How to use this Page

For those interested, the Font Nerd Table comic above is now available as a greeting card in my card shop.

I do admit that I over-used Comic Sans and Papyrus when they first came out. Fontfaces are so much like fashion, aren't they? You have the basic fontfaces which never seem to go out of style, like Helvetica and Times Roman. But then there are the trendy fonts which are massively popular for a short period of time but then fall by the wayside.

Like Comic Sans. And speaking of Comic Sans, here's my favorite Comic Sans music video ever:

Insider kidlit trivia: Andrew Huang, who makes a guest appearance as a rapper in the video above, is also the voice in Greg Pincus's book trailer for The 14 Fibs Of Gregory K.

And yes, I'm a font nerd. And here's my favorite Comic Sans song ever:

By Liz Clarke

The illustration of a graphic history begins with the author’s script. There are two aspects to turning that script into artwork. It’s both a story, calling for decisions to be made about the best way to present the narrative visually, and a history, rooted in fact and raising questions about what the places and people (and their furniture and transportation and utensils) would actually have looked like.

A sketch of Esther Mendoza, wife of Daniel Mendoza. Courtesy of Liz Clarke. Used with permission.

It’s unlikely that we’ll find perfect answers to all of these questions, particularly in a pre-photography age like the late 18th century, when Daniel Mendoza was at the height of his boxing career. Some subjects offer a wealth of images. Some, like a number of the places Mendoza frequented in London, still exist today. I was able to work from current photographs of locations including Mendoza’s house in Paradise Row, the cemetery where he is buried, and the exterior of the White Hart Inn. We had several images of Mendoza himself to refer to, thanks to his celebrity status. We knew what he looked like at different points in his life, how tall he was and how much he weighed. We knew about his fighting style from newspaper reports, artwork, and from his own instructional writing.

However, other subjects may not have been recorded in an image or even in a written description at the time. If records were made, they may not have survived. This means we have to cast the net wider. There are many sources of general information available that allow a lateral approach — records of people and places with shared characteristics, surviving artefacts and garments, artwork and documents from the time. There was nothing definite to work from in the case of Mendoza’s wife Esther, but we could ask what a woman like Mendoza’s wife would have looked like. How would a woman similar in age, class, and religion to Esther have dressed and worn her hair? We could then blend fact and imagination to arrive at a concept sketch of Esther, which allowed us to agree on how we would depict her.

A page from Mendoza the Jew, showing the process from the sketch stage to the final piece. Courtesy of Liz Clarke. Used with permission.

Once we have enough information, each page is planned in detail. I’ll decide on the composition of the whole page, and of the contents of each panel on the page. There are choices to make about viewpoint (for example, if the scene is going to be presented from a low angle, looking up at it, or a high angle, looking down on it, which creates two very different effects), how to draw attention to the pivotal point in the scene, the characters’ body language and expressions, if they aren’t already defined by the script, and how to convey the themes of the book. This layout sketch is the most important stage in the illustration of a page.

Once the author has approved the sketch, I draw it in ink as line art and prepare this to be coloured digitally. Colour and the nature and direction of the light can also contribute to the storytelling. For example, the desaturated colours at the beginning of an exchange between Mendoza and Humphries, when Mendoza is not at his best, gradually become brighter and warmer by the end of the scene, as their verbal sparring restores Mendoza’s fighting spirit. The text comprising the narrative and dialogue is added to the art, and text boxes and speech bubbles are fitted to it. For Mendoza the Jew, we decided to use three different fonts. Two fonts with some resemblance to typefaces from the time period represented quotes from Mendoza’s autobiography and from a newspaper report of Mendoza’s match against Humphries in Doncaster, distinguishing the author’s words from Mendoza’s, and those of the reporter.

As an artist, illustrating a graphic history, as opposed to a work of fiction, has some unique rewards as well as challenges. There’s an awareness that these were real individuals and events, and it always feels like a privilege to be telling their stories.

Liz Clarke is an illustrator based in Cape Town, South Africa. Her artwork has appeared in magazines, games and books, including Abina and the Important Men: A Graphic History by Trevor R. Getz and Mendoza the Jew, Boxing, Manliness, and Nationalism: A Graphic History by Ronald Schechter.

Subscribe to the OUPblog via email or RSS.
Subscribe to only history articles on the OUPblog via email or RSS.

The post Illustrating a graphic history: Mendoza the Jew appeared first on OUPblog.

        

Related Stories

• Oxford University Press during World War I
• Felon disfranchisement preserves slavery’s legacy
• Getting to know Sir Philip Sidney

 

Featured FF Marselis by Jan Maack

We’ve seen a fair amount of typefaces pop up over the last couple of months, but here are few of our favorites.

