Book Cover Hannah Bruneman
The cheese monkeys
I loved this book. His dry humor and quirks come through his words seamlessly. Listening to the narrator, I was able to hear the story in a fun, engaging way. Kidd’s narratives came to life and put the reader in his chaotic world.
While thinking about the imagery of the book, a lot of retro references came to mind. From the cranky voice of the receptionist at registration to the scenery of the classrooms, I was brought to a time in the past. While the tone of the book was quirky and fun, I also saw it being sarcastic. Because of this, I don’t want the typography to be too playful. I think having an overly polished typeface would contradict the tone in a satirical way.
Book cover research During our trip to the library, I picked up a wide collection of covers, back covers, and spines. From those I choose my favorites and ones that I thought had a retro feel. I also looked at alternative Cheese Monkeys cover.
sketches
I tried to work with a lot of different looks that matched quirky and fun. Some of these included visual representations of both cheese and monkeys. Others were more typography-based and included abnormal spacing and sizing.
refined sketches
I choose to expand on an idea I had that involved the game Monkeys in a Barrel. The game is very retro and fun. The monkeys that come along with it have character. So I refined a few sketches until I found the perfect balance of what I wanted.
first attempt
Here is the first cover I designed. I stuck with the Monkeys in a Barrel theme to match my perception of the book. I drew inspiration from classic graphic elements such as the repetition of the background. I was happy with the typeface I choose, which had a quirky, yet sophisticated feeling.
second attempt
I agreed with the class that the concept of the barrel worked, but could be portrayed more playful, especially due to the font I am using. For this design, I incorporated the monkey pieces used in the game.
final cover
This is the final design for my book cover. I improved the front by making the monkeys a more visual and bold element. I had them hanging for a quirky look that matched the novel. The text does not take away from the illustration, but holds its own very well. For the back, I brightened up the background color to a cheesy yellow. I also detailed the bad reviews in very small type at the bottom right of the page. I think Chip Kidd would have really liked that tiny detail.
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