Ace Jet 170

About

Archives

  • November 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018

More...

Search

Categories

  • Advertising
  • Art
  • Books
  • Chickens
  • Collage
  • Craft
  • Dad
  • Dead Flies
  • Designers
  • Edie Sloane
  • Events
  • Film
  • Fletcher Week
  • Food and Drink
  • Found Type Friday
  • Games
  • Glum Stick
  • Grrrrr
  • Helvetica Week
  • Illustration
  • Insel-Bücherei
  • Interpretation
  • Japan
  • la Toscana
  • Letters
  • Light Meters
  • Maps
  • Marbergrid
  • Music
  • Nothing Special
  • Online Trickery
  • Outside
  • Pelican Books
  • Penguin Books
  • Penguin Poets
  • Penguin Scores
  • Penrose
  • Photography
  • Places
  • Plot Watch
  • Postal
  • Print
  • Religion
  • Rubbish Photos
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Sticks
  • Television
  • The Sea
  • Things
  • Threads
  • Tickets
  • Travel
  • Type & Lettering
  • Vinyl
  • Words
See More

Homage to Romek

DSC_2782_Square

 

Around the middle of 2017 I made one of these, just for the pleasure of sewing those lines and pinning those pins: The Marber Grid, rendered in cotton thread and map pins on a canvas board. A tribute to Romek's very clever system that brought unity to so many Penguin and Pelican covers through the 60s and 70s.

It was pretty well received on the social medias back then and again more recently when I made one for friend-from-the-internet Daniel Benneworth-Gray. So I'm now making them them to order — there are a few of them out there now, hanging on various walls.

The grid is re-created, by hand, at actual size, as the great designer intended it, i.e. Penguin and Pelican paperback size.

I've mounted mine in a 30 x 40cm Gunnabo from IKEA but they don't seem to be available now so I've switched to the Hovsta (available in dark brown, medium brown and birch). These have the necessary extra depth for the map pins and I'd be happy to supply the 'Homage' framed the same way, or you can take care of framing yourself.

There's a bit of work involved but I'm keeping my pricing as tight as a taut thread, hence: 
Framed: £75 / Unframed: £65

Happy to include UK postage and packaging in that cost but will have to charge a little extra if you're further afield – I'll let you know how much before you commit. If you'd like one email me by clicking here. We can arrange payment through PayPal (if you don't have an account it's really easy to sign up). Allow around two to three weeks for me to make your 'Homage to Romek'.

 

Map pins mark the critical grid points:

DSC_2789

One grey thread represents the broken line on RM's original drawing.

DSC_2790

Click each image for a closer look.

 

—
Post updated 31.12.17

16 January 2017 in Marbergrid, Pelican Books, Penguin Books, Things | Permalink | Comments (0)

Exhibit "P"

DSCF1116

Of all the Pelican Books, it had to happen on this one. If you've ever scrutinised Marber's grid construction you'll know Romek worked hard to allow for any eventuality. Including what to do with a long and/or awkward title.

Compared to the original diagram this cover seams to deviate only very slightly; the original didn't feature that 'a' before 'Pelican Book' and had a lining up point on its 'P' but the principal was the same. And yet that title; well, it's wrong isn't it? Kind of centred but of course not quite, because it's not supposed to be. Should the "Years of" have been run onto the next line? Easily fixed…

After

A bit of a shame because despite the rather sloppy composition on the cover, inside it's an exceptional, particularly well illustrated Pelican.

DSCF1118 DSCF1120

DSCF1121 DSCF1123

DSCF1124 DSCF1127

DSCF1122 DSCF1126

22 August 2012 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mother

Mother

As unlikely as it might seem, I really wasn't expecting to appear here yesterday - I thought it was going somewhere else. Needless to say, totally thrilled about it anyway. 

12 May 2012 in Pelican Books, Penguin Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spinewear

Spag2det2 Spag2det4

Spag2det3 Spag2det1a

Gijs Sierman emailed me through my Flickr account last week. Knowing of my deep-rooted love of the pelecanidae waterfowl named paperbacks, he thought I might be interested in his limited edition, and I must say, strangely magnificent shirts. For his someshirt project, bespoke fabrics are printed in order to cut and craft just 60 shirts. Too tailored for my ever expanding self and somewhat out of my price range, they are, undeniably unique. It's not a shirt you'd…ehum…leave on the…you know…

30 April 2012 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

Penguin/Pelican Credits (Overdue)

All-My-Pelicans

Much to the delight of the rest of my family, I got ALL of my Penguin and Pelican paperbacks out last week. Took a few photos but also updated my Flickr sets with design credits for Main Series, Crime, Education, Specials and Pelicans.