FF Marselis by Jan Maack

FF Marselis crossbreeds geometric and humanistic forms, creating a freshly dynamic sans serif family. All of the counters in the typeface are open; this aids readers’ eyes quickly flow across lines of text, without experiencing hang-ups.

Available at FontShop and FontFont

Hipster Script Pro by Alejandro Paul/Sudtipos

Hipster Script received a Judge’s choice Certificate of Excellence at the Type Directors of New York and was selected to be part of the Bienal Tipos Latinos 2012.

Available at MyFonts, YWFT, Now 30% off till Oct 14, 2012

Aranjuez Pro by Alejandro Paul/Sudtipos

Aranjuez is the latest Koziupa and Paul adventure. This time, they max out on calligraphic art deco, then add a healthy dose of the thick-and-thin mantra that’s been so trendy for quite a few years now. The result is neo-psychedelia in an upright cross-breed of pseudo-wood deco and ornamental calligraphy, complete with alternates, swashes, endings, playful contrast treatments, and even background possibilities.

Available at FontShop, MyFonts, YWFT

Aquus by Phospho

Aquus is a contemporary all-caps display font that refines the elegance of a classic Didone with experimental interventions. Geometric elements and subtle details are found in its letters, many of which connect to ligatures.

Available at YWFT, MyFonts

Romeo by Latinotype

Romeo is a perfect couple of Julieta , they are a condensed, unicase family full of swashy love.

Available at MyFonts, YWFT

Mission Script by James T Edmondson

The first part in James’ Mission series of fonts.

Available at the awesome Lost Type Co-Op.

Idlewild by Hoefler & Frere-Jones

Available at H&FJ

—–

Also worth viewing:
YWFT Fonts
Fonts by Laura Meseguer
Travis Stearns’ Fonts

Not signed up for the Grain Edit RSS Feed yet? Give it a try. Its free and yummy.

Share This

©2012 Grain Edit - catch us on Pinterest , Facebook and twitter

Featured FF Marselis by Jan Maack

We’ve seen a fair amount of typefaces pop up over the last couple of months, but here are few of our favorites.

FF Marselis by Jan Maack

FF Marselis crossbreeds geometric and humanistic forms, creating a freshly dynamic sans serif family. All of the counters in the typeface are open; this aids readers’ eyes quickly flow across lines of text, without experiencing hang-ups.

Available at FontShop and FontFont

Hipster Script Pro by Alejandro Paul/Sudtipos

Hipster Script received a Judge’s choice Certificate of Excellence at the Type Directors of New York and was selected to be part of the Bienal Tipos Latinos 2012.

Available at MyFonts, YWFT, Now 30% off till Oct 14, 2012

Aranjuez Pro by Alejandro Paul/Sudtipos

Aranjuez is the latest Koziupa and Paul adventure. This time, they max out on calligraphic art deco, then add a healthy dose of the thick-and-thin mantra that’s been so trendy for quite a few years now. The result is neo-psychedelia in an upright cross-breed of pseudo-wood deco and ornamental calligraphy, complete with alternates, swashes, endings, playful contrast treatments, and even background possibilities.

Available at FontShop, MyFonts, YWFT

Aquus by Phospho

Aquus is a contemporary all-caps display font that refines the elegance of a classic Didone with experimental interventions. Geometric elements and subtle details are found in its letters, many of which connect to ligatures.

Available at YWFT, MyFonts

Romeo by Latinotype

Romeo is a perfect couple of Julieta , they are a condensed, unicase family full of swashy love.

Available at MyFonts, YWFT

Mission Script by James T Edmondson

The first part in James’ Mission series of fonts.

Available at the awesome Lost Type Co-Op.

Idlewild by Hoefler & Frere-Jones

Available at H&FJ

—–

Also worth viewing:
YWFT Fonts
Fonts by Laura Meseguer
Travis Stearns’ Fonts

Not signed up for the Grain Edit RSS Feed yet? Give it a try. Its free and yummy.

Share This

©2012 Grain Edit - catch us on Pinterest , Facebook and twitter

A group of independent font designers have teamed up to create a service which will track the unauthorized use and distribution of font files online. They’re trying to raise $4,000 to make this happen:

TypeSnitch is a community-funded service that helps you keep tabs on where your font files are being publicly shared online. It will monitor popular sources and help you request file takedowns and other tedium related to inappropriate sharing of your files.

