For Finders Keepers character details, analysis and comments, click the thumbnails below ...

Russ's Notes:

From the very beginning, I wanted to include some pretty snazzy illustrations of the main characters in FINDERS KEEPERS. So I finally put up an advertisement on craigslist, and also on the job board of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In total I got more than 100 responses in the first week alone--and about 125 responses overall! Some of the applicants were art students, some were comic book illustrators and some were successful commercial illustrators. There was a lot to choose from.

The funny thing for me, is that, in my head, I had a pretty good idea of the style I was looking for--a sort of photo realism, where the illustrations looked more lifelike than cartoonish. But after I saw a few dozen samples online and got some feedback, I realized that I had it all wrong! I actually wanted something more cartoonish, more ... comic book-like, if I'm explaining myself right (which I'm probably not!). But the one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted the illustrations to be bright, colorful and fun.

And then along comes 20-year-old Mike Lunsford, an art student from the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, which is one of the most prestigious illustration schools in the country, and a staple of comic book artists in particular. I told Mike what I was looking for, and he delivered--HUGE--as you'll see for yourself. (And if you want to see more of Mike's work, you'll find a link to his online portfolio on my LINKS page).

Also, with each illustration I've provided a little background about the character, why I gave Mike certain instructions for the design, and added a little section that's like the back of their baseball card, with their key stats. It's the baseball geek in me. I just couldn't help myself.

Enjoy!