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Prepare to witness the fine specimens of London outfit Nobrow, an “an independent publishing platform for illustration and the graphic arts.” The way they works is this: • Firstly, Nobrow hunts down artistic talent like Predator on Arnold Schwarzenegger (before the ingenious mud incident). • Secondly, the artist and Nobrow combine forces like a paint-toting, printmaking version of Captain Planet’s crack squad. • Thirdly, they print it and peddle the finished limited edition, hand printed books and posters to yearning, unique, artsy consumers like you or I. The artists they collaborate with are all sheer fun, madness, and genius, making for books that are visual va-va-voom and boom and pow! Seriously, this stuff is amazing.
One of my favorite books from Nobrow is this book by Joe Crocker. No, not the guy who sings the best version of everyone else’s songs. Joe Crocker with two “r”s. The 20-something, English bloque who’s the potential lost nephew of the baking Betty. Joe Crocker’s book Vendoin is delightfully visceral, confusing (it’s written in Crocker’s own, unique language), and playful. The plot? Hard to tell. Well Nobrow describes the book thusly: “Joseph Crocker’s first Small Press book Vendoin, is a tale of a missing stiletto and its journey into the deepest recesses of a Dantean inferno of lost garments and psychedellic cross-dressing ghouls. Brought together by the imaginative pen and ink drawings of Mr. Crocker and a language like no other, Vendoin will literally knock your socks off and in the process do away with your hat and stilettos too. The book is printed in an edition of only 50 copies, all hand numbered and signed by the artist.”
Another great book is A Q-rated Encyclopaedia! It’s an entire illustrated book dedicated to the letter “Q”, inspired by Georges Perec, who once wrote a book based solely on the letter “E”. The book, illustrated by Katja Spitzer and written by Sebastian Gievert, is full of illustrations of those touting the great letter “Q”, included the “q”uartet, The Beatles, and a page dedicated to Mr. “Q”uentin Tarantino. Enjoy more from Nobrow here.
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