12oz. Prophet has been the undisputed, premiere name in graf for the last 10 years. Their early issues are highly sought after, and were the first to introduce us to Barry McGee, Reas, Os Gemeos, Struggle Inc (who shared layout responsibilities) and...
expand review others. Then they switched the game with The Vapors (not affiliated with the skate magazine), which gave the official indicator that the scene had shifted towards bombing. After a couple years of hibernation, the 12oz. crew is back, this time reinventing the self-published book with this super-deluxe (an understatement) thing. I've never seen so many extra-levels of printing dexterity (budget was obviously not a factor). Almost every page is laced with special 5th color inks, stock changes, or special folds. It's quite ridiculous, the low-budget graf zine has officially been deaded. In addition to all the top notch bombing photography, there is a nice chunk of design and art here like exclusive layouts by longtime 12oz. collaborators Futura, Kaws, and Reas. Extras include a sticker sheet, die-cut stickers, access number for the exclusive site, and more. There's also some of the super-limited silver copies mixed in our shipment (they ship randomly). Highly recommended. -the mgmnt
This books offers a look at the entire career of skater slash designer slash artist Andy Howell. The book is presented in a very personal way, there's a good amount of text and the layout borrows styles of old skate zines...
expand review and skate mags. The story begins with his youth days in Virginia Beach, his early influences, and his rise to pro skater. These stories are illuminated by quotes, vintage photos, old skate products, and skate mag excerpts. If you grew up in the same period, this stuff is quite incredible. For the designers, the book really picks up with the chapter on New Deal skateboard company. Howell provided the visual direction for this super-influential company (recognized as one of the forces that shifted skate graphics to more of an urban direction). The book proceeds into a lengthy section on Howell's paintings. And just when you think it should end, you've only gone halfway through the book. The book gets deeper into Andy's drawings, early urban skating in nyc, starting new companies, and much more. This book is much more than a design book, it's more like an well illustrated manual on the DIY life. And if that's not enough, the book comes with 2 accompanying DVDs. Hardcover, over 300 pages. -the mgmnt
Great collection of work from SF grafitti legend turned gallery star Barry McGee. This book was published for his Things Are Getting Better Exhibit at the Museum Het Domein Sittard in the Netherlands and features plenty of his paintings, drawings, and photos....
expand review Not a lot of his early graf work as TWIST in here, but more of his later gallery work like his infamous hobo characters, Q-bert style cube patterns, collabos with friends (Paper Rad's dog drawings are awesome and Os Gemeos graf letters are just sick) plus plenty of interesting (and random!) personal photos. I actually got a chance to catch his huge show over at Deitch Projects a few years ago and was lucky enough to see the fine details of his work in person, but for those who can't catch a show, the bright color photos in this book are pretty damn good too. Softcover edition. -snackmaster
This book was made in conjunction with the massive art survey of the same name, currently showing in San Francisco's Yerba Buena center. If you caught Tokion's genre-defining "Disobedients" issue, Beautiful Losers is like a continuation of that thought line, the summation...
expand review of many years of gallery shows, art projects, and publications that have been related in spirit. It features just about every "big" name that is associated with that movement- Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Mike Mills, Mark Gonzales, Tobin Yelland, Margaret Kilgallen, Spike Jonze, Espo, Geoff McFetridge, Kaws, Ed Templeton, Shepard Fairey, Harmony Korine, Phil Frost, Ryan McGinness, and many others. Yeah, that sounds like they're casting the net a bit wide, but this mass of information and artwork is presented in such a thoughtful manner that it comes together without a hitch. In addition to showcasing the artwork, the book consists of informative articles that give us the background on how this loosely related conglomeration of people and styles came to be. This consists of an impressive collection of images + stories that speak about the social scene, past gallery shows, collectives, and the influences of the preceding generation (things like Dogtown and skate photographer Craig Stacyk, and the early 80s NYC scene); thankfully devoid of art school interpretations of what it all "means." The result is the most comprehensive piece we've seen thus far, and if you're gonna buy one book in this genre all year, this should be it. Softcover, about 275 pages. -the mgmnt
This is the unofficial sequel to Josef Muller Brockmann's Grid Systems. In Grid Systems, Brockmann explained the basic characteristics and usage of the grid. Hans Rudolf Bosshard takes it a complex step forward and breaks it down even further, going into ideas...
