Rusty Ruins Revealed!

Posted on by scott

When I was checking out artists for Uglies: Shay’s Story, aka the Uglies Manga, there were a few key things I was looking for. Most of them, of course, had to so with drawing humans—expressions, faces, and actions, especially the sort of flying action you get with hoverboard chase scenes.

But I also wanted Shay’s Story to have the right settings. In science fiction, of course, setting is often a character. How many times have you described a science fiction movie or book by starting with something like, “It’s on this planet where . . . ” or “It’s in this future where . . . “?

The word where always plays a big role when talking about SF.

There are two main settings in the Uglies series—cities and nature. Indeed, a lot of the Uglies saga is about the relationship between the city and the wild. All four of the books start in a city, then include a voyage into and across the wild, and then return to a city in the end. The city represents control as well as civilization; the wild is danger as well as freedom. These are the two poles of the Uglies universe.

At the intersection between the city and nature is, of course, the Rusty Ruins. It’s the city that nature has taken back. It’s also the warning of what happens when humanity gets out of control. So the Ruins have to rock.

I am here to assure you that thanks to the skillz of Steven Cummings, they do:

Click here for the BIGNESS! And make sure to zoom in.

As you can see, that’s the tallest tower just ahead, where so many scenes in all the books happen. And in the big version you can see our heroes headed there on their hoverboards, surrounded by a bit of supernatural lighting so that you can see them.

It’s just one of many awesome nature/city settings that Steven has done.

Anyway, Uglies: Shay’s Story comes out March 6, which is two weeks away! That means there will be only one more reveal. What do you guys think it should be?

Feel free to think outside the box. Do you want a random special? The Smoke? A hoverboard scene? A hole-in-the-wall? Something completely different?

Let me know in the comments below.

You can pre-order Shay’s Story at Indie Bound, BarnesandNoble.com, or Amazon. Or buy it on March 6 at a proper bookstore or comics shop!

80 thoughts on “Rusty Ruins Revealed!”

  11. It seems like a lot of people put “lol” at the end of their rants when they are in no comic mood. A period works fine.

  18. I… um… dunno… *hurriedly runs to library to read series in terrible moment of Lent-induced Leviathan withdrawals*

  19. You know, scott-la, just because you called it fanart sunday a few weeks ago doesn’t give you permissionto make THAT late, too.

    Also, what this about Az and his pants?

  20. Scott, I think that you should just surprise us all!
    P.S. WHERE IS FANART FRIDAY???? * hyperventalation*

  21. I want to see the smoke! The ruins look amazing check out the detail. I really want to hoverboard the coaster!

  30. are you going to make a graphic novel for the Pretties story-and if so does it come out soon!!!

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