Nice cover, but it seems to me to owe a little too much to the early McSweeney’s volumes.
—
, 2006-05-31 08:11:00 -0400
I had a feeling someone would say that. You may be right, but it seems to me that Eggers didn’t invent the style, he just popularized it. Type-heavy layouts with clever callouts and geometric shapes were run-of-the-mill at the turn of the century, which is what I think this cover is ultimately referencing.
Doesn’t anyone else find the cover a little…scattered? It’s busy and has a lot of awkward dead space. I like type-heavy layouts but this one doesn’t make me shout any hoorays.
i think the kerning there is fine – it just appears awkward cos the left side of the A is so thin compared to the other letters.
the italic A in “READER” however…
—
, 2006-06-02 10:09:00 -0400
who is the designer?
—
, 2006-06-03 15:31:00 -0400
oops … got it
—
, 2006-06-04 04:44:00 -0400
Sorry, but I feel the typography is all wrong. If this is really supposed to recall the great old show posters (and I see scant evidence of that), it can’t hold a candle to them. It is more like a single font family ‘ransom note’ (a rare achievement in itself, I suppose).
The Dead Beat
Just straight-up pretty.
The book itself has great presence on the shelf due to the matte paper the cover is printed on , and its enlongated format.
I love that a dead crow is used. It’s such ironic justice.
— , 2006-05-31 04:03:00 -0400
i like the way it reads like a show poster.
— Nick , 2006-05-31 05:31:00 -0400
Nice cover, but it seems to me to owe a little too much to the early McSweeney’s volumes.
— , 2006-05-31 08:11:00 -0400
I had a feeling someone would say that. You may be right, but it seems to me that Eggers didn’t invent the style, he just popularized it. Type-heavy layouts with clever callouts and geometric shapes were run-of-the-mill at the turn of the century, which is what I think this cover is ultimately referencing.
— Ben Pieratt , 2006-05-31 08:31:00 -0400
Doesn’t anyone else find the cover a little…scattered? It’s busy and has a lot of awkward dead space. I like type-heavy layouts but this one doesn’t make me shout any hoorays.
— Matthew , 2006-05-31 10:34:00 -0400
Text heavy design is not easy to manage and it is great that the designer managed to fit all that info in and still make the cover look interesting.
Although the kerning of letters “A” in DEAD BEAT seems a little loose… hmm Could just be me though,
— wiwimu , 2006-05-31 16:42:00 -0400
i think the kerning there is fine – it just appears awkward cos the left side of the A is so thin compared to the other letters.
the italic A in “READER” however…
— , 2006-06-02 10:09:00 -0400
who is the designer?
— , 2006-06-03 15:31:00 -0400
oops … got it
— , 2006-06-04 04:44:00 -0400
Sorry, but I feel the typography is all wrong. If this is really supposed to recall the great old show posters (and I see scant evidence of that), it can’t hold a candle to them. It is more like a single font family ‘ransom note’ (a rare achievement in itself, I suppose).
— David Smith , 2006-07-03 04:29:00 -0400
My mind gets lost when I look at this and instead of buying this book I would probably go get an Italian soda from the bookstore cafe…
— C-Dog , 2007-02-08 17:54:00 -0500