A number of you have asked C-Dog to post some of his own work, or work that he approves of.
It just so happens that he submitted a cover yesterday, and this is it. As he says: What’s particularly cool about it is the chainmail is embossed.
So there you have it.
Also, as an aside, it’s been almost exactly a year and a half since we first started this blog. Coincidentally, we got our first check from the Amazon referral program just the other day.
$119.29!
We’ve posted in the ballpark of 300 covers. Which means we’re making an average of 40 cents a cover, or 20cents a day. Neat!
What’s the best selling cover as per the referral program? Chris Ware’s Candide, which sold a whopping two covers.
Thanks everyone!
—
, 2007-04-18 05:30:00 -0400
I like it a lot – and it has flaps, which are a nice touch. The unusual size also makes it stand out a bit.
i see that the photographer is Seth Rubin. can anyone confirm whether or not he did the cover for andrew bird’s armchair apocrapha?
—
, 2007-04-18 09:56:00 -0400
One interesting fact about ‘Beowulf’ is that the ‘English national epic’ (Wkipedia) ... is not written in English.
Amazon lists over 200 highly positive comments. Many readers say that the ability to compare with the original text was important to them. Maybe the bilinguality of the edition should have been somehow reflected in design. I guess, however, that the designer is not allowed to decide on these accents
I was wondering if this gem of a cover would make the cut. I’m thrilled it has.
I WISH I had designed this. It is, in my estimation, one of the best contemporary frontispieces to grace an old-world story, um, ever.
It’s sterile, bold, masculine, and barebones—every adjective could also describe the KILLER interpretation of Beowulf by S. Heaney found inside.
The image of the faceless knight is perfection. You never get a particularly clear understanding of Beowulf himself, yet his character is unsettlingly potent—such is the image on the cover.
I also like that you can’t quite make it out at first. What could it be? A figure of some sort… ah yes, the chainmail. It’s a knight.
The font (and there is only ONE font used on the entire cover) fits the mood of the piece exactly. Also, the white lettering is ever so slightly embossed as well. A very faint added bonus for those that touch with their hands.
Everything jives so damn well.
BTW: The rear of my paperback copy lists a Seth Rubin as the photographer of the cover image (strange, it doesn’t look like a photo). But on the title page a Cynthia Krupat is listed as a designer (not sure if that means the cover as well).
And I must say congrats on the Amazon paycheck as well.
The image is great, but at the risk of being pedantic, the cover doesn’t use just “ONE” font; the title is set in Futura Bold, and everything else is (unfortunately in my opinion) set in something else.
Is it just me or is the kerning killing anyone else? Especially O to W.
Would maybe like to see type and bg reversed…
—
, 2007-04-19 02:35:00 -0400
A small daisy peeking out from behind the knights shoulder would really top it off for me. But for me it’s always those little extras that make the difference. Without the daisy—the cover is sad, but bold, bland, but striking, weak, but strong…
Maybe (just maybe) the “Winner of the Whitbread Award” sticker is covering the daisy? Maybe… You never know…
...but it’s black and white, and hey, that works for me… In fact, if they just posterized or “photocopied” the night image it would be even better.
The kerning is off on the title. But it’s not killing me Kevin. Maybe ever so slowly deteriorating my spirit, but not killing me.
—
, 2007-04-19 05:16:00 -0400
Hey, you (Ben I guess) should set up a donation system on this site. I am sure you would rack up quite a check by years end…
Maybe if you donate you get a covers.fwis.com (i.e. “GO AHEAD—JUDGE A BOOK BY IT’S COVER @ www.covers.fwis.com”) bumper sticker or chance to get a book of your choice from the postings??!
—
, 2007-04-19 05:20:00 -0400
Just for notice to Penguin/Pelican connosseuirs – there is a small yet valuable collection of covers online from 60s and 70s:
“A small daisy peeking out from behind the knights shoulder would really top it off for me.” Ian how can you honestly say that? As a cover designer when I get this kind of comment from a publisher it makes me wish I’d chosen another career – like scraping the Eifel Tower or emptying septic tanks.
The cover just needs something to make it go from 1-100 in under a visual second. It needs to be like, “Oh, cool, a iron clad knight—Oh, shit—is that a daisy?!!?!”. Even a sword peaking out would give it an edge (pun intended).
Sometimes a publisher is right. Sometimes it’s the little extra, over the top and even slightly ugly thing that pushes an otherwise bland cover to the boiling point. To the selling point.
Why would you ever want to scrap the Eifel? And emptying septic tanks is actually pretty fun. I had to do it a few times in the Philippines when I lived there. So don’t knock it till you try it!
