Cover Contest Topics - list created by the one and only wonderful Hondobrode     (and updated in recent years by me)


Note:   
BOLD = recent topics (2022-2024)--we probably shouldn't re-use these recent ones anytime soon.
 

Topics
# 1-12   We've done this twice, most recently in Sept. 2024  (series lasting only a dozen issues or fewer)
$1 cover dollar cover price  (one dollar cover price)
10 cent cover price
2nd from the last issue (penultimate issue)
25 cents - Still Only (Marvel)
35 cents - Still Only (Marvel)
4th Wall - Breaking It
9 - cover from a decade ending in 9 ranging from 1939 - 2009's first quarter
10th issue  OR  12th issue
17th issue
18th issue
100th issue
1940's Jungles
1950's escapism - sci-fi and monsters
1950’s style sci-fi
1950's - Kirby covers
1969 - summer of '69 (cover-dated June, July, or August 1969)
1975
1988
80s excess (1980s)
80-page Giants/Annuals, 64 page Giants/Annuals, etc.
99   covers of issue #99

Accidents
ACG  -  American Comics Group
Action Comics # 1 homage
Action Comics covers
Action Comics - covers BEFORE June 1938 Action #1
Adams, Neal - cover
Adams, Neal - non DC/Marvel covers
Adaptations
Ads, Banner
Adult - Oops I did it again
Airplane
Alan Moore stories
Alien - bizarre
Alone, Lost or Forlorn
Alter Ego
Alumni of the Kubert School (cover drawn by)
American Comics Group - ACG
American flag
Ancient Rome
Anderson, Murphy - Hawkman
Animals
Animals who talk / talking animals
Anniversary covers
Aparo, Jim
Apes non-DC
April showers
Archers
Archie Andrews and / or the gang
Arms, multiple - humans, robots, space aliens who have more than 2 arms
Arrested --getting arrested by law enforcement authorities and led away in fetters/similar restraints
Art supplies
Artists - female
Artists and painters
Astronauts
Atomic - covers that include the word "Atomic"
Attorneys in action
Australia
Automobiles/Cars -In-Motion (and-Under-Their-Own-Speed)
Autumn / Autumn Times

Babe - sci-fi
Babes
Baby
Baker, Matt
Balloons - Word / Speech
Bands and Musical Groups, real or fictional
Banner Ads
Baseball
Batman with a super villain
Battles - classic
Beach, beaches
Bears
Beatniks
Beefcake - strapping hunks!
Bees, wasps, yellowjackets, hornets (note: not the human characters who are named after such)
Behind Bars
Bernie Wrightson cover
Betrayal
Betty or Veronica (one or the other--not both--on an Archie-related cover)
Bicycles
Bill Everett
Bird's eye view
Birthdays
Birth Year - covers from your year of birth
Bizarre alien
Black characters featured
Black Panther / T'Challa
Blimps
Blood
Boats with sails
Boats, canoes, rafts or any other watercraft propelled by oars, paddles, poles, etc. (no yachts or sailboats)
Bob Brown
Bob Oksner
Bodies - non-Adonis
Bolland, Brian
Bondage
Bondage tied up
Book(s)
Booths, telephone
Bowling
Breaking the 4th Wall
Breaking Through Walls / Crashing Through Walls
Breyfogle, Norm
Brian Bolland 
Brides
Bridges
Bromance
Bronze or Silver age
Brown, Bob 
Buckler, Rich 
Buddies
Bugs / Insects
Building
Buildings - spooky
Buscema, John 
Buscema, Sal
Buses, coaches, trains, trams, monorail, taxis and any other form of public transport

