Adam Hughes on the ‘Fairest’ Wraparound Cover of Them All [Art + Issue #1 Preview]

On sale now from Vertigo is Fairest #1, the first issue of the latest spinoff from Bill Willingham's popular and hugely acclaimed Fables series. The new book stars Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and, in Willingham's words, anyone who could be interpreted as "fairest in the land." Announced at the Fables panel at last year's Comic-Con International in San Diego, Fairest will feature covers by Adam Hughes, who is of course famous for his depictions of beautiful women.

Over at the newly relaunched Vertigo website, Hughes and Fairest editor Shelly Bond discussed the creation of the first issue's gorgeous wraparound cover, and the artist remarked upon each of the ladies seen on the cover. That plus a preview of Fairest #1, Phil Jimenez's variant cover and even more artwork after the cut.Hughes told Bond that one thing he almost always does when preparing a cover illustration is determine the primary color of the piece. "Once I know what color it is, I know that all other colors in the palette will be subordinate to it," he said. Hughes also said he created the Fairest cover by sketching life models, rendering the drawings in COPIC marker, and "painted" the work in Photoshop.

Adam Hughes also wrote some lines for the women of Fairest:

1: The Snow Queen: Seriously? The BACK cover? Am I not hot enough for the front?
2: Cinderella: Here! I think THESE will fit even YOUR enormous clown feet...!
3: Princess Alder: If I'd known, I'd've grown myself some pants.
4: Beauty: I guess some us actually NEED our beauty rest...
5: Ali Baba: I never realized how blonde this place was.
6: Miss Leigh Duglas (Nurse Spratt): Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesomely thin I am. Now.
7: Bo Peep: THIS stuff can wake the dead!
8: Rapunzel: Can we speed this up? I have a haircut at 3.
9: Snow White: Wakey-wakey! Eggs and bakey!
10: Briar Rose, our Sleeping Beauty: I'm up, I'm up. Give a girl a minute, hunh?
11: Rose Red: You snore, you know that? Something fierce.
12: Ozma: We're not getting any younger, you know!
13: The Book: The title is: "Hair Care Do's & Don'ts For Narcoleptics"
14: Thumbelina: I'm a big fan of small talk, but let's get this party started!

Adam Hughes covers are auspicious enough, but Fairest has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to art. The inaugural arc will be drawn by Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning (from a script by Bill Willingham), and the second by Inaki Miranda (from a script by Lauren Beukes). Shawn McManus, co-creator with writer Chris Roberson of the two Cinderella miniseries, the Eisner-nominated From Fabletown With Love and Fables Are Forever, will also continue to tell that character's stories within the pages of Fairest.

The first Fairest arc follows the misadventures of Briar Rose after she is stolen away by the goblin army, and issue #1 is on sale now in finer comics shops as well as in the new Vertigo digital comics app and web store from comiXology. Check out a preview below, with some bonus art from future issues of Fairest.