October 5, 2004

Book Covers


While I’m posting pictures. The covers of my novel. I had some hand in the designing of the cover for the Soft Skull edition. I found the designer, Andy Goldman, who I went to high school with. I gave him a cover of a collection of Cornell Woolrich stories called Nightwebs. I liked the pulp style. The novel’s a mixture of Jim Thompson, Bukowski, and "Taxi Driver," as well as myself--anti-Hollywood, young man’s anger. I love what he did with the cover, and most people like it.

The book was the first full color, professionally bound book by Soft Skull. Up to that point they’d been printing at Kinko’s. In no small way, they learned what not to do with my book. They’ve grown since then.



I had no part in the designing the U.K. edition, put out by Rebel Inc. Press, part of Canongate. I gotta admit it flatters my ego that my name’s so big, up in the sky, but the Hollywood sign thing has been used before. I have a novel Wormwood which is basically the same cover.

Once again, my book was abandoned by the editor once it came out. The editor who took on my book left the press right when my book was coming out. I don’t want to complain too much, it’s fucking great to have a published book, I’m proud of it and grateful, but still there’s a strange pattern here.

6 comments:

Henry Baum said...

Write a letter to Dan Clowes, or Peter Bagge, or Chris Ware, or R. Crumb. My fantasy would probably be Dan Clowes. I thought it would work as a graphic novel too.

Some scenes were filmed once for a director's program. Real cool. I was going to put up a link but the site seems to be down.

palmettobug said...

I have a signed copy. To me, the cover is the like Alice Cooper's Killer album cover. It MADE me want to listen/read. Judging a book by its cover? I suppose so.

For godsake man, write a screenplay. Wonder who you should cast...I read Hollywood by Bukowski recently. Them movie people will probably fuck it all up anyhow.

keed said...

cool covers. you be doin ya thing. that's good. we gotta create forever.

Anonymous said...

I abWhor the moral depravity of our safe-sex, sacrilegious-society: If America doesn't wake-up from their spineless slumber, we'll have literal Hell-to-pay (MAKE A DECENT CONFESSION [PREFERABLY @ A CATHOLIC CHURCH]) --- If you can't see the vast, self-evident-reality of Heaven or Hell after this Finite Existence, may God Almighty have mercy on your indelible soul -Blessed Otto WWW.REDDINK.COM/INDEX

Anonymous said...

Hi Henry
D'you want to swap links?
Best
John

http://www.bakers64.freeserve.co.uk/weblog.htm

Henry Baum said...

John,

I'm happy to trade links. I couldn't find a place to post a comment or an email address on your site so I'm responding to you here. Your link's up and running.

H.

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