Cakes
Cameras
Canada
Candles
Candy
Canoes, boats, rafts or any other watercraft propelled exclusively by oars, paddles, poles, etc. No sailing ships or yachts.
Captain Marvel - Fawcett covers only
Captains
Cards
Cardy, Nick
Carnival
Carry That Weight - carrying another person
Cars/Automobiles-In-Motion (and-Under-Their-Own-Speed)
Cartoons, Saturday morning - we've done this twice, most recently in Jan. 2024
Castles
Cat fight
Cat person - female
Cats
Caught in the act
Cavemen
Caverns
Caves
Celebrities
Chairs - excluding electric chairs
Character, established - as Santa Claus
Character - mystery
Character - winged
Character in a costume not their own (non standard, unusual costume)
Characters from different comic book companies appearing together in a crossover
Characters looking directly at/facing the reader
Charlton bullseye logo
Chefs
Chess
Chillin'
Choices
Chris Sale
Christmas Spirit
Christmas Trees
Christmas: Santa Claus (or someone dressed as him) going up or coming down a chimney, on a roof, etc.
Chronological - Years as numbers physical part of the art work
Circus
Classroom
Classic battles
Classic Classics - classic work of literature: novel, play, poem
Clocks
Clowns
Clutches/ "In My Clutches": people who cannot keep their hands, paws, etc., to themselves
Coffins
Coins
Colan, Gene
Cole, L.B. 
Colletta, Vince
Collector Issue--must explicitly state on the cover that this is a collector/collector's/etc. issue
Comic characters are jerks
Comics in the cover
Comic strips  - comic books featuring and titled after characters who originated in comic strips
Comix (underground comix)
Computers
Construction - under
Cooking
Cops
Costumes - non-standard, unusual
Costumes - debut of new costume (such as Green Arrow, Black Widow, Wonder Girl)
Couples - featured prominently on the cover
Cover characters looking directly at / facing the reader
Creatures - weird
Creig Flessel
Crocodiles
Crosshairs
Crossovers (featuring characters from different comic book companies)
Crowns
Crowds
Crying


D & D-style cover
Dancing
Daughters
David vs Goliath
Death and taxes
Declarations of independence (characters declaring their independence)
Deep Sea Diving / Divers
Deformed/disfigured/ugly/interesting faces only a mother could love
Demonstrations / protests
Detectives
Devil
Dialogue
Dinosaurs, Dentistry with humans caught in their mouths
Dirigibles
Disasters, natural
Ditko, Steve
Divers
Diving
Djinns & Genies
Dodging - heroes or villains dodging projectiles, etc.
Dogs
Don Heck
Doom - covers that contain the four letter word "DOOM" somewhere on the cover. (Doesn't necessarily have to be in the title.)
Doors
Doubles (also see below: Duplicates/Multiples)
Dragons
Drawing
Dressing Up
Drinking
Drink Up
Ducks
Duplicates/Multiples/Doppelgangers


Eagles
Earth's moon (its surface)
Earth-2
Eclipse Comics
Eggs
Egyptian
Eighties (1980s)
Eisner, Will
Elections & voting
Electric Chair
Electricity
Empire State Building
Empty silhouette
European original covers
Everett, Bill
Evil Hand
Executions
Explosion
Exposed secret identities
Eyes


Face only a mother could love - interesting/deformed/disfigured/ugly faces
Faces - beautiful
Facing the Reader / Cover characters facing the reader
Fairies / faeries / leprechauns
Falling / Falling to Your Doom
Falling Snow
Fat
Fathers / Father's Day
Faux giants
Favorite classic non-Marvel or non-DC corporate-owned characters
Fawcett Comics
Female artists
Fighting each other - girls, women, men
Filipino Artists
Firefighting - firefighters (incl. superheroes in firefighting uniforms), fire engines/trucks, firefighting vehicles or paraphernalia
Fishing
Flags
Flaming Locks - redheaded characters
Flessel, Creig
Floating heads
Flowers
Flying Saucers / UFOs
Forest Fires and wildfires
Forlorn
Fox / Fox Publications / Victor Fox
Frankenstein
Fresh start
Friendship
Frogs & toads
Frozen
Funerals
Funny monsters
Future Tech


Gaiman, Neil
Gambling
Gangsters
Gargoyles
Gems
Gene Colan
Genies & djinns
Genre mashup
George Perez covers with only 5 or fewer characters
Ghosts, white - a white figure meant to be a ghost, a phantom, a spectre, any sort of alabaster apparition
Giants (people)
Giant comic books: Annuals, Specials, 80 page Giants, 64 page Giants, etc.
Gil Kane 
Girls beautiful
Girls fighting
Godzilla
Going to the Movies
Gold
Gold Key Covers
Gone Fishing
Good scientists
Goodbye
Graphic Novel - original graphic novel (not a collection of previously printed stories)
Grass
Graveyard
Green character – green featured in their name
Grell, Mike
Guitars
Gun - superhero with a ...