expand review of maximizing and breaking the grid. Although this is somewhat advanced material, Bosshard does a good job of clarifying ideas, first by showing line drawings of complex grids and then the actual examples the grids were drawn from. Bosshard dissects some of the most famous pieces of design, including the work of Swiss design legend Max Bill. He even has a section breaking down this very book. It's the most advanced design book I've seen. Although the writing can be too abstract at times (mathematical formulas are ocassionally introduced), you can learn more than you know by just looking at the images. Needless to say, the book design itself is bulletproof. The beautiful landscape format serves as a foil to Brockmann's portrait layout and "The Typographic Grid" again serves as the ultimate example. 200 pages. Recommended. -the mgmnt
The music graphics book was born in the mid-nineties and died in early 2000 with over-saturation and lowered standards as a cause of death. Enough water has passed and people have learned from their mistakes. This is an excellent reintroduction to...
expand review the modern music graphics book. It's executed near perfectly with relevent examples (many records we've had at the Lab, but even more that we haven't), clean design, and Japanese-style attention to mega-detail (it's organized by designer, painstakingly documented, and each designer has an interview). It is so effective that the book creates an illusion that these are classic record covers from 10 years ago, when they really are from yesterday. Softcover, 318 pages, 7.5" x 9.5" x .75". Recommended.
-the mgmnt
The folks at Ego Trip have really outdone themselves this time. Setting out on an unprecedented course to tackle the racial makeup (and subsequent racism) that is America. They've created a monster that is extremely offensive, illuminating, deeply researched, and funny as...
expand review hell. They use the same format that made the Book of Rap Lists so great- the massive amount of info, articles and topics are divided into digestible sections, then further broken down into their genius lists. A sampling: 10 racial rumors worth talking about, the sports racism hall of fame, Chin check: a US phone book suvey, the true race adventures of the Rolling Stones, top 10 whites (according to blacks) + top 10 blacks (according to whites) and so so much more. Design is handled by Brent Rollins of course, with an extra help-out of hilarity from Reas. Just buy it, mongrel. -the mgmnt
This is the newest edition featuring 1)new hardcover and 2)square format. One of the most beautifully designed books just got better. Typographie has been one of the most authoritative typography manuals since its introduction in 1967. The preface is written by Adrian...
expand review Frutiger, designer of the foundational namesake font. Another beautiful book that simply demonstrates all levels of type usage from classical to experimental treatments. The standardized grid format consistently gets worked by Emil Ruder, demonstrating type style decades ahead of its time. The writing is limited to captions and is always clear, concise, and short for those with short attention spans like me. Sections include: Writing and Printing, Function and Form, Form and Counter-Form, Techniques of Typography, Arrangements, Geometric/Optical/Organic aspects. Proportions, Contrasts, Shades of Grey, Unity of Text and Form, Rhythm, Spontaneity, and Fortuity, Integral Design, Variations, Kinetics, and Lettering and Illustration. 220 pages. Never dated. -the mgmnt
Huge score for the cut and paste designer. Using in 19th century / late 20th century illustrations and ornamentation has been a design staple for the last couple years. Nobody has those type of illustration skills these days, and it adds an...
expand review instant touch of class to your designs. This book is filled with the stuff (flags, animal drawings, banners, crests, shields, tons of fillagree) and it's as easy as scan-bitmap-use. The work here is top-shelf stuff taken from original books from 1913 and 1894, and super-tasteful. Another secret design weapon uncovered by the Lab. 128 pages, measures 9" x 6". -the mgmnt
For those who picked up "Josef Muller Brockmann: Pioneer in Swiss Graphic Design," here is the science behind it. Like no other book of its time, "Grid Systems" breaks down the grid with almost scientifical efficiency. If you are a graphic designer,...
