A little while ago, I spoke to the wonderful and talented Hannah Templer (Fisher), an artist from Seattle, USA, whose gorgeous work has appeared on numerous comic covers including the most recent Tomb Raider comic arcs, Survivor's Crusade and Inferno
It was an absolute pleasure to talk about her work across email; from the first time I saw the artwork, I instantly fell in love with it and stayed a fan since. The work has also captured the interest of the community, and stood out in the series with its bold shades and unique style.
The pieces embraced the feel of adventure and melded the classic with the reboot titles perfectly, with the character artwork feeling authentically Lara and capturing that nostalgic atmosphere that transports fans back to the earlier titles. Hannah's style blends all that with the imaginative and jaw-dropping use of colour which highlights the cover on the comic rack and brings something distinctively and uniquely "Hannah" to the pieces.
In addition to her work with the Tomb Raider series, some of Hannah's previous work include designs for Cosmoknights, Jem and the Holograms, Overgrown, Saturina Lookbook, Queer Grease Zine and Penny Candy, plus comic covers for Shadowman #6 (Valiant Comics), Jem & The Holograms: DIMENSIONS #4 (IDW), Arya #3 (Antarctic Press). She has a utterly stunning portfoilo!
Hannah very kindly took time out of her day recently to talk about the process of creating her Tomb Raider covers and her inspirations as an artist. Check out our conversation with her below!
Where did you get your passion for art and what made you want to pursue a career as an artist?
I started seriously pursuing drawing when I was 11 years old – it was actually Digimon that got me started (I loved all the monster designs and used to copy them out of a book). And when the movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire came out I was really inspired by the visuals and character designs – it was then I knew I wanted to be an artist!
What has inspired you and your styles over the years?
A lot of early 2000s movies like Treasure Planet, The Mummy, The Matrix sequels, etc. made a huge impact on me – I feel like my design sensibilities and tastes grew out of an updated take on that decade’s aesthetic. I also love the work of Gerald Brom – I used to pore over his fantasy oil paintings for hours as a kid and still reference his work regularly now when I’m looking for inspiration. I try to take the stories and characters that got me really excited as a kid and the stuff I find really self-indulgent and fun now and reshape them in my own style – often and preferably with women at the helm.
How did you become an artist for the Tomb Raider comic covers?
I believe an editor at Dark Horse came across my work a couple years ago when they were looking at new cover artists for the series. I feature strong women prominently in all my work and that’s ultimately what caught their eye!
How familiar were you with the character of Lara Croft before your work with Dark Horse?
Fairly familiar! I played the 1996 PC game when I was a kid and loved the first Tomb Raider movie (it falls right into that campy early 2000s genre I am still so fond of) – and I’ve been keeping up with the recent games and comics as well. I’ve always loved what she represents as a strong female protagonist, even more so as the handling of her character has transformed and matured over time.
Can you describe your creative process? How long does it take for you to create a cover?
Generally I receive the script or outline for the comic with one or two quick ideas for what might be on the cover from the editor. Then I sit down and come up with 3-4 rough sketches to get my ideas across. The team then picks one of those, gives me notes/feedback if they have any, and I run with it. A cover usually takes me a few days spread over three weeks or so.
How much control did you have over the cover designs?
I got a fair amount of stylistic freedom – obviously Lara had to be on model and the concept had to match the script, but after the rough initial sketches were approved I got a lot of trust for producing the artwork! My ideal way to work.
Which Tomb Raider cover was your favourite to design and why?
My favorite was #2 in the Inferno series – it’s one of the more iconic covers and came together really smoothly. I think it really showcases the character Lara has become and highlights her strength and resilience, while also playing to my own artistic strengths of bold colors and rhythmic linework. I really enjoyed working on it!
What projects can we look forward to seeing from you next?
A lot of what I’m working on is unannounced – an original graphic novel as well as lots of really cool covers! More news to come in the next few months. The best way to keep up with what I do is on Twitter (@hannahtempler).
It was an absolute pleasure to talk about her work across email; from the first time I saw the artwork, I instantly fell in love with it and stayed a fan since. The work has also captured the interest of the community, and stood out in the series with its bold shades and unique style.
