MUCH better.

It’s always nice to get a bit of vindication. As you might know, we’re running a contest that tasks you with replacing that gorram-awful leather catsuit artists are CONSTANTLY portraying Mara Jade in (seriously go check it out, we’ve already gotten some awesome submissions). Just yesterday, EUCantina posted an interview they conducted with Random House art director Scott Biel. One of the questions posed was quite relevant to what we’ve been up lately.

EUC: Mara Jade Skywalker is generally depicted wearing a catsuit. Why do you think that particular outfit is popular? If you could design a cover with a different outfit, what would Mara Jade wear instead?

SB: I’m not sure if it’s necessarily popular, but I feel it’s depicted like that because it’s become her de facto costume (similar to superhero costumes). On the paperback cover for Choices of One, Daryl Mandryk took the initiative and redesigned it in his illustration. By adding some armor and making the suit more functional it becomes a more practical interpretation.

(emphasis added)

See? SEE!? That catsuit is utterly impractical! Combat armor? That makes way more sense, and props to Scott and Daryl Mandryk for going ahead and portraying Mara that way.

To read the rest of the interview, head on over to EUC.