A wizard unleashing a fireball in the middle of a desperate fantasy battle

Incredible Stories · Illustrated Genre Fiction

Dungeon Raid

A fantasy adventure that needed more than a hero image. The party had to feel distinct, the world had to feel dangerous, and the rogue had to carry the story's final turn.

The Publishing Idea

Like Wolf Hunt, this project was created in partnership with Joe Ward at Goliath Coins for the growing Incredible Stories line: comic-sized illustrated fiction with one foot in old pulp storytelling and the other in modern short-form genre narrative.

Client: Goliath Coins / Joe Ward
Series: Incredible Stories
Role: Illustrator / Visual Narrative Designer
Contribution: Cover art, alternate cover art, character design, interior illustration, story analysis
Format: Comic-sized illustrated fantasy fiction
Focus: Distinct party identity, story beats, and character-led tension

The Assignment

Make the party feel like people, not classes.

The main difference between Dungeon Raid and the other Incredible Stories pieces was the cast. This was not a single-protagonist scenario. The adventuring party needed to read as a group while still giving each member a distinct personality and a believable role inside the story.

An adventuring party confronting undead enemies in a graveyard — The ensemble image establishes the group dynamic and the sense that each character contributes something different.

Character Focus

The rogue had to carry the climax.

The rogue in particular needed more deliberate character thinking than the others. He had to carry the climax and the denouement of the story, so his design and staging had to feel sharp enough to hold attention when the narrative tightened around him.

A hooded rogue struggling with a mimic chest monster — Action and personality: the rogue needed to read as resourceful, pressured, and very human inside the chaos.

A close-up of a hooded rogue holding a knife near a woman's throat — The close-up moment shows how character design has to withstand emotional scrutiny at the story's most intense turns.

Cover Direction

Two covers, two readings of the story.

I created an alternate cover centered on the paladin as well as the main cover featuring the wizard blasting his foes with a fireball spell. The wizard cover was the clear winner for action and immediate impact. The paladin version, however, made a different argument: the heroes were outmatched, and survival was not guaranteed.

Main cover for Dungeon Raid featuring a wizard blasting enemies with a fireball — Main cover: the chosen image leads with motion, power, and immediate fantasy spectacle.

Alternate Dungeon Raid cover featuring a paladin surrounded by goblins — Alternate cover: the paladin version makes the danger feel heavier and the odds less favorable.

Building the Storyworld

Interior images deepen the world around the quest.

Once the party was established, the supporting illustrations expanded the story's range: ritual moments, creature encounters, emotional aftermath, and threats that felt stranger than a simple sword fight. The goal was not to illustrate everything. It was to illustrate the moments that gave the book its specific flavor.

A king presenting a sword to a kneeling knight — An image of ceremony gives the world history and structure.

Armored soldiers and a dark fantasy antagonist in a throne room — Set-piece images give villains and locations a stronger presence on the page.

Three monstrous wormlike creatures in a ruined interior — Creature design broadens the threat beyond familiar fantasy archetypes.

A snarling wolf protecting pups in a den — Encounter images can shift from combat to unease, revealing danger through behavior and setting.

The Result

A compact fantasy story with real character weight.

Dungeon Raid gained more than a set of illustrations. It gained a party the reader could tell apart, a visual rhythm that moved between spectacle and tension, and a stronger emotional payoff because the characters had been given room to become themselves.

Adventure works best when the reader remembers who had to survive it.

The rogue cradling the fallen cleric in his arms — The rogue carries the story beyond the battle, giving the ending its emotional weight.

Every idea leads somewhere.

Continue Exploring

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