I disagree. Blatantly pasting roaches on acover when its title has “cockroach” strikes me as rather uncreative, especially when the sub-title talks about history and lore.
—
, 2007-12-07 10:08:00 -0500
It’s not the content but the way it’s handled that is clever.
Hmm. They look a bit like little black penises with legs, or rather “beautiful”* little black penises with legs, which does make one wonder about the attractive power of subliminally phallic (or sexual) images.
Hi Everyone.
I hope I’m not trespassing here, not being a Book designer (though I have designed my own poetry books), but I do have a passion for Book covers and Typography,
and regularly visit this site.
So, for what it’s worth: the cover does hold some curious appeal, but I’d have to agree with Roy N., it is a bit unimaginative.
There, that’s it; and my apologies if I am trespassing -you’ll just have to delete me, and I’ll trouble you no more.
Do the cockroaches wrap around the spine and flaps? I hope they do.
—
, 2007-12-09 08:02:00 -0500
Yes… the concept of minimalism and restraint. Look it up.
I think minimalism and restraint would have been one cockroach. not the same clipart repeated and rotated.
—
, 2007-12-09 17:08:00 -0500
It’s not the same clip art—look again, jack.
The concept of a clean and classical book cover “invaded” by vermin is great; I think that the placement of the cockroaches, one at each corner, is much too ordered and balanced, though. The illustration should have knocked the design off-kilter. Instead it reinforces the symmetry.
RE unimaginative—so, sure, the idea of putting roaches on a book called “Cockroaches” is certainly the first idea that most people would think of. So, no points for genius there. More interesting might have been the suggestion of roaches (since it wouldn’t need explaining, with a title like that). Like just some creepy antennae poking in from off the page, not the whole roach. Maybe a leg or 3.
OTOH, having roaches take over what looks like a Bodoni specimen page is kind of nice. However, I would have loved to have seen actual photographic shots of the roach instead of the crappy line art. Or, anyway, that would be just far more horrifying: to make it look like there was a roach sitting on a book cover there in B+N.
My verdict: too many roaches for maximum effect. All you needed was one, strategically placed.
Regardless, I would never buy this book or even pick it up as I have enough roaches in my Manhattan life—I don’t need a frickin’ book about them.
“However, I would have loved to have seen actual photographic shots of the roach instead of the crappy line art.”
I’m with Christian here, though I disagree with the “crappy line art” line: those 19th century zoological illustrations are pretty awesome, if overused (I blame O’Reilly and Dover).
Maybe I’m crazy, but judging from the antennae, I just see two cockroaches repeated, rotated, and cropped. 3 of one, 2 of the other. But hey, whatever, i haven’t seen it in person so maybe there’s tiny differentiating details i’m missing (itty bitty martini glass?)
—
, 2007-12-10 10:32:00 -0500
like the random gothic font for the subtitle. Creepy. Love insects on covers. Sort of disconcerting. Great title… simple execution. reminds me of mexico and what i found in my bathroom travel kit after 2 days on the beach…
It’s a book on the history and lore of roaches, and this is what they came up with?
—
, 2007-12-11 07:01:00 -0500
Hugh- It makes me wonder if you are a fruitcake
—
mike
, 2007-12-11 15:06:00 -0500
Not terribly exciting. But I can’t really hate it, either. Well played, indeed.
However, having suffered time and again the effect cockroaches have on papers, I feel like there is something missing. Or should I say ‘not missing’.
—
, 2008-01-03 05:07:00 -0500
‘The concept of a clean and classical book cover “invaded” by vermin is great’
Monthy Python did something similar in the seventies, with their Big Blue Papperbok: a virginal white cover with just one dirty thumb-print in an upper corner, that wouldn’t come off no matter how hard you tried.
this book was written by a friend of mine. one cool thing you don't see here is that there's a page-flip movie of a cockroach mating dance along the right margin of the pages. loved that.
—
Anonymous Coward
, 2009-11-11 17:33:58 -0500
^whoa!
— , 2009-11-11 17:56:41 -0500
kodomanlar ordeklerle kosarken birden karsilarinda orhan gencebay cikmis sonra muslum b una bozulmus baslamislar kolbasti oynamaya sonra yorulmuslar otururken mum sondu yapmaya karar vermisler acaba niye?
The Cockroach Papers
Haha. Not much to add to this one.
Well played.
— , 2007-12-06 04:44:00 -0500
I disagree. Blatantly pasting roaches on acover when its title has “cockroach” strikes me as rather uncreative, especially when the sub-title talks about history and lore.
— , 2007-12-07 10:08:00 -0500
It’s not the content but the way it’s handled that is clever.
I like it.
— , 2007-12-07 10:34:00 -0500
I love it.
Dare I say… those cockroaches are beautiful.
— C Wys , 2007-12-07 22:57:00 -0500
Hmm. They look a bit like little black penises with legs, or rather “beautiful”* little black penises with legs, which does make one wonder about the attractive power of subliminally phallic (or sexual) images.
*source: C Wys
— Hugh Gereton , 2007-12-08 04:13:00 -0500
I love this cover. Very creepy.
— , 2007-12-08 09:34:00 -0500
Hi Everyone.