Take a look if you're curious.

08 April 2012 in Pelican Books, Penguin Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

David Pearson at Walker Art Center

03 April 2012 in Designers, Pelican Books, Penguin Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fletcher Spain Spain Robertson

DSCF0002

A couple more for here and here. Two Penguin Crimes with covers by Alan Spain (two of many for Ed McBain's books) as well as a Fletcher and a Robertson for Pelican.

DSCF0003 DSCF0004 DSCF0008 DSCF0007

19 March 2012 in Pelican Books, Penguin Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tri-Pelican Expansion

DSCF5660

I've just added a few more Pelicans to Flickr. If you haven't seen my collection, it's here.

18 December 2011 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

Flock Stock

DSCF3064

Another handful added.

29 July 2011 in Pelican Books, Penguin Books, Penguin Poets | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Flockers

DSCF1358

Do Penguins flock? Not sure. Probably. Although certainly not the paperback kind; they seem a little thin on the ground nowadays. It's taken me about 6 months to pull together this handful…Well, I say "handful", but I mean "handful" as in a slightly freaky, Anne Boleynesque six-fingered handful. (No offence, any sextedigiters out there!).

The book are now on Flickr.

30 June 2011 in Pelican Books, Penguin Books, Penguin Poets | Permalink | Comments (2)

Vignellican

DSCF3523

I've updated my Pelican/Penguin Fickr sets with recent finds. Some good. Some, to be honest, just OK. I nearly didn't bother with this one, from 1964, not long before the designer helped form Unimark. Not a terrible cover, but not a stand-out one either. Which is surprising considering who it's by. Can't say I've ever heard Vignelli's name mentioned in connection with Pelican, wonder if there of others by him.

DSCF3530 DSCF3531 DSCF3532

20 April 2010 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

Harder Better Faster Stronger

DSCF2171

No design credit, and some might claim to understand why, but I think there's an unsung hero at work on this sublimely balanced cover from 1976. Take that finger, for example (photo-credited to John Hybert by the way); positioned one third in. Now, you're telling me that's by accident?

Oh, and then there's this (totally unrelated, but equally heroic):

22 February 2010 in Books, Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

A quartet of watery foul

DSCF0922

The CR Blog posted their second extract from the brilliant Penguin by Illustrators yesterday. This time it's the bit about the amazing David Gentleman. My offering is much more humble with Pelicans designed by the prolific Romek Marber and Bruce Robertson. Marber's is quite subtle but makes great use of not white but blue space. Some might say Robertson's shows flagrant disregard for Marber's grid but I suspect he knew exactly what he was doing.

The first Penguin is uncredited even though it's clearly well considered. The other has been here before but I couldn't resist another copy of a Milton Glaser cover.

DSCF0928 DSCF0929
DSCF0927 DSCF0923



27 October 2009 in Pelican Books, Penguin Books | Permalink | Comments (1)

Better than mine

Things1

Damn them! Just look at it. Superb!

Extra special thanks to David for the link.

23 January 2008 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pelican Bore

Dscf0193_2 Dscf0197

Thought you'd seen the last of my bloody collection? Well, so did I. Then I found even more. They're all (and I mean ALL) on Flickr now. Really.

I think these two are ace, but they also disturb me: The pictorial bits are great, but the titles! Why oh why so much leading on Uses...? And, where have all the rules gone? Why is the title on Sense... centred?

We need answers and we need them now, damn it!

Uses Sense

But I doubt that we're going to get them.

25 April 2007 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (2)

All My Pelicans: On Flickr

Pelicanflickr_2

Well it's only taken me about six months to sign up to Flickr but following Ben's suggestion I've actually gone and done it, and put all my Pelicans on. Enjoy.

19 April 2007 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (2)

All My Pelicans: Part 3

The third and (you may be relieved to know) final instalment of All My Pelicans and it's a big one, the biggest. I made a mistake in Part 1 in that I said (and thought at the time) that that was nearly half of the collection. Then I found this lot, so it was actually less than a third.

There's too many to go into very much detail but, for me at least, the stand out covers are most obviously Romek Marber's cover for Language in the Modern World, Bruce Robertson's design for The Comprehensive School, Lewin Bassingthwaighte's cover for Yoga and the two Fletcher covers: The Theory of Evolution and The Simplicity of Science. The latter design, I feel, could have been better rendered but I really like the idea which reminds me of these.