Allonghata by Christine Gertsch

Type and Media is an intensive one-year masters course in type design held at The Royal Academy of Art in Den Haag, The Netherlands. The course teaches a wide range of skills in the area of type design such as calligraphy, stone carving, non-latin scripts, typeface revivals, Python programming, modern font editing software as well as the creation of new letters. All of the final project typefaces created in the last four months of the 2011/2012 course are available to view here.

Pilot by Aleksandra Samulenkova

Leda by Aliz Borsa

Dato by Daniel Perraudin

Blanco by Dave Foster

——————–
Also worth viewing:
Travis Stearns
YWFT Fonts
Recent Fonts
Fancy Antique Display

Not signed up for the Grain Edit RSS Feed yet? Give it a try. Its free and yummy.

Share This

©2012 Grain Edit - catch us on Facebook and twitter

Add a Comment

0 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: John, on 7/12/2012
Blog: DRAWN! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  FontShop, Illustrator, Photoshop, fonts, Adobe, plugin, Add a tag

Free FontShop Plugin for Photoshop & Illustrator:

Two handy font plugins in one week??! What are the odds!

The free FontShop Plugin lets you preview any of our 150,000 fonts, in the context of your own artwork in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator (CS5, CS5.5 and CS6). This is a great new way to find the perfect typographic fit for your project.

0 Comments on Free FontShop Plugin for Photoshop & Illustrator as of 1/1/1900

Add a Comment

Meet Herbie, the latest display font from Morten Iveland at the Infamous Foundry. As the name might indicate, Herbie is inspired by Herb Lubalin’s work and the decorative style and kerning of his era.

Download Herbie here.

——————–
Also worth viewing:
Fancy Antique Display
Bolda Display
New Fonts Available at YWFT Part 1

Not signed up for the Grain Edit RSS Feed yet? Give it a try. Its free and yummy.

Share This

Grain Edit recommends: Wondering Around Wandering: Work-So-Far by Mike Perry. Check it out here.

©2012 Grain Edit - catch us on Facebook and twitter

Add a Comment

7 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: andrea joseph, on 4/20/2012
Blog: andrea joseph's sketchblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  illustration, travel, fonts, moleskine, travelogue, travel moleskine, Scandinavia, AJ, andrea joseph, Andrea Joseph drawings, handwritten, typography by Andrea Joseph, Andrea Joseph fonts, Add a tag

Previously I mentioned that I thought that end-paper artist would be one of the most the perfect jobs for me. Here's another; font designer. I couldn't be happier than when I am playing around with words and letters.

One of the reasons it's taken me so long to post this drawing is that, as some of you may know, Blogger have been making changes. And, apparently it's now much easier to make posts. Apparently so.

7 Comments on it ain't necessarily so, last added: 4/23/2012

Display Comments

Genine said, on 4/20/2012 10:09:00 AM

this is absolutely FANTASTIC!

Zia Blue said, on 4/20/2012 2:46:00 PM

Ooh, very pretty :) I think you'd do a great job! (By the way, hello! I'm your latest follower ;D)

andrea joseph's sketchblog said, on 4/20/2012 3:16:00 PM

Hello, Zia!
Thank you both.

pureSunday said, on 4/20/2012 3:56:00 PM

love this! and then you can start experimenting with ligatures!!

Anonymous said, on 4/21/2012 10:11:00 AM

My favourite of all my favourites in that piece is the "Be" the fuzziness is so well done, I feel like I could reach out and rub it!

Fan from Canada

T. Roger Thomas said, on 4/21/2012 4:16:00 PM

Beautiful work!

Alice said, on 4/23/2012 8:44:00 AM

Ooh you should definitely try to design fonts! I always love your lettering. :)

Add a Comment

The Alicia font is a cool new experimental typeface by Alexander Wright. This face is a good example of taking the ideas and eccentricities of lettering and creating a functional product out of them. If you enjoy this font, HypeForType, the foundry behind the project, also has many other great lettering-inspired display faces to explore within their expanding database of typefaces.

——————–

Also worth viewing:

Travis Stearns
New Fonts Available at YouWorkForThem
Andrew Woodhead

Not signed up for the Grain Edit RSS Feed yet? Give it a try. Its free and yummy.

——————–

Share This

Grain Edit recommends: Saul Bass - Henri's Walk to Paris. Check it out here.

©2012 Grain Edit - catch us on Facebook and twitter

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

15. 30 Days of How-To #25: How to Jazz up Your Publicity

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Beth, on 9/25/2011
Blog: YALSA - Young Adult Library Services Association (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Technology, fonts, New Librarians, 30 Days of How-To, Microsoft Publisher, Add a tag

If you’re like us at my library, you’re fairly limited in the software you’re allowed to use (ahem, Microsoft Office suite), and your in-house publicity is made with Publisher. If you’re in the habit of making signs or flyers for your programs, check to see if you’ve gotten into the clipart-gradient background-text rut. If this isn’t you, please please please help your fellow librarian who fits this description. If you’re thinking, But what’s wrong with my clipart?, I beg of you, please keep reading.

