I was familiar with Qistina’s work through her comic covers from her stunning collection of personal work. I’d also seen a few of her comic covers for BOOM! Studios. Every piece of hers has such rich textures, blending traditional and digital aesthetics to new heights. When I asked what titles she’d love to produce a poster for, Neon Genesis Evangelion was near the top of her list.

Evangelion is a challenging property to make a poster for — there are so many different iterations and storylines to consider. I didn’t want the art to be overstuffed with references, and was glad to find Qistina was also interested in a simpler, more elegant approach.

I was initially hesitant to see these animated characters rendered in a more realistic way. However, Qistina managed to ground the characters in their own sort of reality, providing a great contrast to the more expressive EVAs behind them.

We spent a while on this one trying to sharpen the title treatment. It was clear a strong title would help unify the artwork, but we couldn’t find the perfect design. Luckily Petit Coeur was willing to offer his assistance, delivering a sleek title/credits treatment that honored the Japanese origins of the show.