Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Richard Bravery: Michael Chabon UK Covers





Great paperback series design for Harper Collins UK. Going by the Kavalier and Clay cover, there is a lot of gold foil going on, I'm assuming on all of these, which are printed on non-finish paper. The Wonder Boys cover is hilarious - the typewriter keys in the upper half spell out a review of the book. And the top reads "Every writer has an ideal reader. I thought, and it was just my good luck, that mine wanted to sleep with me." Please click on images to enlarge.

13 comments:

Caroline said...

These are lovely. I don't love the Kavalier & Clay cover compared with the U.S. versions (beloved, favorite book = cover bias?) but the others are a nice change.

Victor said...

These look an awful lot like Chris Ware's work. I don't know if he's the designer, but he definitely seems to be the influence.

Blair said...

A Model World is my favorite of the four.

Unknown said...

Is the designer Leah Carlson-Stanisic?

Tal said...

I checked the back cover and copyright page and there's no credit! Please, please step forward, designer!

Ian Koviak said...

these are very fun. completely different and unexpected. Odd that there is NO credit. It's not exactly a run of the mill cover series design...

Tal said...

Maybe Jesus designed them.

Ian Koviak said...

Wouldn't be surprised... apparently a great pamphlet designer in his day.

RJ Wheaton said...

The designer is Richard Bravery. Beyond that, I'm afraid, I know nothing -- he doesn't seem to have a web presence at all.

Tal said...

Thanks, RJ. Mystery solved? Or just beginnning????

Unknown said...

Hello all, I designed and illustrated the Chabon series whilst I was an inhouse designer for HarperCollins. Thank you for all the positive comments, such a lovely thing to find on a gloomy British Monday morning.

In response to a few of the Kavalier and Clay comments, the intent was always to pastiche/homage the 50's style comic book art of the time as it forms such a large part of the narrative in the book, as for the connection with Chris Wares work, I was going for more early Jack Kirby in the drawing style but I guess nowadays Chris Ware (who himself was heavily influenced by cartoonists of the time like Frank King) has become shorthand for anything 'comic' these days. Funnily enough looking at the series again 'A Model World' feels very Ware esque, not sure how I got away with that one! But hey, who doesn't love Chris Ware...

Sara said...

the dog in WONDERBOYS... amazing! and so true

Marcus said...

I agree - these covers really make me want to buy all these books!