Thanks for this post.

Some of these illustrations impress me. I don't know if there's a convenient way to link to specific examples, but I'm going to try.

Let me start of with:

The model really nailed her expression. If this were a stage play, I would say this actress has "stage presence." Not only does she make the audience look at her, she makes the audience look at her and imagine her as a character.

The very artistic painting, apparently by Andy SIlvers, is sufficiently good at the details that I don't notice a lot of the inconsistencies:

The overall presentation makes it look like a 1940s pulp novel cover, which I assume is exactly the effect that the artist wanted. A lot of the details synergize at first glance: the bare midriff, the car in the background, the make-up suggesting lower-class status. Other details don't merge smoothly: the belt of machine-gun cartridges doesn't make sense, and the revolver seems to have a .22 barrel, out of line with its .38 cylinder. But the overall effect is so striking that it comes together and inspires before I notice any niggling inconsistencies.

The flip side is this following image:

The model is doing her best, but the costume takes away from the total effect. The heavy-metal spikes don't contribute to my suspension of disbelief. The technical details might be excellent, but I don't believe in this character. The inconsistencies are minor, but somehow I don't believe in the story this image is telling.