Steven Heller

Post-9/11, America’s sense of invincibility was shaken. The dotcom bubble had burst, there was war with Iraq, and eco-angst was becoming mainstream, as evidenced by impressive sales of the Toyota Prius. For escapism, self-expression, and even romantic connection, America turned to tech. Geeks were the new superheroes, and the iPod and iPhone reigned supreme, both commercially and creatively. Social media began its unstoppable rise, with MySpace and Facebook pushing brands to get more interactive with consumers. Prestige dramas—The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad—populated the small screen, while Netflix swapped mailing DVDs for streaming content, the reality TV star was born, and Paris Hilton decreed, “That’s hot!”. Amazon and eBay threatened the cultural centrality of the shopping mall, and every famous name from Michael Jordan to Madonna could be found on scotch, sneakers, and scents. Health and wellness fueled the growth of brands like Whole Foods and Lululemon, and consumers increasingly valued experiences, ethics, and personalization. Featuring 10 chapters covering the full range of advertising, from food and fashion to entertainment, business, travel, and automobiles—with special mentions for the worst as well as the best—All-American Ads of the 2000s captures a time when ads still had the power to sell products and dreams in the millions, but mirrored a nation in the midst of profound transition.

Mad for Ads Advertising for the space age Gleaned from thousands of images, this book offers the best of American print advertising in the age of the “Big Idea.” From the height of American consumerism, bold and colorful campaigns paint a fascinating portrait of the 1950s and ’60s, as concerns about the Cold War gave way to the carefree booze-and-cigarettes capitalism of the Mad Men era. Digitally remastered for optimum reproduction quality, the ads burst with crisp fonts and colors, as well as a sexy sense of possibility, beguiling their audience to buy everything from guns to girdles, cars to toothpaste, air travel to home appliances. At turns startling, amusing and inspiring, this panorama of midcentury marketing is at once an evocative period piece and a showcase of design innovation and advertising wit.

For the last years, Steven Heller and Julius Wiedemann have traced the latest developments in illustration across the globe?and for all those who thought digital heralded the end of an era, they’re here to set the record straight. There were extraordinary eras before mass media changed our viewing habits, back in the day when illustration was the most primary means of illuminating the word on paper, to today when we get our words and images on screens as small as a watch face. And in this environment, today’s designers and artists are holding their own brilliantly. Illustration is more free and varied than ever, and it is ubiquitous in all kinds of media from paper to screen, books, packages, clothing, cars, and restaurants. This book celebrates the sheer quality, diversity, intensity, comedy, vivacity, and exceptionality of the work being created by illustrators right now. The artists in this collection are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but they represent a compelling snapshot of the styles, techniques, and use of color by artists across the world. We dare you to pick your favorites.

An overview of the work of illustrator and designer Milton Glaser during the 1960s and 70s From 1954, when he co-founded the legendary Push Pin Studios, to the late '70s, Milton Glaser was one of the most celebrated graphic designers of his day, whose work graced countless book and album covers, posters, magazine covers, and advertisements, both famous and little-known. Glaser largely defined the international visual style for illustration, advertising, and typeface design and interest in his legacy continues unabated, with modern creatives acknowledging his influence; for example, in 2014 Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner enlisted Glaser to design the ad campaign and branding for the show's final season. His renowned work garnered solo exhibitions at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Creator of the iconic 'I love NY' logo (featuring a heart symbol in place of the word 'love') and cofounder of New York magazine, Glaser received numerous accolades and lifetime achievement awards. Across thousands of works across all print media, he invented a graphic language of bright, flat color, drawing and collage, imbued with wit. This collection of work from Glaser's Pop period features hundreds of examples of his design that have not been seen since their original publication, demonstrating the graphic revolution that transformed design and popular culture.

Jim Heimann's new book on Menu Design in Europe is a mouthwatering feast for the eyes, featuring hundreds of European menus from the early 19th century to the end of the millennium. At once a history of continental cuisine and a sprawling survey of graphic styles, Menu Design in Europe satisfies the craving for foodies and design enthusiasts alike. The dominance of French cuisine provided the template for the culinary delights that spread throughout (and beyond) the continent. As restaurants and dining experiences increased in the 19th century, the need for a more formal presentation of available items resulted in a range of printed menus that could be both extravagant and simple. The 1891 menu from Paris's Le Grand Vefour, with its intricate die-cut design, evokes a bustling Belle Epoque bistro, while the 1932 menu from London's Royal Palace Hotel transports you to the bar at a spirited, Jazz Age nightspot. On the opposite side of the design spectrum, the menu for the mid-century Lasserre restaurant expresses a surrealistic simplicity. A range of stylistic decades is represented, from masterpieces of Art Nouveau and Art Deco to the graphic appropriations of the German Democratic Republic. Also showcased are the Michelin awarded restaurants of the celebrity chef-era and rarities such as a German military menu from World War II. More than just bills of fare, these menus often represent a memorable dining experience, at times being presented with as much care and attention to detail as the meal itself. So, although one cannot sit in La Tour D'Argent in 1952 and sample its famous duck dish Le Caneton Tour d'Argent, we can surely imagine what it was like when looking at the waterfowl-themed illustration displaying the night's offerings. Featuring an essay by graphic design historian Steven Heller and captions by leading ephemerist and antiquarian book dealer Marc Selvaggio, Menu Design In Europe features menus from leading collectors and institutions, providing a sumptuous visual banquet and historical document of two centuries of culinary traditions.