Pel34 Pel35 Pel36
Pel37 Pel38 Pel39
Pel40 Pel41 Pel42
Pel43 Pel44 Pel45
Pel46 Pel47 Pel48
Pel49 Pel50 Pel51
Pel52 Pel53 Pel54
Pel55 Pel56 Pel57

Other designers include (in no particular order) Hans Unger, Ole Vedel, Alan Spain, Derek Birdsall, Herbert Spencer, Colin Forbes, Barry Trengove, Larry Carter, Frederick Price, Richard Hollis, Gerald Cinamon and Tony Anderson.

So that's that. All my (Marber Grid) Pelicans. Well, except for this one, which I've "filed away" somewhere and can't lay my hand's on right now. If anyone's interested in knowing who designed what, just drop me a comment.

19 April 2007 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (10)

All My Pelicans: Part 2

Following on from the critically aclaimed All My Pelicans: Part 1, here are the rest of them:

Pel14 Pel15 Pel16
Pel17 Pel18 Pel19
Pel20 Pel21 Pel22
Pel23 Pel24 Pel25
Pel26 Pel27 Pel29
Pel31 Pel32 Pel33

By chance rather than design, I actually think Part 2 is even better and not just because it's bigger. If my memory serves me well (and do correct me if you know better) then the first two are by Germano Facetti. The next two are by Fletcher while Electronic Computers is Fletcher/Forbes/Gill.

The next three are Bruce Robertson's, who I've mentioned before. I have a feeling that Islam (exceptional!) and The Queen's Governement are by Lewis Bassingthwaighte.

I remember picking up The Liberal Hour and knowing instinctively it was a Birdsall, as are the previous three. Education looks like it could have been Birdsall but I know it's not (can't remember who though) while The Normal Child (also Birdsallesque) is, as I've mentioned before, Edwin Taylor along with Relativity… and I think John Citizen…

With special thanks to Ben, David and Michael for linking to Part 1.

08 April 2007 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (9)

All My Pelicans: Part 1

Pelicans

Every now and then I mention my loft-based Pelican collection and make an empty promise to get them online. Well here they are, or at least nearly half of them. You may have seen some of them before but I'm trying to get them all together and present them in a consistent way (on a knackered old box).

Stand out covers include Jock Kinnier's startlingly contemporary design for Sex in Society, the brilliant David Gentleman's cover for Aspects of the Novel and Herbert Spencer's cunning solution for A Short History of Religion.

Pel01 Pel03 Pel02
Pel04 Pel05 Pel06
Pel07 Pel08 Pel09
Pel10 Pel11 Pel13

03 April 2007 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (12)

Pelican: The Managerial Revolution

Plmanagement

I've got loads of Marber Grid era Pelicans up in the loft, which I really must get down to blog. This Colin Forbes designed Pelican cover is probably my favourite.

I love how that management bloke breaks into the header bar and leans out of the artwork area. Typical Forbes wit.

Regarding Pelicans in general, what makes them so fascinating to me is, a) many covers are designed by designers that went on to greatness, like Forbes and Fletcher, and b) many remain excellent examples of clever, ideas-based graphic design.

The cover below is by Bruce Robertson, who specialised in diagramatic designs and who I've mentioned before. Robertson hid the Marber Grid in the drafting grid image but the masterful stroke is in the way he distorted the type, aligning it to the technical illustrations.

Pleconomicplanning

09 February 2007 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pelican: Health in childhood etc.

Plhealthinchildhood

A while back I mentioned my loft-based stash of Pelicans, Penguin's sister non-fiction brand. This is the one that started it.

I've always liked that translucent-coloured-band-overlaying-an-image thing so popular in the 60s and have used the same technique many times. So when I saw this lying in the bargain box of a second hand bookshop in Leicester I snapped it up for just 25p. I was delighted to discover later that it was designed by Derek Birdsall; you might remember my entry for the Penguin Education series for which Birdsall and his Omnific studio designed many brilliant covers.

Once I started looking for more I soon realised that although this one seems to be a one off, there's a huge pile of really interesting Pelican covers (utilising the brilliant Marber Grid) designed by some of the leading lights of the day.

Pldividedself Plafrica Plstagnantsociety

Over the next few months I'll post more, and there's some really fantastic ones, but for now here's just a few. The Divided Self cover is by Martin Bassett and has been re-used over numerous editions, even after the Grid was dropped. The brilliantly executed Africa is by George Daulby, one time stable mate of Birdsall's and who sadly died in 2005. The Stagnant Society is by Germano Facetti, who died earlier this year. What's quite interesting about this latter Pelican is how it was also published as a Penguin Special with a different cover.

08 November 2006 in Pelican Books | Permalink | Comments (2)