I can’t believe I didn’t know this, but yesterday was “Book Lovers Day”. So, to celebrate, over at the TED TALKS website they did a post about “6 talks to watch for Book Lovers Day”. Basically, they re-posted six popular videos that showcase the love of books… both their creating and reading of them. Chip Kidd’s speech was the first one on the list. The cool thing is that their post has really gone viral. Actually, all the other talks are extremely excellent and we wanted to share them with you so please visit their site and check them out.

Just CLICK HERE!

This post is a quick shout-out for a cool Graphic Artist named Anne Mauser. She recently created this wonderful image as a poster that was inspired by Chip Kidd’s TED Speech. It shows Chip pointing to the microphone he had to wear for the event, and if you have seen the video (down below, if you haven’t / check it out) he said during his introduction that, “…this is what happens to me when I’m forced to wear a Lady Gaga Skanky-Mic. I’m used to a stationary mic, it’s the sensible shoe of public address”.

How funny, she caught the moment perfectly, even showing his broken glasses. The graphic also contains a lot of his work like the Letter O’s for a Rolling Stone Magazine Cover, the Book Cover to DRY by Augusten Burroughs, his 2 novels (The Learners and Cheese Monkeys), Logo for Japanese Batman Bat-Manga, Murakami’s 1Q84 Cover, and even the catch-phrase for this blog, “GOOD IS DEAD”….

WOW! Now, how AWESOME is that! Thanks Anne!

To view more of her portfolio please CLICK HERE.

Here’s a cool piece of Graphic Art History! Dave Taylor, the Artist who drew Chip Kidd’s first DC Comics’ Graphic Novel, BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN, created this Promo Poster for the book which never got made. It was actually more like a prototype showing what the book COULD look like. Of course it has his “raw graphite pencil sketch” look, which did make it into the book and was also a great style for the story. So, that’s cool! Hey DC Comics, if you’re reading this you need to make this a poster for sale!!

You can see more of Dave Taylor’s ART if you CLICK HERE!

Here’s a bit of news we’re really proud to be sharing. Chip Kidd’s novel, THE CHEESE MONKEYS: A Novel in Two Semesters, just got a brand-new Book Review over at the NERD ATLAS BLOG! If you have never been there you should check it out. It’s written by a girl named Elizabeth Brooke and with fun and a great sense of passion she covers a HUGE variety of topics: Books, Video Games, Webcomics, Anime, Manga, TV Shows and Cool Products.

Oh yeah, before I forget, here’s a link to her beautiful BOOK REVIEW (Thanks Elizabeth).

WANT!! Check out this new wallpaper designed by the creative team of Young & Battaglia. It features white books on white shelves for a bright minimalist look. It’s also a great optical illusion. This fine wallpaper is made in England and sold by a Design Company called MINEHEART.

Just a quick post to share the incredibly freakin’ AWESOME example of the retro-style artwork of Ryan Heshka. Here, he captures the concept of Batman in the late 1930′s to early 40′s. It’s beautiful. If you want to enjoy more Golden Age-inspired graphics then we suggest visiting his WEBSITE.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover - but that hasn’t stopped anyone from trying. An original and visually engaging book cover/jacket can help make the difference between a flop and a smash, and over the years more than a few designers have taken the creative and mysterious process to levels of supreme beauty and imagination. Peter Mendelsund is that kind of designer and COVER is the story of his love affair with books.

Renowned and award-winning designer of many best-selling books, Peter Mendelsund has enjoyed years as a much-sought-after designer and art director. Amongst the many recognizable covers he has created are those for the American edition of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and the following books of the Millennium trilogy; collections of the works of James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Dostoevsky, de Beauvoir, Bernhard, and Camus; the contemporary works of Peter Carey, Martin Amis, Tom McCarthy, Ben Marcus, Rick Bragg, and James Gleick; and many more. All have greatly benefited from the care and touch Mendelsund gave their jackets.

The entire story of a book cover - from the moment a book is initially acquired to when it finally appears on bookstores’ shelves is explained and illustrated in COVER. This brand-new book features Peter Mendelsund’s completed book jackets along with ephemera from his previously unseen creative processes, including jacket sketches, interior art and illustrations, editorial illustration, and scores of rejected drafts. These images are also punctuated by his reflections on his work and his process, as well as by texts from writers with whom he has worked and designed for, including bestselling crime writers, Pulitzer and Booker Prize-winning fiction and non-fiction authors, well-known scientists, actors, and politicians.

COVER is a compendium of beautiful design and a beautiful design object itself; a profile and celebration of one of the publishing world’s most talented and prolific contemporary creators, and a brilliant showcase of his deft touch for balanced and innovative design. Also, as sort of a disclaimer, we should note that he works with Chip Kidd at Random House Publishing. So, we’re kind of biased a little bit here! But honestly, this book is gonna be GREAT and it’s already on most book lover’s (and design students) reading lists. The book will be released in Hardcover on April 8th, 2014 and will be published by PowerHouse Books.

Remember, pre-order the book from AMAZON and save big bucks!

How did Theodor Seuss Geisel create The Lorax? Well, that question can be answered by visiting THE LORAX Art Museum exhibit in Omaha, Nebraska that opens next week. While there, Dr. Seuss' fans will see the birth of this beloved Children’s picture book.

This special program will feature doodles, crayon drawings, and ink pieces that inspired the book. It will be on view at Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum from August 10th until November 3rd, 2013.

Here's a little bit more about the exhibit:

Published in 1971, before protecting the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss spoke through his character, the Lorax, who 'spoke for the trees,' warning against mindless progress and the danger it poses to the planet ... The color sketches and line art on view at the Joslyn Art Museum, along with the typewritten story Geisel affixed to the pages, provide a fascinating look at the early development of a Dr. Seuss classic.

For more information about both the exhibit and Joslyn Art Museum, please CLICK HERE!

Cartoonist, Illustrator, Graphic Artist… no matter how you say it, the artwork of SETH is pretty amazing! Over at the NATIONAL POST Website they recently conducted a pretty damn interesting interview with the Artist. He mostly talks about his experience of working with Chip Kidd on David Rakoff’s latest book, “Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish” (Knopf Doubleday) and how he balanced the ethics of drawing art for an Author who has, sadly, passed away during the publishing process.

The article shares some great insight into Seth’s art and you’re gonna love reading it, just CLICK HERE!

Just a quick note to let Chip Kidd Book Cover Design Fans know that we just updated our Galley Page where we added a ton of new jackets… actually, they appear on Gallery Page Two… just CLICK HERE!