This week’s poster design idea is inspired by a book cover design for Øl og Snaps by Danish Artist Paul Høyrup in 1948. I’m Dane-by-Marriage and have come to be familiar with Snaps. I think it’s one reason that Denmark is regarded as the happiest place on Earth. What I really like is that this cover illustration has a real A. M. Cassandre feel. Cassandre is one of my design heroes. So I wanted to try to emulate the grainy stipple techniques that are one characteristic that Høyrup’s illustration shared with Cassandre’s work. I borrowed the color palette and subject matter from Høyrup’s cover.  The intent wasn’t to copy, rather to recreate the essence. The goal is to draw on the knowledge gained when I find my new found skills appropriate for a given design solution. Here is the result of my design exercise:

I didn’t know it was called Tangrams. I just remember it as the puzzle game in Grandma’s closet. The box called it Pythagoras – 179 Puzzle Games. It was a favorite and I inherted the game years latter. It is perhaps one of my earliest explorations into the world of design. Tangram is an Ancient Chinese moving piece puzzle, consisting of 7 geometric shapes. Move them around and create picture. Abstract, and very simple. Try it online at http://tangram-patterns.appspot.com/tangram . There is even a website dedicated to Tangrams.

Well, the other day I was doing my design study, an online search to expand my knowledge of my chosen profession. I stumbles on a designer named Designer Barney Bubbles. That’s right, Bubbles. His actual name was Colin Fulcher. Don’t even remember how or where I stumbled onto a site that mentioned his work. While exploring his work, I was drawn to a couple of his pieces. The Damned: Music For Pleasure (1977). Artist John Coulthart describes the art as follows,”The Damned sleeve is a Kandinsky-esque portrait of the band with the group’s name spelled out using abstract shapes, an approach to album lettering he was to use for other artists as the decade progressed.” Kandinsky-esque, that’s the ticket. When I was in college I liked studying the Russian Constructivist movement.  Then I can across, Ian Dury & the Blockheads: Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (1978) 45 sleeve. Wow! It is a beautiful mix of Tangram elements and early New Wave. Right down to the pink and green. This piece touched me on so many levels. You know, when you look at a design and smile to yourself. That little voice says, “NICE”.

The results are in. The finalist have been selected for the Jeff Dunham Achmed Fan Poster design contest. No, My entry isn’t a finalist. Check out the poster designs that have been chosen for the fans to vote on. Which one is your favorite?

I had recently vacationed in Vegas, where my wife and I happened to see Terry Fator, a popular ventriloquist. Fator is one of two great contemporary ventriloquist acts. The other super star is Jeff Dunham. Well, one evening my wife was on Facebook and sees that Jeff Dunham is having a poster contest. Fans are encouraged to design an Achmed the Dead Terrorist poster. First thing I asked was when the deadline ended. She says I had three days left. What the heck, I have often designed posters in less than a week for my “Poster-a-Week” project. It had been a while since I faithfully produced a weekly design. After 6-months my special project has been more like “Poster Whenever” project. The purpose of the project was to be creative, to explore styles, try new techniques and just have fun. Sounds like an Achmed poster was a perfect fit.

I approach any project the same as if I was working for a client. There wasn’t any creative brief, or defined marketing objectives. You had two images of Achmed to choose and that was about all the parameters outlined in the contest rules. Although I’m familiar with Jeff Dunham’s Achmed character I went to you tube to watch some clips. The obvious catch phrase for Achmed was “Silence! I Kill You!” I realize that this was easily recognized Achmed statement, maybe too familiar. I wanted something different. I like the bit in the act where Jeff bumps Achmed’s feet. Jeff is a master, he sets up his comedy with perfect timing. Here is a puppet that was willing to blow himself up, yet is upset that his feet are all askew. This was something I could us to build a visual pun. A visual pun in design works much the same as a well timed comedian’s joke. To use any catch phrase with out first setting the stage would be random and ineffective. After sketching a few thumbnail ideas I had my direction. I would have Achmed’s face at the bottom of the poster and his feet flying off the top. The juxtaposition would build a sort of visual pun. The phrase, “ What the hell happened to my feet?” would tie it all together. I would fuse the image of Achmed into asphalt with his hands raise as if he is trapped in the asphalt, trying to escape. There is also an element of surrender. After all, Achmed never really seems to want to be a terrorist.