We had no intention of posting two book cover posts nearly back to back, but upon viewing designer Jim Tierney’s work, there was no avoiding it. These redesigns of Jules Verne book covers were part of Tierney’s thesis project for the University of the Arts. Visit Tierney’s walkthrough of his process on Faceout Books for more images and insights. View the video for the glory of the books’ transparency, die cuts, and pull-tab goodness.
Coraline Bickford-Smith is the senior cover designer at Penguin Books, where she has gained notoriety for her clothbound covers. In a year starting off with a fervor over e-book readers, Bickford-Smith is making a strong case for the aesthetic and tactile benefits of ink on paper. Truly, these books are individual art pieces made to adorn the shelves of book lovers and anyone who appreciates good design.
Thanks to The 99 Percent for their interview with Bickford-Smith and for introducing me to her work.
In memory of J.D. Salinger, I’m featuring an illustration of the reclusive author among a few others (below). The works are from the great blog Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time!!!, which features artists interpreting their favorite literary characters and authors.
My bookshelf is crying today.
“An artist’s only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else’s.” — J.D. Salinger
Cartoonist Darryl Cunningham is getting some well-deserved attention for his upcoming book Psychiatric Tales. The book challenges the stigma associated with mental illness and debunks commonly held stereotypes. From what he posted online so far on, it looks like a wonderfully illustrated and well-informed piece. Let’s hope this sells a lot of copies. View chapters from the book on bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
A project to publish “Designing Obama,” a chronicle of the grassroots designs of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, is underway. Support the cause or not, but it’s certainly a great effort in the name of design. Yes, design can help change the world.
I make it a regular habit of borrowing children’s books by the bushel for my daughter to read every week. She loves sorting through the pile when I bring them home. It gives her a small Christmas every week.
Last week was the announcement of the 2009 Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal awards. Of course, I borrowed as many as possible from the list of winners and nominees. One book in particular, however, caught my eye because of its illustrations: “We are the Ship” by Kadir Nelson. The book tells the story of Negro League Baseball and while you may find it in the children’s section of your library, this really is a well-researched, moving piece of literature that should be read by everyone, especially since February is Black History Month.
Nelson’s illustrations are stunning. Nelson conveys an incredible sense of mood and moment of the time. These illustrations can hang in any art gallery and easily draw in a crowd. In fact, I’d love to have a few pieces in my home. You can view and purchase some of the illustrations on Nelson’s site, www.kadirnelson.com.
The next time you are at your local library or bookstore, pick up this book and crack it open. You will catch your breath like a fastball pitched from Smokey Joe Williams. Cue Reading Rainbow theme.
