“Optima is one of the worst pre-computer typefaces ever designed,” says Seymour Chwast.

Steven Heller asks Chwast, Beirut, Lupton, Carter, Helfand and too many other typophiles to name about John McCain’s Optima over at the New York Times.

I’m not sure how many of you (does anyone read this?) listen to This American Life on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio. I’ve been an avid follower for almost 4 years now and if there’s one thing i don’t think i’ll ever tire of, it’s hearing Ira Glass’s voice. TAL has done 3 live tours around the U.S. since it’s inception in 1995 pulling from it’s long roster of writers to compose stories and narratives for each of it’s shows.

This time Ira is bringing the show to movie theaters in a live format to be broadcast all over the United States. Anyone interested should watch this:

Tickets go on sale here. The show airs May 1st (i’m pretty sure i’ll be attending) so if you’re interested, hurry up!

I’m a die-hard fan when it comes to poster design. Searching for different color pallets today, i ran across Nikalas Troxler, a swiss poster designer that i’d heard of before. It’s been a while since i’ve been back to visit his work but god is he great. He’s fast becoming one of my favorite designers because he deals in a medium that most people would consider a dying art. Personally, i think this statement is wrong but that’s just me:

2001-Kenny Wheeler

2000-Eskelin-Bennink

1991-James Blood Ulmer

2000-Typhoid Mary

2000-Typhoid Mary
1978-Don Pullen Quartet — My favorite!

More of Troxler’s incredible body of work can be seen here. Be sure to hit the “shuffle” button a lot.

Shepard Fairey was tapped by Penguin to create new cover art for literary classics, 1984 and Animal Farm. Check it out:

“1984″ by George Orwell (Click here for a closeup)

“Animal Farm” by George Orwell (Click here for a closeup)

Fairey has always had this constructivist style and it’s served him well for most of his career. You’re probably already familiar with some of his work (he’s the designer responsible for Obama’s new campaign posters. See here & here). It’s hard not to respond to these pieces as someone who spends much of his time living inside his local book megastore. I can honestly say that i’ve bought books based upon their covers more than i’ve read them. I hang my head in blogger shame, heh.

On the other hand, anyone whose ever said you can’t judge a book by its cover has probably never had to work for the publishing industry in their life. Book covers are as divisive to the customer as they are beautiful in the way that you feel compelled to pick one up and run your hand across it’s spine. It’s an art and it’s magic.

This October 1st Issue of TIME Magazine is featured for it’s terrible attention to art direction. Please observe the following!

The reflections of the flags (which were created digitally and are actually a bad job in themselves) are in the wrong place. Reflections are symmetrical; the flags are at the top of the ice and therefore shouldn’t even be showing in this photo at all. I suspect the reflection of the ice was drawn in as well as it doesn’t look right and the light is in the wrong places.

Maybe this is a referenda on my visual acuity because i’m a little embarrassed to admit that it took me more than 2 minutes to detect what exactly went wrong with this picture. Suffice it to say, it did make sense eventually, it just took a few moments for my brain to register the error. For more commercial photoshop
screw-ups, click here.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a new opening posted on TIME’s job recruitment board after this went to print. Maybe something along the lines of:

Position: Art Director, Time Magazine
Location: New York
Salary: $225,000, excellent incentives
Requirements: Must have an excellent eye for detail.

Many thanks to Kosmonaut