expand review industrial designer, 3d designer, or a designer in study, this is essential. Brockmann goes into detail about typeface usage, development of the grid, placement within the grid, 3 dimensional grid design and visual examples for everything. As the final piece to the puzzle, "Grid Systems" itself works as a supreme example of Brockmann's teachings, and the many examples that he provides are bling to my eyes. This is the type of book that goes beyond the writing (I don't think I even read the whole thing), it's like a perfect piece of design that happens to be one of the most authoritative visual communication manuals. I feel the power when I hold this book. Recommended. -the mgmnt
If chapter titles like "Sans Serif as the expression of our age" interest you, this book is for you (Zoltan!). No, for real, this is another phenomenal Josef Muller Brockmann book. Penned and compiled by Brockmann himself, it is a cross between...
expand review his History of Visual Communication book and the monograph Pioneer of Swiss Graphic design. He organizes his work and notable works of others into categories, and then writes short design theories (ie Uniformity in Advertising), based on the groupings. He'll break for indepth analysis on certain categories including the very informative chapter entitled "Science and Visual Communication." The last chapter is an actual lesson from the master himself entitled "A Training System for the Graphic Designer." This book does double duty also as a classic Swiss visual look book with hundreds of images, layouts, logo examples, and more, all placed in Brockmann's impeccable grid design. 200 pages, 1 chapter in color. Recommended. -mgmnt
Can you ever have enough Brockmann books? No. Phaidon presents their tribute to the grid master with the largest and most comprehensive JMB book to date. The inner-jacket claims this book to be "most definitive JMB monograph," and it's hard to argue...
expand review against it. I personally own most every JMB title printed in the last 10 years, and I can tell you that this book features a large amount of exclusive material. Whereas most books spotlight his signature poster work, this book tells the entire story of the man, starting from his teens, continuing through his early formative professional days, and ending with his later corporate work. What is most interesting is that the book presents his early drawings, paintings, and designs, and attempts to decipher his influences. Did you know that JMB was a skilled illustrator and painter? A stage designer? Had a Picasso-influenced period? Designed a typeface for a typewriter? Even if you own every JMB book, this book will spark your imagination as much as the first time you saw one of his posters. His progression is fascinating, as his body of work represents a movement from the complex and painterly to the simple and mathematic (think about that for a second). 275 pages, hardcover. Measures 10" x 12" x 1.25". Highly recommended. -mgmnt
Kevin Lyons is a true behind-the-scenes pioneer of the DIY design game and has had immeasurable influence on the independent music and clothing worlds. This retrospective book of over 500 t-shirt designs is much more than graphics printed on cotton. You really...
expand review get to relive past micro-eras (acid jazz, golden-age hip-hop, the skating boom, the early days of streetwear), and understand how key Lyons was in pushing them along. This guy did the Giant Step logo for crissakes (not to mention directing Stussy and Fourstar, and producing graphics for Supreme, aNYthing, Huf and Ssur)! As a designer, I am in awe of the work here, flipping pages and thinking "he did that too?" (Denver Broncos logo? Check.) The book design itself kicks ass too with cotton cloth bound cover, folded pages, and a fake library card in the back. Over 200 pages, recommended. -the mgmnt
No matter what phase I seem to be going through at the time, one thing that consistently brings me joy is the feeling of being in a really good junk shop. This is the feeling this book recalls, but instead of a...
expand review really good junk shop, think the best junk shop in the world. The author, Mark Dion, created this mock-department in the Manchester Museum and "documents his encounters with the Museum's neglected drawers and overlooked recesses that are home to redundant labels, orphaned mounts, defunct teaching models, botanical freaks, Egyptian fakes and the minutiae that have fallen through the cracks of museum practice and lain abandoned." The books is full of the best kind of surrealism, not the forced I'll put a melting clock by an eyelash one, rather, the naturally occurring, incidental kind. The book is rich with the most random photographs featuring objects and scenes that demand further investigation. This book is fucking awesome with superior, quirky book design to match. Hardcover, 128 pages. Recommended. -the mgmnt
The most anticipated release in fixed-track bike scene... probably ever. The Mash crew has been screening their film all over the world now, strategically building up to the release of this book + DVD set. The film captures the San Francisco's fixed...
