April 2004 | Sparks

Creative process for April 2004 design
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Stage I Sometimes just buying a new typeface collection can open up creative possibilities. These are some of the “extras” included in P22’s Beatsville CD, an offspring of their successful Daddy-O type family, a collection inspired by the Beat culture of the 1950s.		Stage II Our weathered old man seemed to fit with this quote by Charles Shultz (creator of the Peanuts comic strip). Could this be Charlie Brown, all grown up? The horror.... Regardless of our flights of fancy, the tight focus on one character seemed too literal and didn’t take advantage of the other fun characters available.


	Final Our final approach is more atmospheric, giving Ol’ Man Charlie some context for his world-weary thoughts. The Beat on the left seems to be wondering what this crazy cat is doing in a dive like this. The dog (which looks eerily like our friend Angie’s dog Ziggy) seems to be wondering the same thing. A poetry-loving, coffee-swilling, beret-wearing pooch adds just the right touch of whimsy. Compositionally, all elements (from the lines on the beer mug through the angle of the cigarette in the ashtray to the bent corner of the poetry flyer) direct the eye towards Charlie. The negative space between him and Ziggy only adds to the tension and isolation of his character. We beefed up the type (while keeping it understated and scratchy to match the mood) and moved from black-and-white to a ’50s-inspired palette to complete the piece. Cool, Daddy-O, cool.