I’m really excited to see this book when it comes out this fall. Curated by Julia Rothman Matt Lamothe and Jenny Volvovski, The Exquisite Book Project features the work of 100 artists, centered around the idea of Exquisite Corpse (a game that Sean and I are big fans of! Our Follow the Leader project was very loosely based on the concept). From Julia’s blog:

The book idea is loosely based on the game started by the Surrealists in the 1920’s called the Exquisite Corpse. Our version is played by 100 contemporary artists, illustrators, designers and comic artists.

Here is how our project is set up: There are ten groups of ten artists participating in the process. Each artist is contributing one page to the book. The first artist was given a few words to inspire their drawing. Each of the following artists saw only the page that immediately precedes their own. Each artist is using images (and optionally, words) to create their continuation to the story, and the inspiration for the next artist in line.

Besides continuing the story of the last artist, there is another, more visual, connection between the pages. Each artist has a horizon line in their image that starts on the left side of the page and ends on the right. Where the horizon line of the first artist’s page ends, is where it begins for the next artist. (The horizon line part has been very loose and it has been exciting to see how everyone interprets it.)

Shown from left to right: work by Mike Perry, Camilla Engman, Lab Partners, and Nick Dewar.

Meg Mateo Ilasco just came out with the Craft Inc. Business Planner – I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy yet, but it looks like it’s a great planner for anyone who is just starting out in business, or even for those of us who already have businesses but lack much business knowledge (the learn as you go method). It’s available at Fred Flare for $16.95.

Via Oh Joy!

I couldn’t tell you what a Jung-ian archetype is, or what Carl Jung’s major tenets of philosophy/psychology/psychiatry were. He did however, write and illustrate the Liber Novus, aka the Red Book, an exploration of his mind through word and image. The book is an experiment of Jung’s encounters with his unconscious and where, unrestrained, it took him.

It’s great to see someone put their thoughts so freely onto paper, even if it took him 16 years to complete. The images of the mind can be so vivid and crazy. And to try to capture and communicate them through the filter of the hand is a difficult task. But Jung succeeded in capturing them in an amazing way. Only a handful of people have ever seen this book until it was recently scanned and set for publishing this year. I can’t wait to see the rest of its pages.

via NYTimes

Two great projects from one of my new favorite blogs, For Print Only. FPO showcases their favorite printed projects and provides a breakdown of each project – price, printing specifications, time to produce, etc. It’s a great resource – check it out!

The first project (above) is the San Francisco Center for the Book’s Small Plates edition, Rabbitpox. The book was both written and illustrated by Allison Weiner. Only 100 books were made – I believe it was entirely letterpressed and was saddle-stitched with rabbit fur thread and housed in a handmade box. More specs here.

The second project (below) is a brochure made for Eco-Urban Homes, designed by Toky. It comes with series of individual cards, each which has been laser cut to create an interlocking house of cards. The cover was routed from bamboo and the whole brochure is bound together by a custom rubber band. More specs here.

No, not the Irish kind. The ziney-zaney kind. That I love in a BIG way. And today, you’re getting a big, fat round-up of my favorite pubs of all time. Some are online, some in print, others are books, mooks and journals. All the same, they’re Captain Awesomes! Here we go…

1. 42nd Publication Design Annual via Amazon, $84
2. Illustration Play via Victionary, $40
3. Dialogue via Cafe Royal, $14
4. Dumbofeather Pass it On via Dumbofeather shop, $6
5. Plazm via Plazm shop, $25

1. Blanket Magazine via Blanket, $1.99
2. Beautiful Decay via B/D shop, $6.99
3. Threaded via MagNation, $36
4. IdN Magazine via IdN shop, $15
5. Artichoke via MagNation, $47

1. The Wizard’s Hat via Analogue Books, $14
2. All Things Ordinary via All Things Ordinary shop, $9
3. Apenest book via Little Paper Planes, $30
4. Journal of Plants via Lines & Shapes, $24
5. 34 Magazine via MagNation, $32

Looks like you have some serious reading to do. Until tomorrow, Subbies!

[Erin Loechner is the editor of Design for Mankind and Mankind Mag.]

I can’t remember how I came across this today, but I think it’s a great project. The Bible Illuminated combines the Good News Translation with provocative images and quotations from the modern day world. The juxtaposition of the ancient text of the Bible and the realities of our world really resonate: the images convey hope and the will to change the world.

Far too often we see the Bible as a text frozen in time, but it is about the past and the present. I appreciate how the mission of the version is to make it relevant for today and get people interested in it and how it can affect their lives and communities.

In their second book, The Octonauts and The Sea of Shade, the team of Octonauts has to find the King of Shade and convince him to return everyone’s shadows. We’ve featured the Meomi-drawn Octonauts before and I love seeing the pages. If you think the style looks familiar, you may have seen the new Vancouver 2010 mascots.