Oh, and you are in the wrong field if your stomach gets weak and your career choice becomes unappetizing because of an “add a Daisy” comment from your publisher. Some of the best book designs have come out of the designer taking a back seat and listening to the industries pros…
*****************************
Great link mike. I love this kind of raw graphic work. But you notice: There is something quirky, something off—and that is what makes the cover dynamic and stellar. Right now the BEOWOLF cover has way too much order to be strong on the shelf. But I am not is sales and I am not the target audience. I would not buy this book. But my decision would be based solely on the cover. Not the content. Perhaps my biggest weakness when shopping for a new read…
—
, 2007-04-20 07:06:00 -0400
Sometimes the publisher is right but in case like this anything extra would be gratuitous.
Ian, maybe I misunderstood something from your previous comments but I thought you were on OUR side.
Oh, geez, I am on your side—I’m conversing! Be loose goose. I hear ya though. My daisy idea might be out of left field. Or I may just be in the wrong field. I dunno…
I still think it is a weak cover. But I don’t know what the book is about. A daisy is probably a shitty thing to do to this cover. Next please!
—
, 2007-04-20 09:09:00 -0400
Errr… Ian, knowing what the material is about is step one.
A flower of any sort would disconnect the cover completely from the text.
it still begs for something. I’m trying to like it. Really. I guess what I don’t like about it is that there is nothing wrong with it. Absolutely nothing. It could be an Absolute Beowulf add;)
For those of you still recovering from the “daisy” suggestion. I admit, it was odd after reviewing the story more. Still, some sort of a blade in front of the figure would tell the story even more for me. Not to mention it would solidify that this is indeed not the backside of a knight, but rather the front. Bold, blunt and ready for battle without a blink of an eye…
That daisy looks kind of creepy the more I I like my type selection much more.
—
, 2007-04-25 03:50:00 -0400
I feel like this is slightly lackluster? It’s a dramatic cover, but only when you begin to really dig into it. Its face value, however, is really low.
As a consumer, this sold me instantly. It’s one of the more striking and memorable covers I’ve ever encountered. The anonymity, the smack-in-the-face sterility of it…lovely.
—
, 2007-04-29 18:21:00 -0400
the composition is definitely unique.. you can see emphasis around the cover and balance between the element and the words (title, subtitle).
when you look at the book the first thing you’ll see is the cover with a glance in the smaller subtitle and then the title itself.
—
, 2007-05-07 14:42:00 -0400
I will never live down the daisy comment till i die… apparently. I’m ok with that. I think. Maybe not so much. But I must.. go.. on…
(holding my wounded chest)...
Have LOVED this cover for years. Just thinking how hard it is to find an image like that from a stock photo house. Oh! SOME of you guys get to use photographers!
—
, 2007-10-18 13:58:00 -0400
I bought my copy of Beowulf before the cover had the Whitbread award and that text box on the bottom unhappily plastered onto it. I have always loved this cover for its austerity—the award and text box mar the effect. Also on my copy “A new verse…Heaney” appears all on one line. I didn’t realize until today that the cover had changed so much.
—
, 2007-11-03 07:47:00 -0400
I want to join this program. Can you give the information?
Beowulf
A number of you have asked C-Dog to post some of his own work, or work that he approves of.
It just so happens that he submitted a cover yesterday, and this is it. As he says: What’s particularly cool about it is the chainmail is embossed.
So there you have it.
Also, as an aside, it’s been almost exactly a year and a half since we first started this blog. Coincidentally, we got our first check from the Amazon referral program just the other day.
$119.29!
We’ve posted in the ballpark of 300 covers. Which means we’re making an average of 40 cents a cover, or 20cents a day. Neat!
What’s the best selling cover as per the referral program? Chris Ware’s Candide, which sold a whopping two covers.
Thanks everyone!
— , 2007-04-18 05:30:00 -0400
I like it a lot – and it has flaps, which are a nice touch. The unusual size also makes it stand out a bit.
— GH , 2007-04-18 06:21:00 -0400
One of my favorite covers. The translation is marvelous as well. It’s a joy to hold in your hand.
— ted , 2007-04-18 07:14:00 -0400
I had no beef with the type on the Odyssey cover, but I do have a beef with this. It seems to be yelling at me.
— , 2007-04-18 08:20:00 -0400
So, which is it?
Did C-Dog design it and/or does he approve of it?
Maybe someone at Norton can let us know use designed this cover and that might give us a clue.
— , 2007-04-18 08:22:00 -0400
uh, no, sorry, he didn’t design it. Just approves of it.
— Ben Pieratt , 2007-04-18 09:26:00 -0400
i see that the photographer is Seth Rubin. can anyone confirm whether or not he did the cover for andrew bird’s armchair apocrapha?