Backgrounds

Flyers and signs should be eye-catching, especially when you’re competing for the short attention span of teens, and it all starts with your background. It shouldn’t be just any color, or a color at all. The background you choose can determine what images you use, as well as the type and color of your font. If you choose a plain background, you’d better have an image that pops, and your font color should be a high contrast. On the other hand, if your background is an image, use other pictures or clipart sparingly (if at all), and consider a “washout” effect, essentially increasing the brightness and lowering the contrast. You want the text to be readable from a distance, and an image background can obscure readability.

Images   

Think about cropping an image in a neat way to only use part of it. Instead of a floating ninja head, put that same head with the chin cropped off at the bottom of the flyer to make it look like it is looking over something. If you’re looking for something fresh, try searching through Google Images, Flickr, or other photo sites. Remember to keep copyright in mind, though, and look for images licensed through Creative Commons instead, which is often easier to use and understand.

Fonts

The last important element is the font. Even if your IT department protests every time you try to install something new, that doesn’t mean you can’t use special fonts. For a Halloween program, use a Friday the 13th-esque font or some other font that embodies your gruesome theme. Having a spa program for girls? Use a super girly font with a lot of flourishes. You can even try to match the font from a book cover (think Hunger Games). Here’s the trick: download the font, unzip it if required, and save the TrueType file to your desktop. Open the file, and like magic, the font becomes available when creating WordArt in Publisher. As long as the font file is open while your Publisher file is open, the font is available and will show up properly (Side note: even if you save the Publisher file, the font will revert back to a standard font if the downloaded font file is not open. To avoid this, save the file as a .jpg). Fonts can come from a number of sources, but my usual choice is dafont.com

The most important thing is don’t forget to have fun with this! What tricks have you learned along the way to keep your publicity from getting boring? Leave your answer in the comments.

 

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

16. Linked Up: healthcare, crashing kittens, Helvetica

0 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Lauren, on 5/13/2011
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  cute, fonts, art, Leisure, asian american, arial, healthcare reform, *Featured, paper tigers, kittens, unshelved, tote bag, tote, language learning, helvetica, smokers, buzzfeed, crashing, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, vol1brooklyn, ironicsans, hardest language, Add a tag

Tweet

This girl is reading the entire Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act out loud. [Act of Law]

Why no smoking signs actually ENCOURAGE smokers to light up [Daily Mail]

Think there’s no point in keeping print books around? I respectfully disagree. [Unshelved]

Here are some kitties crashing into each other. [YouTube]

100,000 staples arranged over 40 hours and other awesome staple art [NextWeb]

What does your literary tote bag say about you? [Vol1Brooklyn]

QUIZ: Can you tell Arial from Helvetica? [Ironicsans]

INFOGRAPHIC: The hardest languages to learn [Column Five]

This article on “Asian-American overachievers” is certainly creating a stir. [NYMag]

Incredible photos of the Great Flood of 1927 [Buzzfeed]

0 Comments on Linked Up: healthcare, crashing kittens, Helvetica as of 1/1/1900

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

17. Custom Lettering of the ’40s and ’50s Last...

0 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: John, on 3/21/2011
Blog: DRAWN! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  type, books, fonts, typography, resources, lettering, Add a tag

Custom Lettering of the ’40s and ’50s

Last year’s Custom Lettering of the ’60s and ’70s, Rian Hughes’s massive scrapbook of curated lettering samples culled from movie posters, ads, and other ephemera of the time, was one my favourite books of 2010. It quickly gained a permanent spot on the bookshelf closest to my drawing table, it’s such a great reference book.

Its new successor, Custom Lettering of the ’40s and ’50s now joins it on the shelf. Both books are nothing but pure typographic pornography, carefully sorted by style and tone.

0 Comments on Custom Lettering of the ’40s and ’50s Last... as of 1/1/1900

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

18. New Fonts Available at YWFT

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Dave, on 3/14/2011
Blog: inspiration from vintage kids books and timeless modern graphic design (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  fonts, Typography, Found design, Add a tag

YWFT Herzog / Designed by Travis Stearns

Our friends at YouWorkForThem have updated their shop with some tasty new fonts.

Originally drawn in 2008 by Travis Stearns of YouWorkForThem, we revisited the Herzog drawings in 2011 and developed them into a fully functional opentype font release. YWFT Herzog comes with two style options (regular and alternate), with each style containing opentype stylistic alternates for upper case and lower case characters.