expand review scene much like a skate video. It's candidly details the people, tricks, environment, and culture. The book portion features high quality photography to go along with the moving visuals, featuring creative direction by Benny Gold (of Huf fame). This is definitely the start of something big. Hardcover book, over 100 pages. 60 minute DVD. -the mgmnt
Retrospective of one of the most influential design studios of the 20th century. Consisting of Milton Glaser (noted for the I Heart NY logo and much more) and Seymour Chwast, Push Pin energized the design scene with inventive work that crossed all...
expand review style eras, but more importantly, they injected humor and eclecticism (if you like Geoff McFetridge's work, investigation here is a must). This retrospective draws its material from the studioÌs self-published design/literary zine, entitled The Push Pin Graphic (which undoubtedly influenced Avant Garde). This book travels chronologically from issue #1(1957) all the way to the 86th (1980) with the cover of each issue and excerpts. The pages deliver countless memorable illustrations, plus a real sense of the changing time periods. This is the ultimate in editorial design, cloaking the design underneath, and truly drawing you into the content. Big chunky hardcover, 250 pages. -the mgmnt
Os (freakin) Gemeos! These Brazilian artists have fascinated us since they became cult graf heroes in the pages 12oz. Prophet in the mid-nineties. Since then, they've blown up to Barry McGee levels working with Deitch, hip europeans, that company with the swoosh...
expand review logo, and other wealthy institutions. However, like McGee, you'll always be reminded of their awesomeness by a spontaneous street sighting or some ridiculous mural in Coney Island. I could be wrong, but this might be the first official monograph of their work, published on occasion of their first museum show in the Netherlands. The book is divided into sections: public work juxtaposed with street portraits, sketchbook pages, and installation images. Full color, square-bound softcover, approximately 170 pages. Limited to 2500 copies. -the mgmnt
This is the kind of book that gets the "recommended" in the front of the review. German designer Otl Aicher ranks up there with Brockmanns, the Hoffmans, and the Rands in the hierarchy of modern design. His branding of the 1972 Munich...
expand review Olympics stands as one of the best major design jobs in the history of mankind (I'm serious). It also resulted in the easily the best iconography the world has ever seen (you've seen some variation of his sports icons somewhere). This chunky monograph includes those aforementioned works and reveals a rarely-seen, comprehensive retrospective of his work. This is the kind of stuff that has a powerful humbling effect (you are a design peon!), and makes you want to work even harder. Hardcover, 240 pages. Again, highly recommended. -the mgmnt
A work of art is realized when form and content are in synthesis. The genius of art is when form and function come together. Art is a question of quality, not classification. I got into design to get away from meaning, but...
expand review when Paul Rand drops knowledge like this, it makes me stumble. This was just one aspect of Mr. Rand, arguably the most important American designer of our time. He was the original do everything point-forward: design theorist, world class type-designer, supreme identity giver, anything printed destroyer. For me the choice between a fine piece of ass or a sit-down dinner with Mr. Rand would result in some intense conversations about the sharp beauty of his Westinghouse Gothic, humbling the corporate giants (especially ibm), or feelings about Enron (whom he designed the logo for). This book was created on occasion of Mr. Rand's show at UMBC and collects essays, tributes, interviews, essays, an extensive bibliography, photographic reproductions, show photos, and more. It is the most comprehensive book I've seen on Mr. Rand, and its chunky build makes a fine attempt at caging this bigger than life figure. The first half of this 400 page book is written, priming the reader for the design explosion (pardon me, Mr. Rollins) that occurs at page 200. Hundreds of images of his work follows in full color... it's mind blowing. The book ends with a look into Mr. Rand's house that he designed himself, and a very keen visual timeline of his career. Highest recommendation. -mgmnt
Monograph on designer Peter Saville, who is best known for his work with Factory Records and shaping the visual identity of New Order. A preface and an insightful 25 page interview introduces us to this seminal figure, then the book expands into...