— , 2007-04-18 09:56:00 -0400
One interesting fact about ‘Beowulf’ is that the ‘English national epic’ (Wkipedia) ... is not written in English.
Amazon lists over 200 highly positive comments. Many readers say that the ability to compare with the original text was important to them. Maybe the bilinguality of the edition should have been somehow reflected in design. I guess, however, that the designer is not allowed to decide on these accents
— priit , 2007-04-18 12:32:00 -0400
Heh! Thanks Mr. Ben!!
I was wondering if this gem of a cover would make the cut. I’m thrilled it has.
I WISH I had designed this. It is, in my estimation, one of the best contemporary frontispieces to grace an old-world story, um, ever.
It’s sterile, bold, masculine, and barebones—every adjective could also describe the KILLER interpretation of Beowulf by S. Heaney found inside.
The image of the faceless knight is perfection. You never get a particularly clear understanding of Beowulf himself, yet his character is unsettlingly potent—such is the image on the cover.
I also like that you can’t quite make it out at first. What could it be? A figure of some sort… ah yes, the chainmail. It’s a knight.
The font (and there is only ONE font used on the entire cover) fits the mood of the piece exactly. Also, the white lettering is ever so slightly embossed as well. A very faint added bonus for those that touch with their hands.
Everything jives so damn well.
BTW: The rear of my paperback copy lists a Seth Rubin as the photographer of the cover image (strange, it doesn’t look like a photo). But on the title page a Cynthia Krupat is listed as a designer (not sure if that means the cover as well).
And I must say congrats on the Amazon paycheck as well.
— C-Dog , 2007-04-18 16:37:00 -0400
The image is great, but at the risk of being pedantic, the cover doesn’t use just “ONE” font; the title is set in Futura Bold, and everything else is (unfortunately in my opinion) set in something else.
— Isaac , 2007-04-18 18:03:00 -0400
That could be, Isaac, but I wonder if the title font is Futura at all… it looks very similar, but I’m thinking it’s a different font library.
— C-Dog , 2007-04-18 20:08:00 -0400
Yup. This was one of those books I saw from across the store and had to pick it up.
Title is definitely Futura.
— beauGeste , 2007-04-18 23:12:00 -0400
I liked it… the image is good.
— , 2007-04-19 01:45:00 -0400
nice, nice shapes.
— , 2007-04-19 02:20:00 -0400
Is it just me or is the kerning killing anyone else? Especially O to W.
Would maybe like to see type and bg reversed…
— , 2007-04-19 02:35:00 -0400
A small daisy peeking out from behind the knights shoulder would really top it off for me. But for me it’s always those little extras that make the difference. Without the daisy—the cover is sad, but bold, bland, but striking, weak, but strong…
Maybe (just maybe) the “Winner of the Whitbread Award” sticker is covering the daisy? Maybe… You never know…
...but it’s black and white, and hey, that works for me… In fact, if they just posterized or “photocopied” the night image it would be even better.
The kerning is off on the title. But it’s not killing me Kevin. Maybe ever so slowly deteriorating my spirit, but not killing me.
— , 2007-04-19 05:16:00 -0400
Hey, you (Ben I guess) should set up a donation system on this site. I am sure you would rack up quite a check by years end…
Maybe if you donate you get a covers.fwis.com (i.e. “GO AHEAD—JUDGE A BOOK BY IT’S COVER @ www.covers.fwis.com”) bumper sticker or chance to get a book of your choice from the postings??!
— , 2007-04-19 05:20:00 -0400
Just for notice to Penguin/Pelican connosseuirs – there is a small yet valuable collection of covers online from 60s and 70s:
http://seenbooks.blogspot.com/
It includudes Vonnegut’s classic ‘Cat’s Cradle’ that was mentioned a here a few days ago.
— priit , 2007-04-19 08:15:00 -0400
Bad Kerning Kills. That could be a bumper sticker. Or hark, possibly a DIY bookmark .pdf for donations? I sense a readymech tie-in…
— , 2007-04-19 08:31:00 -0400
http://seenbooks.blogspot.com/
Very good shit. Great link priit…
— , 2007-04-19 09:24:00 -0400
i love this one….http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/6430/2500/1600/683768/disorders-of-memory.jpg
— mike , 2007-04-19 14:16:00 -0400
“A small daisy peeking out from behind the knights shoulder would really top it off for me.” Ian how can you honestly say that? As a cover designer when I get this kind of comment from a publisher it makes me wish I’d chosen another career – like scraping the Eifel Tower or emptying septic tanks.
— beauGeste , 2007-04-20 02:02:00 -0400
The cover just needs something to make it go from 1-100 in under a visual second. It needs to be like, “Oh, cool, a iron clad knight—Oh, shit—is that a daisy?!!?!”. Even a sword peaking out would give it an edge (pun intended).
