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Despite Everything
Author: Aaron Cometbus
What we have here is a collection of some twenty odd years of Cometbus, a celebrated zine by punk rock legend, Aaron Cometbus. It is nearly impossible to find early editions of the homemade zine. Originals were mostly made by Aaron himself at copy centers, hand stapled and distributed out of his backpack. This book is a stroke of luck to all us fans out there. Aaron hand writes most of this whole thick ass book in his classic lettering as he tells us of his love for coffee and cigarettes. Sometimes the writing is embarrassing. It is idealistic and true, he spares the reader no remorse in his vivid depiction's of the punk rock lifestyle. He is a recluse romantic in love with the world and everything it has to offer. Favorite selections include the early cereal reviews, Double Deuce, Escape From the Suburbs and the Kevin Stories. If you are interested in the history of punk, girls, traveling, Greyhound busses, unique people, coffee and love, then this is for you. Only fifteen bucks for this monster. Ride the Whole Whip Cometbus. Reviewer: Brendan Foley |
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eBoy
Author: Steffen Sauerteig, Svend Smital, Peter Stemmler and Kai Vermehr
There are 511 pages (8" x 11") that serve as a sampling portfolio for the computer generated work of eBoy. It's titled Hello. Their work: low resolution, early-Nintendo-meets-Lego inspired illustrations and logos; photographic trace-n-fill-esque portraits of celebrities, friends, family, and campy centerfold girls. The work of eBoy's four German artists is inspired by Western culture. Technology, toys, video games, pornography, consumerism and human psychopathology are the heart of their work. eBoy's style is distinctive, high profile, and published internationally. Hello is schizophrenic in that it offers no table of contents, index, chapters, or assignment of imagery to the artists. It painstakingly identifies characters, illustrations, and portraits with file names. Candid photographs from the artists' travels, professional camaraderie, and family life are sprinkled throughout the book, and as an exit readers get to peruse an impressive resume of clients. |
One of the most interesting projects from this group is their eCities. Imagery is recycled into a series of aerial view illustrations of fantastical cityscapes, clad with chaos and over-saturation of the senses. The detail in these scenes is incredible and warrants scrutiny. Graffiti decorates the sides of high-rise buildings; big name companies and small time porn shop advertisements compete for your attention; people shoot one another in the street; tourists point and click their cameras; couples make out publicly, etc. The list of happenings is endless, and as a viewer, favorites are seeked out in each landscape. My champions are the lone (and very pale), male nudist sunbather; as well as a fatal and bloody shark attack. eBoy is having fun with us and Hello is worth pouring into if you indulge in patience. In order to "get it" don't try to "get it". Revisit the book often, let the imagery pass through you, and be thoughtful of the context in which the work was created. Supplement your Hello experience by exploring the company's website - www.eboy.com. Reviewer: Jennifer May Arbour |
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Rosebud No. 5
Author: Ralf Herms
You will not throw away your latest issue of Rosebud Magazine, No. 5: Mystery. Instead, you will rid your book collection of the novels that you've been meaning to read in order to feel smart, and make room for your new love: a full color, leather bound, hardcover book with gold embossing, weighing in at 473 pages, 5" x 8", and limited to an edition of 4000 copies. The contents are thematic, and the crowd of contributors is international with occupational profiles including photographers, writers, designers, illustrators, curators, and engineers. Mystery encourages you to embrace the concept of 'Mysteryland'; a world that purposely offers you opposites that shape shift when reality and fantasy co-mingle. Contributors have anywhere from four to seventeen page spreads for their submissions. The work ranges from chimerical photographic landscapes and portraits; to a series of copied receipts from an artist's purchases of self-help books, dinner, and martial counseling; to a list of psychological phobias; and then onto reading a folk tale of a Russian woman being tortured by a demon. |
The aftermath of my own Mystery experience is that reality is subjective and the creative process as a form of editing is magic and power. Rosebud's publications are award winning in the design and book-art fields. Mystery is a beautiful publication and, from the looks of previous issues, is well worth starting your own collection. Rosebud is for anyone that fancies handsome paper-bound constructs and feels friendly towards thinking about visual and literary art. Keep your eyes open for Rosebud No. 6: Public Briefing Channel, currently under production. Visit www.rosebudmagazine.com for more info. Reviewer: Jennifer May Arbour |
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Fashion and Graphics
Author: Tamsin Blanchard
Fashion and Graphics is a textbook-like showcase of package design created for the world's most prominent brands in fashion today. Featuring everything from labels to swing tags and shopping bags, Fashion and Graphics explores the eye catching and over the top product packaging that makes fashion sell. Investigating the belief that "the brand image is often more important than the product itself", Tamsin Blanchard analyzes typography, color choices, show invitations, websites, fragrances and cosmetics, and the working relationships between fashion designers and graphic designers. Included in this case study-like collection are Alan Aboud at Paul Smith, Michael Nash at Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, Trey Laird at Donna Karan, and the in-house graphic teams of Issey Miyake, Vivienne Westwood and Dolce & Gabbana. |
Accompanied by 250 color illustrations, Blanchard considers multiple design concepts from each brand's portfolio of creative marketing solutions. She is thorough in her presentation of each selected work's background history, including their conception and production processes. Layed out with generous picture space, Fashion and Graphics reads like an encyclopedia of successful package design aimed at elite and ultra-wealthy fashion collectors. Overall, the book is noteworthy in its depiction of creative brand imaging. However, it would have been exciting if the collection itself were a little more eye catching and glamorous. Instead, it is plain and rigid, something that could easily be misplaced amongst bland economics books and other collegiate texts. Nonetheless, Fashion and Graphics presents intriguing marketing solutions from some of the world's most exciting designers. An inspiring recomendation to any fashion or graphic designer aspiring to be taken seriously. Reviewer: Leonard R. Greco |
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© Velle Magazine 2005 |
