Maravich; Pistol

Pistol designed by Eric Fuentecilla
Maravich design by Paul Hodgson

Different approaches to the same biographical subject. Which draws you in more: the photo of Maravich, or the floppy socks and Chuck Taylors?

The Little Girl and the Cigarette

Designed by David Konopka

Like another cover from a week or two ago, there's no title or author name on the front cover. When something's so literal, it probably would be silly and redundant. Village Voice review here.


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Surveillance

Cover designed by Brian Barth

In the not-too-distant future, national identity cards are mandatory, and America has become obsessed with intelligence-gathering. The government’s scrutiny is omnipresent, civilians freely indulge their curiosity on the Internet, journalists pursue their investigations with relentless determination, and children both snoop on their parents and manipulate new technologies.

And if you guessed that Seattle and the Northwest is the location of the action, you're right.

This is wonderfully claustrophobic and really feels right to me. I'm dying, though, to know why there is different sized type used in the title.

What's that? You're the designer? Write in and tell us!

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Made to Stick

Design by Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich

You can't believe how great the embossing is on this cover. It looks and feels like there is a real piece of duct tape on each book.


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The Call of the Weird, UK and US

Design by Georgia Liebman (US Version)

An interesting example of essential differences between the UK and US markets.

Meet Louis Theroux. Who? Exactly. A famous television host in the UK, the cover with his face just wouldn't cut it in the US market. Plus, we get a flying saucer on the US version, and flying saucers are always cool.



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Measuring Time

Designer unknown.

The Amazon synopsis: Mamo and LaMamo are twin brothers living in a small Nigerian village, where their domineering father controls their lives. With high hopes the twins attempt to flee from home, but only LaMamo escapes to live their dream of becoming a soldier. Mamo, the awkward, sickly twin, is doomed to remain in the village. Gradually, he comes out of his father's shadow and gains local fame as a historian, embarking on a 'true' history of his people. But when the rains fail and famine rages, religious zealots incite the people to violence - and LaMamo returns to fight the enemy at home.

This is a beautiful cover, and it's interesting to wonder if the designer tried flipping the bottom horizontally. Doing so would underscore the twins' separation. But if their reunion is the high point of the story, aligning them is probably a better choice.

Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition

Designer: Keenan.

Sometimes I stumble across a cover while looking for something else. Sometimes what I find is much more interesting than what I was looking for. In that spirit I give you this. Who's Giordano Bruno? "Italian philosopher, priest, cosmologist, and occultist...burned at the stake as a heretic." Let the interpretations of this cover begin :-)

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Designer unknown.

There have been so many versions of this over the years, I'm not sure if this is what you'll find at your local Borders--and until the temperature cracks 10F here in Chicago and I can walk outside without my face falling off, your guess is as good as mine.

I'm fond of this because of the myriad ways the X can be read.

More Collage Fun w/ the Sunday Magazine

Can't remember which week this is from.

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