Designer: Greg Kulick
title: Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die
author: Michael Largo
publisher: Harper Paperbacks, 2006
Designer: Greg Kulick
title: Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die
author: Michael Largo
publisher: Harper Paperbacks, 2006
haha. YES. Awesome.
Also, it should be noted that all the black areas have this really nice clear thermography effect. The book itself is also disproportionately vertical. All-in-all a pleasure to hold. (Thanks to Ian Nordeck for helping me identify the printing technique!)
Also, I’ve included a second cover with this post simply because I love the title of the book so much.
— Ben Pieratt, 2007-04-04 14:35:00
Great cover. The use of Coppperplate Gothic as the secondary font is an unusual and questionable choice – but who cares, I love the concept.
— beauGeste, 2007-04-04 15:25:00
I actually bought this book a couple of months ago strictly because the cover was so ridiculously freaking awesome. It’s actually a pretty amusing read as well. The stuff people die from—and in the numbers they do—is rather alarming sometimes.
I think there’s also an animated version of the cover on the author’s website.
— Liz, 2007-04-04 16:09:00
lovely marbled flesh!
— Luke Tonge, 2007-04-04 16:40:00
the fonts are just perfect. reminds me of the vanguards of classic designs b4 it is absorbed by the primary colors..although im not sure about depth, some elements float..
— ongoy, 2007-04-04 18:35:00
overall, certainly good piece.
Maybe I’m just anal, but I can’t get over a few detail issues: first, the quote is set awkwardly tightly. I get that it follows the angle of the knife, but I hate the poor tension created by its being so close to the edge. Next, I find it distinctly weird that “The Illustrated” is not quite centered. Many other components of this design follow that “not-quite-ness”, but that’s the only one I’m disturbed by. Am I crazy?
— jasfitz, 2007-04-04 18:47:00
yes u r crazy…
i thinks the designer follows a geometric patterns. it starts from the end of the 2nd line of the blurbs (the “D” in the word “find”).
i believe the perspective line starts from there…jazfits tell me im crazy…
— kbones, 2007-04-04 19:03:00
with a design like this, i think that it’s better when stuff is off center and doesnt make complete sense. it only adds to the makeshift feeling of it.
— mike, 2007-04-04 20:08:00
This looks great, but didn’t this designer already explore this very unique design solution for his cleaner and more successful Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World series that was previously highlighted on this website?
I’m just saying.
FYI. The jacket designer of The Executioner Always Chops Twice was Nina Laricchia.
— a1000words, 2007-04-04 20:08:00
Yeah, the whole package is terribly solid. The spine and back are quite special as well… Makes me jealous…
— Tony Meola, 2007-04-05 07:04:00
Love the smile on the poor guy’s face! Knife in the head? By God, that must have been fun to design.
— Blake, 2007-04-05 07:20:00
I find the lack of blood anywhere to be an ironically tasteful restraint. And I love the ghosted white drop shadow behind the title.
— Shannon, 2007-04-05 15:39:00
Pretty rad. seriously.
— nathalie k, 2007-04-05 20:43:00
Stylistic – solid work.
— Chuck S., 2007-04-06 01:24:00
very fun. It’s nice to see a collage play together so well. I love the background color—everything pops but is subdued in the background color. I think the book is printed on a uncoated stock. I was working on a similar book for George Lucas Books/Ballantine Books called “Cause of Death” and had a similar tongue-in-cheek approach, but opted for a black background and a Mexican skeleton doll sitting at a desk answering a call form death…
http://aliandesign.com/work/print/spread-explorations-for-george-lucas-books
— Ian B. Shimkoviak, 2007-04-06 09:42:00
Hey Ian thats cool, but the focus here isn’t on your work.
— john, 2007-04-06 09:49:00
Hey John that’s cool, but your skanky attitude is making my brain bleed.
It’s an okay cover. It captures sufficient attention and the right sorts of people will likely pick it up, leaf through it, and perhaps buy it. In that respect I suppose it really excels.
Yet, somehow, doesn’t it feel like the vintage graphics have been done to death?—pun intended
— C-Dog, 2007-04-08 22:38:00
I think my posting is just more about it being a curiosity that a book so similar if not in many ways exact was published while another was being designed. I actually like the fact that you barked at me though;)
Easy boy.
— Ian B. Shimkoviak, 2007-04-10 14:37:00
John has a crab wedged someplace…
— T.Kamir, 2007-04-10 16:58:00
Awesome as usual from Mr. Kulick,
the man is a machine. This is one of my all time faves of his…. Plus, the “dirty” spot lamination adds a great overall feel to it…
— w. staehle, 2007-04-11 18:48:00
jasfitz, i’ll second you. the corner quote was the first thing i noticed, and it irked. also the E over the X. otherwise, cool. reminds me of this video:
http://www.dominorecordco.com/site/player.php?trackID=2991&action=watch
— zach, 2007-04-19 14:12:00
the beefy diagram in the cut in half part of the body is the shit. nice stuff. Why that bottom type treatment on the author tho… really?
— Ned Wright, 2007-04-25 22:15:00
lOOKS AWESOME
— Bebe, 2008-08-13 21:24:00