Sevigne ST / Designed by Reserves

Sevigne ST is a highly refined, contemporary geometric sans, inspired by the ambience of high-end fashion and luxury. Subtle, considered details are found within individual letters, contrasted by the complex, intersecting forms that make up the various ligatures. With multiple stylistic sets added to the expanded ligatures, individual letters and ligature pairs can be carefully exchanged to fine-tune text settings for a unique custom type solution.

Tenshu / Designed by Radomir Savov Tinkov

Tenshu comes in OpenType format, and also covers Cyrillic language.

Thickset / Designed by Joshua Grzybowski

Designed as a display font, Thickset is a solid slab-serif with thin counters that makes it ideal for publications like fashion and editorial magazines. But don’t get me wrong, she’s more than willing to give anything a try. Just as long as you respect her in the morning. In addition to ligatures and fractions, Thickset’s other OpenType features include old style numbers and small caps.

Idiom / Designed by Reserves<

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

19. Fusenews: I’m lovin’ it

11 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Betsy Bird, on 1/25/2011
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  design, Uncategorized, fonts, First Second, Shaun Tan, Nathan Hale, Mary Downing Hahn, New Blog Alert, Edgar Awards, Rosemary Sutcliff, Fusenews, Pamela Paul, books to films, delicious book sandwiches, library hawk (the next big picture book), syllabus fun, Add a tag

New York, she is so snowy these days!  I’ve lived in this pleasant burg roundabout six years, by my count, but this is the first winter where the weather decided to bring back memories of my Michiganian (Michigander? Michiganolian?) youth.  Well, a good Fusenews is the perfect solution for any snowy day.  On to the top stories!

• Some of us know Shaun Tan best because of his remarkable book The Arrival.  Others first became aware of him through his Tales from Outer Suburbia.  Now expect a whole new crew of folks to be introduced to him thanks to . . . his recent Academy Award nomination.  Yup.  I kid you not.  Check out the nominees for Short Film (Animated) and there he is alongside one Andrew Ruhemann for an animated adaptation of The Lost Thing.  It’s based on his picture book of the same name.  Haven’t read it?  Well, you lucky bum, you’re in for a treat.  Perhaps anticipating this Arthur A. Levine is releasing a collection of three Tan picture books in one volume called Lost & Found.  It’s due out on shelves this coming April.  If you can wait that long, of course.  In the meantime you can watch the trailer for the film here.  Thanks to Marjorie Ingall for bringing the nomination to my attention!

• Say, this is fairly big news that’s making the rounds relatively slowly.  Are you aware that they have hired a new New York Times Book Review editor of children’s books?  Yes, they’ve been a little low-key in the announcement but thanks to this podcast from the National Book Critics Circle we have learned that Pamela Paul has garnered the choice position.  PW confirmed the choice here.  Ms. Paul has a blog of her own, which will give you a better sense of who she is and what she has done.

• History Question: Has a paperback edition of a work of children’s fiction ever incorporated the awards it won into the design of its new cover?  If you answered, “No, and I doubt it ever will be,” think again.

• One of my favorite little ole imprints is one that dedicates its time and attention to bringing out some of the strongest graphic novels for kids you will ever lay hands upon.  I hope you will all help me raise a glass and offer many congrats to First Second for celebrating their 5th Anniversary this year.  I’ve read a bit of that Zita the Spacegirl GN due out February 1st and it’s a fine example of what First Second does best.  Cheers to all!

• Hrm.  The Scribd site is fast becoming the most dangerous one on the web.  I say this because I pretty much could read
  11 Comments on Fusenews: I’m lovin’ it, last added: 1/26/2011
  Display Comments
  Storied Cities (Erica) said, on 1/26/2011 2:03:00 AM
  

  A prequel to the Wizard of Oz? I think MY head just popped off. I’m glad you are keeping on top of things for me.

  rams said, on 1/26/2011 6:23:00 AM
  

  Let’s see. The kids in Edward Eager books several times say nice things about E. Nesbitt books (go ahead, force me to be specific, MAKE me go reread Half Magic and The Time Garden.)

  Doret said, on 1/26/2011 6:36:00 AM
  

  I am so happy to see Griff Carver: Hallway Patrol and The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman are Edgar Award finalist. And I want to read The Haunting of Charles Dickens

  Caleb said, on 1/26/2011 6:39:00 AM
  

  I love Even in Australia!

