Eric Labacz Design & Illustration

03/26/2026

I had such a good time working on this illustration for Model Citizens... coming soon by author Nicholas Gray.

A quiet town. A brazen robbery.
And a squadron no one saw coming.
When gunfire erupts on Main Street, salvation arrives from the sky—a formation of remote-controlled WWII model fighter planes diving with impossible precision.
No one knows who’s flying them.
Not the police.
Not the criminals.
And certainly not the group of curious—sometimes reckless—kids who witness it all.
But when those kids uncover the truth, they discover a hidden hangar and a secret brotherhood of aging veterans, pilots and mechanics who never quite stopped defending what matters.
What begins as curiosity becomes apprenticeship.
What begins as play becomes purpose.
As the kids learn to build and fly combat-ready model aircraft, they’re forced to confront bigger questions than rivalry or mischief:
What does courage really look like?
When does fun become responsibility?
And who gets to decide what power should be used for?
Fast-paced, funny, and unexpectedly heartfelt, Model Citizens is an intergenerational adventure about friendship, mentorship, and discovering that heroes don’t need capes. Just the courage to act when it counts.
One town.
Two generations.
Defending freedom from above

02/23/2026

Pete Kramer's The Dream Factory is now ready for pre-order! https://shorturl.at/2Pb9d

When nine-year-old Jaxon Kinney’s grandfather dies, a vacation at the legendary Bixby Park seems like the perfect way for the family to heal. Based on Max Bixby’s legendary animated movies, and filled with exciting rides and colorful characters, the theme park is a magical destination – a place of wonder where dreams come true.

But behind the smiling princesses, happy tunes and bubbly fantasies – something dark has awakened.

Inside Bixby’s Dream Factory, an attraction so secret even park employees are not permitted to enter it, lies the secret of Bixby’s most ambitious project – a forbidden masterpiece that defies reason. A place where even your most extravagant fantasy can become reality – but where happily ever after may demand the ultimate sacrifice.

Blending psychological horror, dark fantasy, and haunting nostalgia, The Dream Factory probes the peril of flawless illusions, the shattering of memory, and the terrifying cost when imagination escapes all human restraint.

12/06/2025

So, for the last three months I've been illustrating a children's book for a client and I am happy and excited to share that it is available for purchase on Amazon as of today! Just in time to order for Christmas!

It's an adorable little story about a tiny tree who always gets left behind at the tree farm during Christmas. I fell in love with this little guy while illustrating him. While working on it, he reminded me of our little guy, Andrei.

Without giving away the story here are some illustration samples.

Get a copy today for your little ones and thank you for sharing and your support!

https://bit.ly/44KVOvb

11/07/2025

Going back into an old sketch done in Oregon, 2021

10/30/2025

AVAILABLE SOON: Made with Love by Dina Nicolella

As Christina prepares to launch her culinary TV show, she embarks on a quest to uncover five photographs tied to her family's past and their beloved biscotti recipe. Hidden in handwritten notes, treasured keepsakes, and faded images, she discovers love stories and long-held secrets that challenge everything she believes about her family's history.

Guided by her mother, Theresa, Christina learns that heritage is more than recipes and tradition; it's a testament to courage, sacrifice, and the dreams of those who came before.

Made With Love is a richly woven, multigenerational saga of mothers and daughters, old-world traditions, new-world dreams and a love story that ties them all together.

Debut novelist Dina Nicolella crafts a heartfelt reminder that sometimes, to forge a brighter future, we must first rediscover the past and that the most important ingredient in any recipe—and in life—is love.

Self-Publishing Consultation by Karen Hodges Miller, Open Door Publications

12/27/2024

COMING SOON: The Skyman's Legacy by Pete Kramer. Step aside Nathan Drake and Indiana Jones, here comes Skyman Cal Bannon. Such a fun cover to design and illustrate with author Pete Kramer.

Cal Bannon is no ordinary skyman. A daring operative in Sky Fleet’s covert Special Section, he is known for facing danger head-on. But when his partner, Dr. Margo “Mag” Silverfinch, vanishes under mysterious circumstances, Cal soon finds his unshakable determination and audacious risk-taking may not be enough to save her.

Thrust into a country on the brink of an explosive rebellion, with unknown forces set against him and no idea who to trust, Cal is willing to make any sacrifice to find Mag. But how can he outsmart enemies who already know his every move? And when past decisions come back to haunt him, Cal soon finds the price of his actions is far more than he can afford…

Set in a world of danger, deception and impossible choices, Cal Bannon’s adventures will grip you utterly. Because when the stakes are this high, whose lives do you gamble?

12/02/2024

Interested in publishing your book? Join me this Thursday, Dec 5, 11 am PT, 2 pm EST for a "What to Expect When Working with a Book Cover Designer" webinar hosted by the Writers and Publishers Network.

