I’d have to say the inspiration here is from old academic books and sheets on biology and autopsy. Metaphorically it reminds you (and must have struck the designer as most appropriate) of that awful time you had to cut open a frog in school—and how for some of us it was a release and way to get our yayas out, while for others it was something to geek out on, and for other it was the most nasty thing ever. The unifying aspect of it all is that whatever type of person you were—it was weird.
Ahhhhh!!!! I can smell the formaldehyde. Great cover. That super-tight leading on the author names is perfect. What machines did they use to make copies in the mid-80s? I remember a lot of these purple-ink copies being given out in school. Photostats?
I didn’t mean to imply that I didn’t understand the origin of the source material for this. Only that I’d love to hear how the designer came back to this. Does she have a son in middle school? Did she look back through her old diaries?
I’ve L-O-V-E-D this cover ever since I saw it in B&N a month or so ago. I believe Catherine did the illustration as well. Everything about it is perfect. Great back cover design, too.
I honestly don’t love this cover but if I were the designer I would have the front on ripped spiral notebook paper dancing along the left edge wrapping onto the spine. Personally, I think it would add an extra level of association to ‘worst’ and put more humanity on the cover besides the handwritten type.
A very nice concept, but the execution falls way short. The illustration is awful. (They usually have this frogs illustrated.) The hand written part is OK, and it also could have use a little more texture around the edges.(from the abUSE)... It could have been a great cover, but its only OK.
I remember dissecting my first and only frog in Biology class in ninth grade. Perhaps because it didn’t seem real, I went to town on that frog. I remember poking its eyes out, punching a hole through its lip, yanking its tongue out and tying it through the hole around its mouth. I aced the lab and forthcoming anatomy quiz but that frog was a freaking mess. At a minimum wouldn’t a picture of a real biology lab frog be more arresting than this sketch?
I’d love to hear the back story behind this one. It’s so perfect you have to wonder where the inspiration was drawn from.
— Ben Pieratt, 2008-01-29 06:12:00
Haha! Very good indeed!
— Marco, 2008-01-29 06:38:00
Designed by Catherine Casalino.
— Nate S., 2008-01-29 08:16:00
Thanks!
— Ben Pieratt, 2008-01-29 08:36:00
The inspiration was likely someone’s kid’s homework. Grade 5 or 6 maybe.
— rek, 2008-01-29 08:53:00
I’d have to say the inspiration here is from old academic books and sheets on biology and autopsy. Metaphorically it reminds you (and must have struck the designer as most appropriate) of that awful time you had to cut open a frog in school—and how for some of us it was a release and way to get our yayas out, while for others it was something to geek out on, and for other it was the most nasty thing ever. The unifying aspect of it all is that whatever type of person you were—it was weird.
What wonderful and well thought out. Solid.
— Ian Shimkoviak, 2008-01-29 08:55:00
Ahhhhh!!!! I can smell the formaldehyde. Great cover. That super-tight leading on the author names is perfect. What machines did they use to make copies in the mid-80s? I remember a lot of these purple-ink copies being given out in school. Photostats?
— Tal, 2008-01-29 08:59:00
Tal—mimeographs
— SunnyLea, 2008-01-29 09:23:00
My first printing job was manning the Gestetner machine waaaay back in grade 7. As such, this cover makes me feel ill. Nice job.
— dave, 2008-01-29 09:41:00
I didn’t mean to imply that I didn’t understand the origin of the source material for this. Only that I’d love to hear how the designer came back to this. Does she have a son in middle school? Did she look back through her old diaries?
— Ben Pieratt, 2008-01-29 13:22:00
I’ve L-O-V-E-D this cover ever since I saw it in B&N a month or so ago. I believe Catherine did the illustration as well. Everything about it is perfect. Great back cover design, too.
— Mark Melnick, 2008-01-29 14:04:00
Speach less wonderful this is an excellent work
— khokhar33, 2008-01-29 14:09:00
Haha! Perfect!
— Blake, 2008-01-30 05:26:00
I honestly don’t love this cover but if I were the designer I would have the front on ripped spiral notebook paper dancing along the left edge wrapping onto the spine. Personally, I think it would add an extra level of association to ‘worst’ and put more humanity on the cover besides the handwritten type.
— Auguste, 2008-01-30 16:57:00
A very nice concept, but the execution falls way short. The illustration is awful. (They usually have this frogs illustrated.) The hand written part is OK, and it also could have use a little more texture around the edges.(from the abUSE)... It could have been a great cover, but its only OK.
— Bart, 2008-01-30 17:17:00
I remember dissecting my first and only frog in Biology class in ninth grade. Perhaps because it didn’t seem real, I went to town on that frog. I remember poking its eyes out, punching a hole through its lip, yanking its tongue out and tying it through the hole around its mouth. I aced the lab and forthcoming anatomy quiz but that frog was a freaking mess. At a minimum wouldn’t a picture of a real biology lab frog be more arresting than this sketch?
— AP Biology, 2008-01-30 17:50:00
IAn….master of the obvious
— mike, 2008-02-12 19:50:00
MIke. Master of quoting the master of the obvious because he has nothing better to do.
I like how the arrow from “the WORST” is pointing right at the frogs ass… Speaking of obvious…MiKe…
— Ian Shimkoviak, 2008-02-13 09:18:00
as a student of design i luv reading the crit wall..an extention to classroom learning!
— shruti, 2008-03-05 09:58:00
I like it.
— C-Dog, 2008-03-25 01:16:00