COVER DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION
Book Cover Designer
From key brands
to debut authors.
Fiction and non fiction.
Art Director
Former Art Director
at Penguin Random House
(Cornerstone and Transworld)
Experienced
Also previously worked
in house at Pan Macmillan and
Headline Book Publishing
![FROM THE ARCHIVE - series look for Carl Hiaasen (Pan 2000).
Carl Hiaasen began writing novels in the early 1980s. He was born and raised Florida, which he describes as a bizarre place. All of these novels are set in that State and, on his website, he says that “His books have been described as savagely funny, riotous, and cathartic” and that, even with their bizarre, comical scenarios he jokes that “they are read more as documentary than fiction [in Florida]”.
As far as the design, his look had previously been (true to his novels) riotous and comic and, though we didn’t want to lose the fun, it was hoped that we could broaden out his UK readership with these simple, bold covers (using the Bank Gothic font, of course).
Reading the books, as is my preference, I conceptualised this ‘button icon’ style and commissioned the artist Jon Rogers, who at the time was represented by an illustration agency called The Black and White Line to develop. He is now represented by Phosphor Art.
Jon’s background as an Art Director meant he totally understood the importance of the sharp, simple messaging of the icons.
Hiassen’s frontlist novel, of that period, was Basket Case. The image of a frozen lizard, in the shape of a pretzel, seemed to sum up the story, of murder mixed with humour, well...as did Skin Tight’s melons with a sticking plaster to represent failed plastic surgery etc. I can’t quite recall the specifics of each icon's relevance but I do remember that, when they were produced, each felt to satisfyingly allude to the broad themes.
There were a few more, in the series, but these were the only ones I could track down (from eBay!). His book, Striptease, was made into a film starring Demi Moore but don't let that put you off his books! #bookcoverdesign #bookcoverillustration #carlhiaasenbooks #panmacmillan](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/496592085_18504724999031894_5257471665247753590_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMiJ9&_nc_ohc=XXipvHctA_YQ7kNvwHR1TWg&_nc_oc=AdnrTPRDz-hMO_lxYHT8kT90Dn5TCniwsz-8inzzZqItQZFbf_y9x0F36zRa6n4n9ig&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=yIc3vabf_yycJmm95a-LiQ&oh=00_AflGjB_qhRCyeTLddUX_QoPWua2ua2uGKn90T9vBljwwhQ&oe=694AEC6D)
