If there are any Pittsburghers in the house, you’re in luck. John Gall is going to be speaking in your town in just a few short days.
The information is as such:
Thursday, April 12, 2007 7:00pm
Margaret Morrison’s Breed Hall, Carnegie Mellon University.
Free to all.
Presented by AIGA Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon School of Design.
The posters for the event, which Gall designed, are a treat unto themselves. Glorious AND handy, they act as a book jacket should you be heartless enough to find one and cut it up.
With all the hyperbole associated with Chip Kidd, who admittedly has done some great covers, John Gall gets a little overlooked. He is a true genius when it comes to book covers. I heard an interview with Chip Kidd and Debbie Millman where she referred to Kidd as “The Rock Star of graphic design.” I’ll give him that but to continue the analogy, John Gall is “The Jazz Innovator of cover design” – a Thelonius Monk.
I wholeheartedly agree. John IS overlooked. Anyone who can oversee the Vintage list for as long as he has, and as brilliantly as he has (and continues to do, thank GOD) deserves major attention. I think one of the major reasons he’s not as widely known is because he has a family to take care of and doesn’t do much touring. Whereas I can just gad about. So you Pittsburgers are extra lucky. CK
Seriously, why do Penguin and Knopf “Rock” while most (all?) of the other publishers seem like bad cover bands?
Regarding John, no one’s covers have stopped me in my tracks [in stores] more than his. Every time it’s a crop or color or magic little touch that arrests me, and time after time I’m amazed why it’s always Gall’s covers and not, say, CK’s.
i seem to have noticed that i only see 2-3 book publishers in this site. i think u shud gave credits to the top ten publishers.. or maybe they r not ur sponsors? lol
and most of the covers are from CK and JG, or book cover that is related to their designs..
They’re cool as posters, but I bet they’re delicious as covers. Get out the good printers and your pvc-glue, guys.
I’d like to see someone re-cover therir entire library :-D
This is so exquisite!
I wish I could see the small diagrams.
I think it’s a diagram of how a jacket works on a cover. so brilliant.
I think it’s lust more thsn love.
If there are any Pittsburghers in the house, you’re in luck. John Gall is going to be speaking in your town in just a few short days.
The information is as such:
The posters for the event, which Gall designed, are a treat unto themselves. Glorious AND handy, they act as a book jacket should you be heartless enough to find one and cut it up.
Download a hi-res PDF of the posters here.
— Ben Pieratt, 2007-04-09 08:27:00
Indeed, I’ve been looking forward to this talk for several weeks now.
— jcreed, 2007-04-09 09:37:00
{(..*\ -
DESIGNGASM- //*..)}— C-Dog, 2007-04-09 10:45:00
With all the hyperbole associated with Chip Kidd, who admittedly has done some great covers, John Gall gets a little overlooked. He is a true genius when it comes to book covers. I heard an interview with Chip Kidd and Debbie Millman where she referred to Kidd as “The Rock Star of graphic design.” I’ll give him that but to continue the analogy, John Gall is “The Jazz Innovator of cover design” – a Thelonius Monk.
— beauGeste, 2007-04-10 03:30:00
I wholeheartedly agree. John IS overlooked. Anyone who can oversee the Vintage list for as long as he has, and as brilliantly as he has (and continues to do, thank GOD) deserves major attention. I think one of the major reasons he’s not as widely known is because he has a family to take care of and doesn’t do much touring. Whereas I can just gad about. So you Pittsburgers are extra lucky. CK
— Chip Kidd, 2007-04-10 12:45:00
PS: I will be living down that dopey USA Today “Rock Star” quote for the rest of my life. Mortifying.
— Chip Kidd, 2007-04-10 12:46:00
To continue the music analogy …
Seriously, why do Penguin and Knopf “Rock” while most (all?) of the other publishers seem like bad cover bands?
Regarding John, no one’s covers have stopped me in my tracks [in stores] more than his. Every time it’s a crop or color or magic little touch that arrests me, and time after time I’m amazed why it’s always Gall’s covers and not, say, CK’s.
Keep it up, John!
— Auguste, 2007-04-10 20:58:00
points up
— Click me, 2007-04-10 21:00:00
i seem to have noticed that i only see 2-3 book publishers in this site. i think u shud gave credits to the top ten publishers.. or maybe they r not ur sponsors? lol
and most of the covers are from CK and JG, or book cover that is related to their designs..
— ongoy, 2007-04-10 23:14:00
their should be a distinction of designs.
i see consentration of design styles and layouts.
— kbone, 2007-04-10 23:24:00
They’re so beautiful! You don’t have to read the book to satisfy your appetite. Just feast on the covers.
— Terry Berger, 2007-04-11 17:12:00
I was thinking the same thang, ongoy. :(
— C-Dog, 2007-04-11 19:24:00
get ready C-dog coz ur gonna see more covers from these guys…lol
— ongoy, 2007-04-12 00:14:00
Can somebody explain what is genius about these?
— andrew, 2007-04-15 18:28:00
Well, Andrew, as a contemporary artist I must say that his balance of composition (meaning his use of shape, color, space) is exceptionally effective.
His work comes off looking like fine art rather than design—or at least a fine balance high art and graphic design.
Gall truly is an exceptionally unique and forceful voice in an industry that often mimics rather than innovates.
— C-Dog, 2007-04-17 19:38:00
can’t stop staring. in love…
— zach, 2007-04-19 14:19:00
They’re cool as posters, but I bet they’re delicious as covers. Get out the good printers and your pvc-glue, guys.
I’d like to see someone re-cover therir entire library :-D
— Bobbie, 2007-04-28 03:54:00
This is so exquisite!
I wish I could see the small diagrams.
I think it’s a diagram of how a jacket works on a cover. so brilliant.
I think it’s lust more thsn love.
— a2, 2007-07-23 20:12:00
I don’t understand this cover: is it a cover book?
I think it’s difficoults to bring this in a book shop: doesn’t let it see !
— Marco Maraviglia, 2007-10-08 04:12:00