  Cecilia said, on 1/26/2011 7:30:00 AM
  

  I was born in Ann Arbor and my parents always told me to say I was a Michigander. No major snow yet here in D.C. but maybe this afternoon!

  Book characters have given me many book recommendations–I had never read any of E. Nesbit’s books about the Bastable children before reading references to them in Missing Melinda by Jacqueline Jackson and Friendly Gables by Hilda Van Stockum. Memoirs of a Bookbat by Kathryn Lasky also has references to Judy Blume and Magic by the Book by Nina Bernstein has the characters magically transported into Robin Hood and Tolstoy.

  Jean Reagan said, on 1/26/2011 8:50:00 AM
  

  Betsy,

  I clicked on the Picture Book Marathon link on your newsy bits, and it’s not connecting. Here’s the link again. http://www.picturebookmarathon.org.

  Thanks.

  Jean Reagan

  Arthur Levine said, on 1/26/2011 9:05:00 AM
  

  Thanks for the mention of LOST & FOUND, Elizabeth. We’ve actually moved the pub date UP a month, so that folks who are intrigued at the Oscars (or who just can’t WAIT) will be able to get it in their hands in just a few weeks!

  Julie said, on 1/26/2011 10:24:00 AM
  

  I vote for Michigander. At least that’s what we say in Ann Arbor.

  Kathryn said, on 1/26/2011 10:27:00 AM
  

  Edward Eager’s kids also read Masefield–Laura is reading “A Box of Delights” in the train on the way to their new home in Connecticut at the beginning of “Magic or Not.” And of course, the central plot device in”Seven-Day Magic” is a book that takes you into OTHER books.

  The Melendys read a lot; in “Then There Were Five” there is an absolutely glorious description of Mark’s initiation into the pleasures of reading for pleasure.

  And the Swallows and Amazons–particularly Titty & Dorothea–read, although theirs is mostly books originally aimed at adults (all the North Pole explorers in “Winter Holiday”; and at the beginning of “Pigeon Post” Dorothea is reading Rafael Sabatini on the train. . .hm, reading on the train is a definite theme.)

  Maria T. Middleton said, on 1/26/2011 12:24:00 PM
  

  Thanks so much for the blog mention! There are indeed some Middletons who dream of thrones (eh-hem, Kate…), but this Middleton only dreams of great design. And everything I know about designing children’s books, I’ve learned from working with Chad Beckerman. I’d be completely remiss (and a little fearful of flying pie) if I didn’t add my thanks to him for the inspiration.

  Dhonielle Clayton said, on 1/26/2011 1:57:00 PM
  

  Hi Betsy,

  I’ll be there to summarize ! I loved the event and I’m sad I didn’t know about the Literary Salon sooner as I am a recent NYC transplant via the Washington, DC area.

  Thanks for the shout-out…See you at the next event on Feb. 5th!
  Dhonielle Clayton
  teenwritersbloc.com

  Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

20. “GRIEFABET” by Karen O. Johnson, MEd.

0 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: jrpoulter, on 10/10/2010
Blog: Jrpoulter's Weblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  fonts, illustrative arts, Add a tag

 

GRIEFABET by Karen O. Johnson MEd.

 

“Griefabet” by noted American therapist/counsellor/presenter, Karen O. Johnson is unusual.

The book,of course, is primarily aimed at counseling and therapy settings and there is a workbook that can be purchased to accompany “Griefabet”.  But this little book is a great deal more.

A book of warm, witty, affirmations for those who are coping with grief and loss, it has a few happily playful ‘venting’ exercises thrown in for good measure.  It is also a free verse poem that celebrates life and the resilience of the human spirit. Finally, it is a work of art – illustrations use the letters of the alphabet in designs that mirror the  verse of affirmation opposite. It is a design achievement!

 

GRIEFABET - peek inside

 

“GRIEFABET” by Karen O. Johnson, www.griefabet.com, ISBN 978-0-615-39746-7.

Karen O.Johnson-2010-09-21 AuthorTacklesGriefFromAtoZ

0 Comments on “GRIEFABET” by Karen O. Johnson, MEd. as of 10/10/2010 3:35:00 AM

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

21. 5 Really Neat-o Title Fonts!

2 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Carol Brendler, on 9/27/2010
Blog: JACKET KNACK (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  fonts, typefaces, titles, Best Covers, Bad Covers, Add a tag

Once again, for your consideration we present the following covers with title fonts that stand out as particularly interesting, or that function extra well as part of the design.

The image to the right/above is the cover of the picture book The Beckoning Cat by Koko Nishizuka, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger (Holiday House, 2009) While imitating Chinese calligraphy with our Latin alphabet can sometimes make typographers grind their teeth, I think this typeface adds a pleasing element and blends well. (If you click on the covers, most of them will "embiggen" themselves.)