Hamburgers and other fast food (note: we've also done Hot Dogs in the recent past)
Hands
Hands – Evil hands
Hand tools 
Hats   (Note: "Hats" in May 2023--and we did "Top Hats" in Dec. 2022)
Hawkman by Murphy Anderson
Heads - floating
Hangin' Out
Health, Mental
Hearts - featuring a heart; can be stylized, be part of a logo, playing card, part of a caption, or even an actual heart.
Heat - too darn hot
Heath, Russ
Heck, Don
Helicopters
Here I come to save the day
Hero vs Hero
Heroes or villains dodging projectiles, etc.
Hiding - people hiding from others
High wire, tightropes, trapeze
Hippies
History
Holding You - characters holding other characters, such as carrying the injured, cradling the deceased, embracing the beloved
Hole in space
Holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving
Holmes, Sherlock
Homage - Action Comics # 1
Homages
Horses
Horseback riding - the focus must be on actually riding a horse--not just a horse by itself
Horseback riding "NOT" -  riding any sort of creature except for a horse
Hot dogs - (we previously had "hot dogs" by themselves and in Nov. 2023, "Hamburgers and other fast food")
Hot, too darn
House in the title
Hugs
Hulk 
Hypnotized


I quit
Identity crisis
Identities revealed & exposed/secret identities revealed (we've done this a couple of times, most recently Feb/Mar 2023)
Illness
Image founders/Image 7 – covers by Image founders (this has been done this TWICE within a single year)
Improbable Vehicles
"In My Clutches": people who cannot keep their hands, paws, tentacles and claws to themselves
In the Shadows
Infinity cover
Insects / Bugs
Introduction (new member to team or book)
Issue 17
Issue 18

Jack O' Lanterns
Jail
James Bond – style
Jerk comic book characters
Jewels
John Buscema 
John Severin
JSA - Justice Society of America
Judges
Juggernaut
June 1938 - covers before June 1938's Action #1
Jungle 1940's
Justice Society of America - JSA



Kaluta, Mike 
Kane, Gil 
Kevin O'Neill
Killer Fish / Sharks
Kilts
King Features Syndicate characters
King Kong
Kirby character, solo, created solely by Jack, interior art illustrated by another artist besides Jack Kirby
Kirby cover
Kirby 1950s covers
Kissing
Knights
Knives
Knockout game
Kubert, Joe
Kubert School Alumni
Kung Fu

Laboratories
Laborers - covers featuring characters laboring--i.e., working hard to build something, to move something, to carry something, to fix something
Last issue published - not to exceed # 24
Ladders
Landmarks - real-life, commonly recognized landmarks 
Laughter
Lawyers in action
L.B. Cole 
Lee, Stan
Legion of Super-Heroes
Leprechauns /fairies /faeries
Let there be light
Light
Lightning
Ligne Claire
Lipstick
Logo - as Part of the Cover
Look Out ! There's a monster behind you
Looming
Looney Tunes
Lost
Love on the rocks


Mafia
Magic
Mano a mano - men fighting each other
Marie Severin
Marvel Comics - Still Only 25/35 cents!
Mash-ups - genre
Matt Baker
Medicine
Mego's
Meltdown
Melting
Men - beefcake
Men - men fighting each other, mano a mano
Mental Health
Mer-people (mermaids/mermen)
Mice / Mouse
Mike Kaluta 
Mike Mignola
Mike Zeck
Mini / Miniature people
Mirrors and reflections - we've done this twice, most recently in Nov. 2023
Mobsters
Mod
Monochrome
Monocles
Money
Monsters - funny
Monsters - sea
Monsters - strange
Monsters - Universal
Moon
Moon, Earth's
Moore, Alan - stories
Mothers
Motorcycles
Movie Screen
Movies
Mummies
Multi-Panel cover
Multiple arms - humans, robots, space aliens who have more than 2 arms
Multiples/Duplicates/Doppelgangers
Mushroom Clouds
Musical Groups and Bands, real or fictional
Musical notes
Mystery character
Mythological figures/stories - excluding Thor and Hercules

