirl are able to identify the character by her intense allergies, which is a trait she tries to conceal throughout the series.

Fashion magazine covers, such as Vogue and Elle, influenced her second cover ‘Social Influencer’. This design reflects on the main character’s profession as a fashion blogger, while the text alludes to the darker elements of the story.

Szumilas created ‘Murder’ to represent the relationship between Lottie and one of the other characters, Caroline. The cover conveys the violence and death surrounding the characters. At first glance, the scene seems innocent, with one girl applying red lipstick to the other. But upon further inspection, the red stains surrounding them resemble blood.