I >heart< designers

They make things cool.

Something to Blog About is divided into two sections. The first, Libby Fawcett's Blog entries. Second, the rest of the story. I tried my best to make the blog pages act like a real Blog page. Complete with Blog entries, scroll bars, and Blog header. Christine Norrie ( illustrator of the amazing jacket art ) drew those sweet characters on the title page.

When ever I am designing an interior I try to keep in mind the reluctant reader (me). I want to have an enjoyable visual experience when I am reading. Almost like a reward for reading. Adding this visual experience adds to the experience of the reader and reading itself. An ambitious goal I know, but it's what I strive to accomplish in my work. Something to Blog About I think is a good example of this idea.

-- Chad Beckerman

From his excellent Mishaps and Adventures A BLOG dedicated to the process and exploration of Children's and YA book Design.

Check out the sweet design work: Something To Blog About Sample Pages

PUMA French 77

This is the making of/behind the scenes video for the PUMA French 77 campaign that John and I worked on last winter. We were hired by Alex Vlack (LN&W)/ Andrew Zuckerman Studios and worked alongside art director/writer Rory Hanrahan. Over the course of a couple weeks, I quickly illustrated several storyboards, with John finishing up on the animatics-- which you see bits of my sketching and his animating it. The end result is four fabulous tv spots.

Doing this type of work is astoundingly different than comics, but in a lot of ways the same. For instance, it's incredible for me to think back on the couple rainy nights we spent in the studio working out sketches and coming up with ideas. Just a few people in a room quietly, excitedly working. Then you see this clip and look at all the people who make these drawings literally come to life!

I think of comics, as I instinctively do, because I'm booking travel and getting things ready for the convention season and am getting prepared to see all the people out there who make it all happen. Such a contrast to when you're quietly, excitedly working in a little studio...

Red Weapon

I like sneakers. Not in the way that some people do with their IKEA cases spotlighting their collection, but in a nice moderate way. I get hired every so often by companies to do mock-up sketches for concepts/presentations and what not, and a few weeks ago I got a call to do one for Complex Magazine. It's a special release for Product (Red) of the Converse Weapon.

PS. My sneaker choice is the black/red Jack Purcell by John Varvatos.

Unmentionables

This is a sketch for one of three illustrations I've been hurriedly working on as my drafting table overflows with ink and deadlines. The final product will be letterpress print on lovely paper using pink ink. These items will be available at the 61st National Stationary Show in May, and MoCCA in June, both in New York.