Natural Disasters
Nazi - Punching a Nazi
Neal Adams
Neal Adams non-DC/Marvel
Neil Gaiman
New member (introduction, new member on team)
New beginnings
New Covers on Reprints
New York City - NYC landmarks, NYC pizza , etc.
Newspapers
Nick Cardy
Ninjas
No pain no gain
Non-Adonis
Non-Big Two favorite classic character
Nooses - as in gallows
Not on Earth / Way Out of This World: depicting a scene not on or even near our home planet Earth
Not You ! It Can't Be YOU !
Notes, musical
Numbers - Years physically part of the art work
Nuptial Nightmares
Nurses


Obese
Obscure or stupid villains
Ocean
Offices/scenes taking place in an office
Oksner, Bob
One shots - single issue produced
O'Neill, Kevin
Oops I did it again (adult)
Our Pal Sal -- Sal Buscema!
Out For the Count
Out on the Town
Outcast and rejected heroes
Overweight


Pacific Comics
Pain
Painters and artists
Painting
Paradise - tropical
Party
Penultimate issue - cover of the next-to-last issue of series
People - presidents, real life, small
Perez, George - cover
Perez, George - covers with 5 or fewer characters
Pets
Photo cover
Picture of a comic pictured
Pigs
Pin-Ups & Portraits (see Portraits below)
Pipes  (smoking pipes)
Pirates
Plants
Platonic relationship
Playing cards
Pointed ears (excluding animals)
Police (we've done this twice)
Portraits & Pin-Ups that show the main character(s) of the book, but that do NOT describe any of the story or action within
Presidents
Prison
Promotional comics not selling a product
Protests / demonstrations
Public transport such as buses, coaches, trains, trams, monorail, taxis and any other form of public transport
Pumpkins
Punching
Punching a Nazi
Puppets

Quitting

Rabbits
Rafts, boats, canoes, or any other watercraft propelled exclusively by oars, paddles, poles, etc. No sailing ships or yachts.
Rain
Rainbow
RATS!
Re-invention
Redheaded characters /"Flaming Locks" 
Real people
Reflections and mirrors - we've done this topic twice, most recently in Nov. 2023
Rejected and outcast heroes
Relaxing
Religion
Reprints with New Covers
Retro cover
Rings 'n' things - rings - various "ring" definitions
Ripped, Torn, Tattered, Shredded
Robot
Rodeos
Roller coasters
Rome, ancient
Romita Sr, John
Rooftops
Royalty
Russell, P. Craig

Sail boats
Sal Buscema
Sale, Chris
Santa Claus - established character dressed as
Santa Claus (or someone dressed like him) going up or coming down a chimney; or on a roof
Saturday morning cartoons/heroes--  we've this done twice, most recently in Jan. 2024
Save - here I come to save the day
Scene of the Crime
School
Sci-Fi 1950's style
Sci-Fi babe
Scientists - good
Sea monster
Second from the last issue
Secret identities revealed/exposed (we've done this a couple of times, most recently in Feb/March 2023)
Severin, John
Severin, Marie
Sewers
Shadows, In the
Sharks / Killer Fish
Shattering things
She-Cat
Sherlock Holmes
Short series # 1-12
Showdowns
Sienkiewicz, Bill
Silhouette
Silhouette - empty
Silhouette mystery character
Silly covers (unintentionally silly--so, not from a humor mag such as Not Brand Echh, Mad, Archie, etc.)
Silver or Bronze age (elements of both)
Simonson, Walt 
Skeletons
Skiing
Skull
Slaine the Berserker
Slap
Small people
Smashing/"Simply Smashing" - someone with a closed fist punching/smashing/hitting an inanimate object 
Smoking
Snakes
Snow falling
Songs
Space - hole in
Speech Balloons
Speech Balloon- only ONE speech balloon on the cover
Spider
Spies
Spirit of Christmas
Split face
Split-screen covers featuring 2 or more stories
Spooky structures
Spotlights
Spy
Stage - characters on a stage
Stagecoaches
Stairs
Starlin, Jim 
Stars (celestial)
Starting over
Statue of Liberty
Stepping Out
Still Only 25 / 35 cents ! (Marvel)
Strange Monsters
Structures - spooky
Submarines
Suitcases
Summer of '69: comics cover-dated June, July, or August 1969
Sunglasses
Superhero with a gun
Superhero vs Superhero
Superman - This looks like a job for ...
Superman helped me sell my book
Superman pose
Superstitious - very superstitious
Swords
Syringes