I hope I’m not trespassing here, not being a Book designer (though I have designed my own poetry books), but I do have a passion for Book covers and Typography,
and regularly visit this site.
So, for what it’s worth: the cover does hold some curious appeal, but I’d have to agree with Roy N., it is a bit unimaginative.
There, that’s it; and my apologies if I am trespassing -you’ll just have to delete me, and I’ll trouble you no more.
— , 2007-12-08 21:15:00 -0500
Am I missing something?
— Andrea , 2007-12-08 21:23:00 -0500
Yes… the concept of minimalism and restraint. Look it up.
— C Wys , 2007-12-09 00:51:00 -0500
Do the cockroaches wrap around the spine and flaps? I hope they do.
— , 2007-12-09 08:02:00 -0500
Yes… the concept of minimalism and restraint. Look it up.
I think minimalism and restraint would have been one cockroach. not the same clipart repeated and rotated.
— , 2007-12-09 17:08:00 -0500
It’s not the same clip art—look again, jack.
The concept of a clean and classical book cover “invaded” by vermin is great; I think that the placement of the cockroaches, one at each corner, is much too ordered and balanced, though. The illustration should have knocked the design off-kilter. Instead it reinforces the symmetry.
— Jose Nieto , 2007-12-10 01:01:00 -0500
RE unimaginative—so, sure, the idea of putting roaches on a book called “Cockroaches” is certainly the first idea that most people would think of. So, no points for genius there. More interesting might have been the suggestion of roaches (since it wouldn’t need explaining, with a title like that). Like just some creepy antennae poking in from off the page, not the whole roach. Maybe a leg or 3.
OTOH, having roaches take over what looks like a Bodoni specimen page is kind of nice. However, I would have loved to have seen actual photographic shots of the roach instead of the crappy line art. Or, anyway, that would be just far more horrifying: to make it look like there was a roach sitting on a book cover there in B+N.
My verdict: too many roaches for maximum effect. All you needed was one, strategically placed.
Regardless, I would never buy this book or even pick it up as I have enough roaches in my Manhattan life—I don’t need a frickin’ book about them.
— Christian in NYC , 2007-12-10 06:24:00 -0500
“However, I would have loved to have seen actual photographic shots of the roach instead of the crappy line art.”
I’m with Christian here, though I disagree with the “crappy line art” line: those 19th century zoological illustrations are pretty awesome, if overused (I blame O’Reilly and Dover).
— Jose Nieto , 2007-12-10 06:34:00 -0500
All right, CWys…
I agree with Christian. I think it would have worked better with one cockroach. It looks a little overplayed to me.
— Andrea Guinn , 2007-12-10 08:16:00 -0500
It’s not the same clip art—look again, jack.
Maybe I’m crazy, but judging from the antennae, I just see two cockroaches repeated, rotated, and cropped. 3 of one, 2 of the other. But hey, whatever, i haven’t seen it in person so maybe there’s tiny differentiating details i’m missing (itty bitty martini glass?)
— , 2007-12-10 10:32:00 -0500
like the random gothic font for the subtitle. Creepy. Love insects on covers. Sort of disconcerting. Great title… simple execution. reminds me of mexico and what i found in my bathroom travel kit after 2 days on the beach…
— Ian Shimkoviak , 2007-12-10 10:35:00 -0500
gurrrrrrrosssss
— , 2007-12-11 05:15:00 -0500
Too literal.
It’s a book on the history and lore of roaches, and this is what they came up with?
— , 2007-12-11 07:01:00 -0500
Hugh- It makes me wonder if you are a fruitcake
— mike , 2007-12-11 15:06:00 -0500
Not terribly exciting. But I can’t really hate it, either. Well played, indeed.
However, having suffered time and again the effect cockroaches have on papers, I feel like there is something missing. Or should I say ‘not missing’.
— , 2008-01-03 05:07:00 -0500
‘The concept of a clean and classical book cover “invaded” by vermin is great’
Monthy Python did something similar in the seventies, with their Big Blue Papperbok: a virginal white cover with just one dirty thumb-print in an upper corner, that wouldn’t come off no matter how hard you tried.
— adriaan J. , 2008-01-17 19:09:00 -0500
whats so imaginative in it????.... very disappointing.
— nksoni , 2008-03-06 21:26:00 -0500
this book was written by a friend of mine. one cool thing you don't see here is that there's a page-flip movie of a cockroach mating dance along the right margin of the pages. loved that.
— Anonymous Coward , 2009-11-11 17:33:58 -0500
^whoa!
— , 2009-11-11 17:56:41 -0500
kodomanlar ordeklerle kosarken birden karsilarinda orhan gencebay cikmis sonra muslum b una bozulmus baslamislar kolbasti oynamaya sonra yorulmuslar otururken mum sondu yapmaya karar vermisler acaba niye?
— yapay havuz , 2009-12-03 09:52:45 -0500
garlica
— garlica , 2010-01-20 08:11:05 -0500
biber hapi
fx15
lida
rent a car
magna rx
penis büyütücü
elektronik sigara
— red pepper , 2010-01-28 06:32:03 -0500