Sometimes a publisher is right. Sometimes it’s the little extra, over the top and even slightly ugly thing that pushes an otherwise bland cover to the boiling point. To the selling point.
Why would you ever want to scrap the Eifel? And emptying septic tanks is actually pretty fun. I had to do it a few times in the Philippines when I lived there. So don’t knock it till you try it!
Oh, and you are in the wrong field if your stomach gets weak and your career choice becomes unappetizing because of an “add a Daisy” comment from your publisher. Some of the best book designs have come out of the designer taking a back seat and listening to the industries pros…
*****************************
Great link mike. I love this kind of raw graphic work. But you notice: There is something quirky, something off—and that is what makes the cover dynamic and stellar. Right now the BEOWOLF cover has way too much order to be strong on the shelf. But I am not is sales and I am not the target audience. I would not buy this book. But my decision would be based solely on the cover. Not the content. Perhaps my biggest weakness when shopping for a new read…
— , 2007-04-20 07:06:00 -0400
Sometimes the publisher is right but in case like this anything extra would be gratuitous.
Ian, maybe I misunderstood something from your previous comments but I thought you were on OUR side.
— beauGeste , 2007-04-20 07:29:00 -0400
Oh, geez, I am on your side—I’m conversing! Be loose goose. I hear ya though. My daisy idea might be out of left field. Or I may just be in the wrong field. I dunno…
I still think it is a weak cover. But I don’t know what the book is about. A daisy is probably a shitty thing to do to this cover. Next please!
— , 2007-04-20 09:09:00 -0400
Errr… Ian, knowing what the material is about is step one.
A flower of any sort would disconnect the cover completely from the text.
99% of the time, less is more.
— C-Dog , 2007-04-20 14:17:00 -0400
true, true.
— , 2007-04-21 13:48:00 -0400
it still begs for something. I’m trying to like it. Really. I guess what I don’t like about it is that there is nothing wrong with it. Absolutely nothing. It could be an Absolute Beowulf add;)
— , 2007-04-21 14:10:00 -0400
shivering from Ian’s daisy comment
— Auguste , 2007-04-22 05:22:00 -0400
Ian asked me to post this for him:
— Ben Pieratt , 2007-04-23 08:59:00 -0400
Shiver away and wrap yourself in this one!
Thanks Ben. And the Absolute Beowulf ad?
Just for fun. Come on. Please.
— , 2007-04-23 09:54:00 -0400
i’ve always loved this cover. it creeps me out very slightly.
— jac , 2007-04-24 11:52:00 -0400
For those of you still recovering from the “daisy” suggestion. I admit, it was odd after reviewing the story more. Still, some sort of a blade in front of the figure would tell the story even more for me. Not to mention it would solidify that this is indeed not the backside of a knight, but rather the front. Bold, blunt and ready for battle without a blink of an eye…
That daisy looks kind of creepy the more I I like my type selection much more.
— , 2007-04-25 03:50:00 -0400
I feel like this is slightly lackluster? It’s a dramatic cover, but only when you begin to really dig into it. Its face value, however, is really low.
— Ned Wright , 2007-04-26 08:34:00 -0400
As a consumer, this sold me instantly. It’s one of the more striking and memorable covers I’ve ever encountered. The anonymity, the smack-in-the-face sterility of it…lovely.
— , 2007-04-29 18:21:00 -0400
the composition is definitely unique.. you can see emphasis around the cover and balance between the element and the words (title, subtitle).
when you look at the book the first thing you’ll see is the cover with a glance in the smaller subtitle and then the title itself.
— , 2007-05-07 14:42:00 -0400
I will never live down the daisy comment till i die… apparently. I’m ok with that. I think. Maybe not so much. But I must.. go.. on…
(holding my wounded chest)...
— Ian B. Shimkoviak , 2007-05-17 12:10:00 -0400
Last note: This cover uses a silver foil printing for the image of the knight. And this makes it for me. It brings it to life.
— Ian B. Shimkoviak , 2007-05-22 02:24:00 -0400
Have LOVED this cover for years. Just thinking how hard it is to find an image like that from a stock photo house. Oh! SOME of you guys get to use photographers!
— , 2007-10-18 13:58:00 -0400
I bought my copy of Beowulf before the cover had the Whitbread award and that text box on the bottom unhappily plastered onto it. I have always loved this cover for its austerity—the award and text box mar the effect. Also on my copy “A new verse…Heaney” appears all on one line. I didn’t realize until today that the cover had changed so much.
— , 2007-11-03 07:47:00 -0400
I want to join this program. Can you give the information?
— , 2008-06-23 20:33:00 -0400
one lan
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— red pepper , 2010-01-28 06:11:45 -0500