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle (Holt, 2010)

Am I wrong in thinking Firefly Letters looks like a fantasy cover? It's actually a book of poetry based on the notes by a Swedish suffragist about her trip to Cuba. No, really. Pretty neat-o font, though.

Frozen Secrets: Antarctica Revealed by Sally M. Walker (CarolRhoda, coming October, 2010)

Stunning cover image and typeface. Frozen Secrets is a standout.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith (Atheneum, 2010)

Love the juxtaposition of the slender, linear "Lulu" with the elegant "and the Brontosaurus."

Wild Things by Clay Carmichael (Boyds Mills/Front Street, 2009)

The otherwise uninteresting, unbalanced cover image above (Wild Things) redeems itself with its zingy "ransom note" style title.

2 Comments on 5 Really Neat-o Title Fonts!, last added: 9/29/2010

Display Comments

Patti L Brown said, on 9/28/2010 7:20:00 PM

Carol, I am a sucker for fonts. I love the LULU cover because of the script with the curled uprights of the letters. And I agree--THE FIREFLY LETTERS does look like it could be fantasy. The fireflies look like eyeballs in her hair. Kind of disappointed that it's not a fantasy. Nice choices this week!

Carol B. said, on 9/29/2010 4:55:00 AM

Yes, I had assumed it was a fantasy. Never occurred to me that it could be another genre until I read the summary.

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

22. New Fonts Available at YouWorkForThem

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Dave, on 8/9/2010
Blog: inspiration from vintage kids books and timeless modern graphic design (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  fonts, contemporary, Found design, Add a tag

GHS / Designed by the House of Burvo

We’re big fans of YouWorkForThem and we’re excited to announce that they’ve recently added a slew of new fonts to their shop.

GHS / Designed by the House of Burvo

GHS is an exciting new typeface from HouseOfBurvo, it comes in 4 styles, each style is sold in 3-font sets containing a Key font, and two ‘Layer’ fonts separating the Hairline Strokes from the Stress parts. These layers can be combined to create endless variations.

Hernandez Bold / Designed by Sudtipos

Hernandez bold is a ’slab serif display’ font. It has a unique feature, it gives the possibility of composing words in different rhythms. It has a big number of alternates, which allows the user various combinations within a text.

Cumulus & Foam / Designed by Stefan Kjartansson

Like other unbeautiful creations, Cumulus is not an easy read. Its delicate origins (in Didot) are perceptible, but this familiarity is cloaked with malproportioned outgrowths and misfigured swellings. Not only have the characters all but eluded recognition, there is a sense that they haven’t ceased to form. As clouds transmogrify when borrowed for a dream, so does Cumulus bloom and thrust when committed to a baseline.

Inlove / Designed by Sudtipos

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

23. Yet More Pretty Neat-o Title Fonts

1 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Carol Brendler, on 4/4/2010
Blog: JACKET KNACK (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  fonts, typefaces, titles, Add a tag

Ran across these covers recently and was taken with the title typeface choices:

Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman (Random House, 2009). A young adult novel about two sisters living on the Jersey shore during the off-season. So 1950s diner-ish. Love the whole cover, actually.

Layla, Queen of Hearts by Glenda Millard, illus. by Patrice Bowman (FSG, release date April, 2010). A middle-grade novel about a girl's friendship with a senior citizen. The red lettering is inviting (for girls, anyway) and the curly style promises a heartwarming story within.


Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks? And Other Questions about Animals by Buffy Silverman, illus. by Colin W. Thompson (Lerner, 2010). A non-fiction book which examines common sayings about animals and whether they're really true or not. The typeface is energetic, like a comic book; it promises juicy good fun inside. I think boys would think it's rough and tough enough.


I wonder if there are other typefaces that could be sorted into "best for girl books" and "best for boy books" categories.

1 Comments on Yet More Pretty Neat-o Title Fonts, last added: 4/7/2010

Display Comments

missprint said, on 4/7/2010 9:51:00 PM

I always love a fun typeface. The cover for Rosie and Skate looks fantastic! I don't even need to know what it's about; now that I've seen the cover I must read it.

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

24. 10 Book Design Terms Explained!