expand review crisp images of his influential record sleeves, fashion work, and signature photography. I'm geeked. 190 pages. -the mgmnt
What the? Get the fungool out of here. Ridiculoso. For the designer slash music nerd (current census: just under 10 million clones out there), this book is the once a year no-wipe dookie. Enough geeky build-up though, this book features obscure 60/70s...
expand review record covers from sound library collections: pop/exotica, experimental electronic, rare european jazz, and more. Chances are, you've never seen 99% of these covers, so opening this up is a definite fresh experience in the most literal sense (harder and harder to come by these days). The selections are quite spectacular, and lean on the 70s graphic/typographic style that pops Lab heads. Each page nails down the fact that we as a race, have already passed our graphic prime (cue Metallica "da-na-na-nah... sad but true.") . Full color, over 200 pages in fitting matte. Hardcover. Did I mention it comes with a CD featuring tracks from the book? Highly recommended. -mgmnt
It's about time we got this. Tibor Kalman is arguably the most influential designer the last 20 years. When most designers were fumbling with aesthetics, Tibor was pulling the strings of inside messages, provocative images, wit, and any other appropriate brain gag....
expand review This book is a comprehensive retrospective of his work focusing on his ground breaking work on Colors magazine, early projects like Talking Heads album covers, his doublethink design firm M&Co, and his various other stints as a creative a-bomb for hire. Recommended. Over 400 pages. -the mgmnt
Mulligatawny! This is the best book I've seen about opening movie credits, period. It's one of those once in a decade-type design books, so don't hesitate or you'll be paying double when it goes OOP. Watching well-made opening credits unfold is...
expand review a treat, but designers know it becomes something even more beautiful when you see the frozen frames in grid layouts. In addition, the authors of this book are very well informed about the subject, selecting prime examples from the modern all the way to the early days of celluloid. In addition, they spotlight the unsung heroes, organizing the book by designer with interesting bio info. Who is Maurice Binder? He's the MAN. Don't know who he is? Buy this book. Large format (10" x 12"), thick (1.25"), hardcover. Highly recommended. -the mgmnt
They should have put this one out first. This book features 260 pages of every single Dos and Don'ts published in Vice magazine plus a bunch of new stuff. The Dos & DonÌts have been running ever since Vice started, and itÌs...
expand review probably the one nail-down asset that has kept them around so long. Ironic anti-politics and hipper than thou guides to life will get you places, but thereÌs nothing like seeing candid pictures of cool people & idiots on the street, accompanied by the best photo captions ever. ItÌs a legitimate phenom. Measure your visual coolness (am I a do or a donÌt? quickly shuffling to the middle of the magazine to find out); laugh at the amazing fashion ineptitude of middle america/canada; ponder the coin toss fate of the ones that could have gone either way....so easy to get stuck in this book, but so amusing. Full color, and the pictures are a lot bigger. Recommended, and with a note on usage: store in the dumpy room so you can savor it longer. -mgmnt
A definite design masterpiece, and it's functional. Shota the Database got me one of these as part of the Lab's annual inter-office Secret Santa, and it has quickly become my favorite drinking cup. For those who don't know, this graphics on the...
expand review mug are featured on deli coffee cups all over the NYC, it's as New York as the footlong and knish combo at MSG. The maker of the mug version really thought this one out, replicating the shape and approximate size of the original. The best part of the cup is the thickness and matte finish... ahh, it feels great in your hand. The finishing detail is that they've included a raised strip, replicating the area where the paper is glued together (never realized how functional for grip this is). Everyone loves this thing. Highly recommended. -the mgmnt
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