The pieces embraced the feel of adventure and melded the classic with the reboot titles perfectly, with the character artwork feeling authentically Lara and capturing that nostalgic atmosphere that transports fans back to the earlier titles. Hannah's style blends all that with the imaginative and jaw-dropping use of colour which highlights the cover on the comic rack and brings something distinctively and uniquely "Hannah" to the pieces.
 |
| [Click HERE to see the full cover]. Tomb Raider Issue #13 / Issue #3 of Survivor's Crusade. |
In addition to her work with the Tomb Raider series, some of Hannah's previous work include designs for Cosmoknights, Jem and the Holograms, Overgrown, Saturina Lookbook, Queer Grease Zine and Penny Candy, plus comic covers for Shadowman #6 (Valiant Comics), Jem & The Holograms: DIMENSIONS #4 (IDW), Arya #3 (Antarctic Press). She has a utterly stunning portfoilo!
Hannah very kindly took time out of her day recently to talk about the process of creating her Tomb Raider covers and her inspirations as an artist. Check out our conversation with her below!
Where did you get your passion for art and what made you want to pursue a career as an artist?
I started seriously pursuing drawing when I was 11 years old – it was actually Digimon that got me started (I loved all the monster designs and used to copy them out of a book). And when the movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire came out I was really inspired by the visuals and character designs – it was then I knew I wanted to be an artist!
What has inspired you and your styles over the years?
A lot of early 2000s movies like Treasure Planet, The Mummy, The Matrix sequels, etc. made a huge impact on me – I feel like my design sensibilities and tastes grew out of an updated take on that decade’s aesthetic. I also love the work of Gerald Brom – I used to pore over his fantasy oil paintings for hours as a kid and still reference his work regularly now when I’m looking for inspiration. I try to take the stories and characters that got me really excited as a kid and the stuff I find really self-indulgent and fun now and reshape them in my own style – often and preferably with women at the helm.
 |
| Tomb Raider Issue #20 / Issue #4 of Inferno. |
How did you become an artist for the Tomb Raider comic covers?
I believe an editor at Dark Horse came across my work a couple years ago when they were looking at new cover artists for the series. I feature strong women prominently in all my work and that’s ultimately what caught their eye!
How familiar were you with the character of Lara Croft before your work with Dark Horse?
Fairly familiar! I played the 1996 PC game when I was a kid and loved the first Tomb Raider movie (it falls right into that campy early 2000s genre I am still so fond of) – and I’ve been keeping up with the recent games and comics as well. I’ve always loved what she represents as a strong female protagonist, even more so as the handling of her character has transformed and matured over time.
Can you describe your creative process? How long does it take for you to create a cover?
Generally I receive the script or outline for the comic with one or two quick ideas for what might be on the cover from the editor. Then I sit down and come up with 3-4 rough sketches to get my ideas across. The team then picks one of those, gives me notes/feedback if they have any, and I run with it. A cover usually takes me a few days spread over three weeks or so.
 |
| Courtesy of Hannah. Initial sketches and final design for Issue #14 / Issue #2 of Survivor's Crusade. |
How much control did you have over the cover designs?
I got a fair amount of stylistic freedom – obviously Lara had to be on model and the concept had to match the script, but after the rough initial sketches were approved I got a lot of trust for producing the artwork! My ideal way to work.
Which Tomb Raider cover was your favourite to design and why?
My favorite was #2 in the Inferno series – it’s one of the more iconic covers and came together really smoothly. I think it really showcases the character Lara has become and highlights her strength and resilience, while also playing to my own artistic strengths of bold colors and rhythmic linework. I really enjoyed working on it!
What projects can we look forward to seeing from you next?
A lot of what I’m working on is unannounced – an original graphic novel as well as lots of really cool covers! More news to come in the next few months. The best way to keep up with what I do is on Twitter (@hannahtempler).
 |
| Tomb Raider Issue #18 / Issue #2 of Inferno. |
A huge thank you to Hannah for taking the time to talk to us!
You can follow her adventures on Twitter!
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