1 Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Carol Brendler, on 3/29/2010
Blog: JACKET KNACK (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  glossary, fonts, printing, terminology, Add a tag

For beginners, from a beginner, here are ten terms to know about book creation. (Would be most grateful if the better-informed will correct or clarify in the comments! --Carol)

1. Blind, blind stamped or stamped in the blind: "This refers to stamping or impressions on the cover of a book that have not been filled in with color or gilt." (source)


2. Cast-Coated Paper: Coated paper with a high-gloss reflective finish. (source)


3. Foil: "A metallic or pigmented coating on plastic sheets or rolls used in foil stamping and foil embossing." (source)


4. Headbands: "Most commonly, the bands of thread which extend beyond the top and bottom edges of the text block at either end of the spine." (source)


5. Levant: "Elegant and highly polished morocco goatskin leather with a grain-pattern surface." (source) <
   1 Comments on 10 Book Design Terms Explained!, last added: 3/31/2010
   Display Comments
   茂一 said, on 3/31/2010 5:03:00 AM
   

   85cc成人片卡通免費下載a片韓瑜寫真aaaaaa片性愛遊戲正妹星球正妹空姐寫真正妹走光250av女優免費影片星野流宇星野殘紅星野桂星野愛利絲星野天堂星野優奈星野雅希寫真集星野美優影片星野美優寫真集星野美優短片美女 視訊999無瑪試看圖線上免費av影片台灣情網色嘿咻kiss168cu成人bt情色 網免費成人成人貼圖視訊聊天室土豆網韓劇播放打飛機專用網免費聊天室交友小魔女自天堂18成人動漫畫av女優免費做愛影片成人情色網戀愛ing聊天室卡通美女短片免費試看台灣18成年網台灣18成年人網

   Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

25. Simplicity Rules!

4 Comments | Previous | Top |

By: Jacket Whys, on 3/10/2010
Blog: Jacket Whys (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  fonts, book covers, worst book jackets, Add a tag

I ran across both of these new books online today and the contrast was outstanding enough to make me stop and think. Simplicity vs. intense busy-ness. Which works better?
Admittedly, my bias is the old cliche “less is more.” Sharon M. Draper’s book, Out of My Mind (Atheneum 2010) is a peaceful blue with a nice complementary orange for a focus point. The simple image says a lot, though. Fish out of water… breaking free of things that bind you, etc. It usually irritates me when the author’s name is bigger than the title – but it works here. Draper’s name is subtle enough as not to distract. The white title attracts the eye if only because it’s white against so much blue. I like how “a novel” delineates the goldfish’s path out of the bowl. The bubbles add visual interest.
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard (Holiday House April 2010, Allen & Unwin 2009) – I don’t know why the Yiddish exclamation “OY VEY!” comes to mind – but OMG! Too much, too much, too much. And if that’s not enough, the strange font, outlined in white and placed strangely in the layout, further complicates a cover that is already way to busy with text and mixed images. Maybe all this mishmash will draw kids? It’s only the plot summary here that might pull me in.

Out of My Mind: Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time. Ages 10+. Reviews 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Reading Group Guide.
Small Free Kiss in the Dark: Skip, an eleven-year-old runaway, becomes friends with Billy, a homeless man, and together they flee a war-torn Australian city with six-year-old Max and camp out at a seaside amusement park, where they are joined by Tia, a fifteen-year-old ballerina, and her baby.  Ages 12+. Reviews 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

4 Comments on Simplicity Rules!, last added: 3/11/2010

Display Comments

tanyakyi said, on 3/10/2010 10:19:00 PM

I completely agree and if I were choosing a book to read, I would pick up Out of My Mind. But… the blue cover seems too adult to me. It looks like a literary novel, and not a book for ages ten and up.

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark, on the other hand, screams preteen. (Hmmm… and now I’ve read the plot summary, I may have to check it out. Who can resist a runaway, a homeless man, a ballerina, and a baby?)

Jacket Whys said, on 3/11/2010 4:13:00 AM

I almost agree with you about Out of My Mind – but… there’s something whimsical about a fish jumping out of a bowl that brings it back to the kid realm for me. This one however, looks very adult to me… go figure.

tanita said, on 3/11/2010 4:23:00 AM

Wow, am I a huge fan of goldfish on books. Cynthia Lord’s RULES is what OUT OF MY MIND reminds me of, which means I’d pick it up just because I loved that book. I don’t think it looks too adult at all – it looks… uncluttered. Like I hope someday my mind might be! Both books are evocative, just you get two different moods from them. One is definitely chaotic — and the plot sounds like it has all kinds of crazy in it. The other depicts someone who was in a fishbowl, and is now …out… in the air? Will they survive?

Excellent comparison.

patti said, on 3/11/2010 11:06:00 AM

I think the second cover will appeal to all those Ed Hardy fans out there. I also want to cover my eyes and say, “too much!!!!” Much in the same way I do when I see something in the vast Ed Hardy collection!

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

View Next 23 Posts