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The Man with the Signature
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ames Victore is a graphic designer that embodies a rebellious attitude and a fearless sense of expression. Through raw, handwritten typography, and the last-minute touch of his provacative imagery, Victore builds an immediate connection with his audience and onlookers of his work.
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Who Has an Attitude
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After trying his luck at the School of Visual Arts, Victore dropped out at 21 because he felt he wasn’t learning to his advantage. He began to pursue an apprenticeship with his former professor, Paul Bacon, who ironically gave him a D in his class. Bacon was a book cover designer, so Victore explored his style through safe methods of designing.
Becoming Victore
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ictore grew up in Mountain Home, Idaho on a military base. His upbringing in a military environment exposed him to propaganda and anti-war art. However, It wasn’t until he left for New York City at 19 that he decided to pursue design.
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“Little by little I was carving out a niche for myself–Even if
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Early Book Covers by Victore 1. Jazz Spoken Here, 1993 2. By Order of the President, 1987
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3. The Case for Reincarnation, 1991 4. Tales of Beatnik Glory, 1989 5. Johnny Got His Gun, 1991 6. The Werewolf of Paris, 1991 7. Advanced Backstabbing Mudslinging Techniques, 1981
Trial and Error
8. Revenge Tactics from the Master, 1994
Victore began to develop his style through his book cover jobs. He described it as the quest to “make it feel fresh, to make the reader feel the energy, to make it pregnant with emotion” He finally made success with the art director Steve Brower at Carol Publishing with his cover for Johnny Got His Gun. From that moment, Victore aimed to push the bar with imagery that might rival his client’s demands entirely.
that sometimes meant scaring clients away” — James Victore
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How Victore Broke the Rules
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ictore and his work began to seemingly speak for itself as the years went on. He began moving away from the mundane everyday subjects and expanded into more controversial territory. Current events and social justice became focuses that Victore played his hand in. He noticed that he wanted to “work more dangerously”. Through this, Victore experimented with creating posters with his own funds and resources for his own gain. No client involved. His poster, Celebrate Columbus, is a great testament to his brash attitude and fearlessness. This poster was meant to challenge the thought ofh celebrating Christopher Columbus, as well as bring awareness to the members of the Awarak tribe who had been documented by Columbus and subsequently dominated by the Spaniards. Victore had this poster printed and distributed in locations around New York City, and watched as police tore down his illegal posting. Victore had a knack for the controversial, and imagery was his strength. This lead to numerous displays of awareness and activism that is another hallmark of Victore’s work.
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9. Celebrate Columbus, 1992
“Its about whittling. Its about taking something and whittling and whittling and getting it sharp and perfect. Then you’ve got something.” — Victore
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10. Feck Perfuction, Resolutely Difficult Advice, 2014
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11. The Death Penalty Mocks Justice, 1995
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12. Double Justice, NAACP, 1993
13. Islam and the Bomb, New York Times 2006
14. Nuclear Iran, New York Times, 2006
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Making Things You Want to S 18.
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“I had made something that people wanted to steal. This h
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s Steal
15. Use a Condom, Flies, 1997
16. Use a Condom, Bunnies, 1997 17. Go F___ Yourself, GFDA 2018 18. Just Say No, 1999 19. Racism, 1993
20. Coward in Chief, 2018
21. Yohji Spring/Summer ‘09 Poster, 2007-09 22. Yohji T-Shirt, 2007-09
23. Hero/Victim Gallery Buttons, 2003 24. Esquire Magazine, Bar Rafaeli, 2009
had always been my goal.” — James Victore
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Victore’s work shows others that aspire to work in the design industry that anything is possible with your own two hands, especially when it comes to creativity. That sense of bravery that stands in the face of a challenge is the same bravery that can be applied to your work ethic time and time again.
The Big Picture
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or Victore, taking risks is what makes his job exciting. If it weren’t for the risks he had taken in the beginning of his career, he wouldn’t have landed opportunities with institutions like the New York Times, the NAACP or any one for that matter. Building a foundation of failure leads to an eventual success, be it from the right client or the right audience.
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“The things that made you weird as a
kid–make you great today” — Victore
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Designed and written by Brandon Rivera Composed in Helvetica, designed by Max Miedinger. Printed from a Kyocera printer onto Hammermill 60# text. Copyright Š 2018 Brandon Rivera, Portland, Maine, Maine College of Art
Millman, Debbie, How to Think Like a Graphic Designer, Allworth Press, New York, 2007. Victore, James, Dangerous Ideas on Design Education, Printmag.com Victore, James, Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss, Introduced by Michael Bierut, Design by Office of Paul Sahre, Abrams, New York, 2010.Printmag.com
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(This is Victore)