I'll walk you through the essential steps of finding and collaborating with a professional designer, how to communicate your vision, understand your genre's market, and make sure your final cover reflects the heart of your story.

We'll have some fun and there will even be a cover critique for those who submit their working or current book covers.

See you Thursday!

Join award-winning designer Eric Labacz and discover how to work with a book cover designer, from communicating your vision to navigating the design process. Submit your cover for a live critique and gain insights to make your book stand out. Submit your cover early for a live review and critique!

04/09/2024

COMING SOON: Never There by Nicole Loughan. Pre-order your copy today!

A lot of people go missing in Cedar Rapids, perplexing for a town that doesn't exist.

Michelle's life isn't going so well. She's broke, she's lonely, and the only plan on her calendar is her ten-year high school reunion. Just before the only event of the season, she gets a call from an old friend who stirs up a long-forgotten mystery, the legend of Cedar Rapids. Michelle and her former classmates went on a trip to the small town of Cedar Rapids, Michigan, in the third grade and visited a picturesque farm that exists warmly in their memories. The only problem is that's the only place it exists.

After twenty years with no trace of the enigmatic town, Michelle's friend claims to have found it, but when the call ends, just like Cedar Rapids, she disappears.

Michelle rallies her childhood friends and quirky Midwestern family to help her unravel the mystery. As they delve deeper, the haze around their memory lifts, revealing a clue to something far more sinister.

Soon, Michelle holds a secret that could destroy a whole town.

When the truth is revealed, it's beyond what anyone imagined. Michelle will have to fight her way through a cast of bad characters and a fair number of spiders to survive this tangled web. Lucky for her, she's got a secret that has always kept her safe, so far...

This twisty small-town mystery is a perfect fit for readers of Stephanie Plum novels or fans of the TV show Fargo. Never There is a cozy adjacent mystery with a dark edge and a hefty dose of humor.

https://www.amazon.com/Never-There-Nicole-Loughan-ebook/dp/B0CYJPT6QK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PCAR0SN9TNN2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yg5_kILpiE-ShKQmf132vg.Y02KEmvqQn4XhqA0ukAlao-X4K7DrcGmTIu1vmLHyb4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Never+There+Nicole+Loughan&qid=1712693386&s=books&sprefix=never+there+nicole+loughan%2Cstripbooks%2C64&sr=1-1

12/14/2023

COMING SOON: The 60th Anniversary re-release of The Beatles and Me on Tour by award winning author and journalist, Ivor Davis. Now with added photos, a new introduction and epilogue, FAQs and more!

In the summer of 1964 the Beatles embarked on a record-breaking, pandemonium-inducing tour of America. This is the first chronicle of that tour told by someone on the inside: Ivor Davis, then a young reporter for the London Daily Express.

For 34 days, he had unrestricted access to the four boys fresh from Liverpool—from their hotel suites to the concert arenas to their private jet, fending off girls’ (and their mothers’) attempts to hook up with the band, playing all-night games of Monopoly with John Lennon, ghostwriting a newspaper column for George Harrison, being there as Bob Dylan introduced them to pot.

In The Beatles and Me On Tour, Davis recounts the rip-roaring adventures of the most legendary band at a critical moment in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

https://ivordavisbooks.com

12/14/2023

NOW AVAILABLE: Dishwasher Safe by Rick Sheffield.

Once you’ve seen this side of “As Seen On TV”, you’ll never
see it the same.

The prototype of the world’s most miraculous kitchen chopper in history is missing, and Dick Lance, the smarmiest TV pitchman to ever utter, “But wait, there’s more!” is the prime suspect. In the highly competitive (and sometimes dangerous) world of Direct Response Advertising, Lance is at the top of his game, but when he disappears into an alligator-filled canal, the search for the missing device takes on life or death importance.

His wife, Kristen, is filled with grief, but not quite certain she wants her offensive hubby found. What Kristen doesn’t know is that she is being stalked by a sinister duo of wannabe ninja thugs who are willing to stop at nothing to get the missing miracle product back to Hong Kong.

The twisted trail leads from a TV studio in Ohio to the dank swamps of Florida to the glitz of Palm Beach, and beyond. Alligators, TV hucksters, tourist traps, kidnappers, speech-challenged TV starlets, and erotic art all combine in this comedy/thriller recipe that would challenge the best non-stick cookware. Once you’ve seen this side of “As Seen On TV”, you’ll never see it the same.

In the spirit of Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry, this laugh-out-loud mystery will keep you guessing til the end.

https://amzn.to/4aieFPx

Self-Publishing consultation by Karen Hodges Miller, Open Door Publications