T'Challa, the Black Panther
Talking Animals
Targeted - a character being targeted by someone; seen through a sight, reflected in it, or just anything indicating that someone is gunning for them!
Taxes
Team picture
Team-Ups - teams
Team-Ups - unique
Team team-ups
Tears
Teeth
Television
Telephone booths
Tennis
Thanksgiving
This looks like a job for…
Threats, with word balloon
Throttling
Tied Up
Tigers
Tightropes, trapeze, high wire
Toads & Frogs
Tombstones
Tools - hand tools
Top Hats (Dec. 2022...and "Hats" in May 2023)
Torch-wielding characters
Tortoises, turtles
Train
Transformations, weird
Transitions
Transparency
Trapped
Trapped in another body
Treasury cover
Tribute
Trophy
Tropical paradise
Trucks
Truman, Tim
Two on One - two characters against one character...two characters facing one character...two fighting over one character, etc.
Turkeys / Thanksgiving
Turtles, tortoises
TVs


UFOs - Flying Saucers
Umbrellas
Under construction
Underground - as in taking place under the ground ("comics that happen below the surface of the Earth...subways, sewers)
Underground Comix
Underwater diving / divers
Unintentionally silly covers (so, not from a humor mag such as Not Brand Echh, Mad, Archie, etc.)
Unique team-ups
Universal monsters
Upside down - characters who are upside down on the cover

Vacation destinations and relaxation
Vampires
Vehicles, Improbable
Versus - characters and their alter egos
Veterans at peace
Victor Fox / Fox Publications
Villains helping or teaming up with heroes
Villain, a special guest villain who doesn't normally face that hero or team/unexpected
Vince Colletta
Vinyl records
Voodoo
Voting


Walking - Walk this way
Walt Simonson 
Wanted Dead or Alive / Wanted Posters
War is Hell!- your favorite war comic covers...featuring soldiers in action or at play.
Wasps, bees, yellowjackets, hornets (note: not the human characters who are named after such)
Way Out of This World - depicting a scene not on or even near our home planet Earth
Weather
Weddings
Weddings - Nuptial Nightmares
Weird creatures
Weird transformations
Werewolf / Werewolf-ish
Westerns - the wild west
White cover
White ghosts - a white figure meant to be perceived as a ghost, a phantom, a spectre, alabaster apparition, etc.
Wildfires / Forest Fires
Wind
Window-peeping
Windsor-Smith, Barry 
Wine
Winged character
Wings
Witches (non superhero)
Wolf / wolves 
Womance
Women artists
Women fighting
Women with guns
Women Heroes
Women /girls only
Women throwing punches
Women villainesses
Women warriors
Wonder Woman
Word Balloons
Word Balloon - covers with just ONE word balloon on the cover
Word balloon, someone making threats (with dramatic word balloon)
Wraparound cover
Wrenching - handyman tools
Wrightson, Bernie - cover
Writers


Xmas spirit
Xmas trees

Year of birth - covers from your year of birth
Year of the Pig
Years built into the cover
Yellow - covers that have a yellow background
Yellowjackets, bees, wasps, hornets (note: not the human characters who are named after such)
Youths in action


Zeck, Mike
Zeppelins
Zodiac