With the cold war ebbing, crime and inflation at record levels, and movie star-turned-President Ronald Reagan launching a Star Wars of his own, the 1980s did not seem likely to become one of the most outrageous, flamboyant, and prosperous decades of the 20th century. The "greed is good" mantra on Wall Street spawned the power-dressing, exercise-obsessed "Me Generation" of Yuppies. The art world enjoyed the influx of capital; computers and video games ruled in the office and at home; and the Rubik's cube craze swept the nation. Leg warmers were big, shoulder pads were bigger and hair was biggest of all. Whether your heart warms nostalgically at the memory of E.T. and marathon Trivial Pursuit sessions; if you think Ghostbusters and break dancing are totally awesome, this book's for you. To all those who still hear the echoes of "I want my MTV": All-American Ads of the 80s will leave you ready to reach out and touch someone. So just do it!

Up until the 20th century, children's play was not a subject that demanded much attention. While objects that entertained children have been present from ancient history, it was only with industrial mass production-and a developing urban middle class-that toys appeared more frequently. As playthings began to display a robust economic performance, an industry rose to provide this new market with the objects of their desire. European manufacturers dominated the toy market, with Germany, in particular, supplying the American market with the bulk of both singular and mass-produced products. World War I ended its dominance, and by the 1920s, bolstered by American ingenuity, an ever-growing consumer culture supported by the media empires of newspapers, radio, and television, American toys became ubiquitous in the consumer market. Ranging from the simple to the complex, children were inundated with a commodity to be wished for and sold to by the millions. From frilly dolls to science sets, children were marketed to with gusto, first through magazines and comic books and later through television. Toys fell along familiar gender lines all while being developed with the unspoken subtext of stimulating developing minds and being vehicles of problem solving with educational value. If the first part of the 20th century represented the rise of toys in America, the postwar period signaled a market unleashed by the baby boom. That one event gained traction for the toy industry and propelled it to its current state. Unforeseen was the next chapter in the industry-the advancement of the technical revolution-which would create another dimension of toy products that would captivate both children and adults as one century blended into the next.In the world of toy production, the multimillion dollar industry took the advertising of their product seriously, and toy manufacturers inundated customers with their latest product via trade journals. In New York City, the hub of the toy industry for most of the 20th century, annual trade shows introduced a deluge of new playthings to the buying public. Frisbees, board games, baseball mitts, Hula-Hoops, air rifles, video games, dolls, and miniature trains were all served up to generations of children, cementing forever the memories playtime. Filled with a Santa's sack full of surprises Toys. 100 Hundred Years of All-American Toy Ads takes us down the aisles of America's toy store delivering the favorites and forgotten memories of toys that were hugged and hoarded, saved and disposed of, and now finally brought back in their pristine glory. Once again it's Christmas, your birthday, and a reward for a job well-done.

Mysteries and folkways of New York City revealed in an entertaining collection of graphic art The life and legend of New York City, from the size of its skyscrapers to the ways of its inhabitants, is vividly captured in this lively collection of more than 250 maps, cross sections, flowcharts, tables, board games, cartoons and infographics, and other unique diagrams spanning 150 years. Superstars such as Saul Steinberg, Maira Kalman, Christoph Niemann, Roz Chast, and Milton Glaser butt up against the unsung heroes of the popular press in a book that is made not only for lovers of New York but also for anyone who enjoys or works with information design.

Arrows, swashes, swooshes, globes, sunbursts and parallel, vertical and horizontal lines, words, letters, shapes and pictures. Logos are the most ubiquitous and essential of all graphic design devices, representing ideas, beliefs and, of course, things. They primarily identify products, businesses and institutions, but they are also associated, hopefully in a positive way, with the ethos or philosophy of those entities. The 50 logos in this book are examples of good ideas in the service of representation, reputation and identification.

For all those who thought digital heralded the end of an era: illustration is alive and kicking, and new tools have given the art renewed vigor and the illustrator greater stamina. Steven Hellerand Julius Wiedemannpresent a snapshot of “the new golden age of illustration,” rounding up 100 of the most talented artists around the world. We dare you to pick your favorites. For the last ten years, Steven Heller and Julius Wiedemannhave traced the latest developments in illustration across the globe—and for all those who thought digital heralded the end of an era, they’re here to set the record straight. There were extraordinary eras before mass media changed our viewing habits, back in the day when illustration was the most primary means of illuminating the word on paper, to today when we get our words and images on screens as small as a watch face. And in this environment, today’s designers and artists are holding their own brilliantly. Illustration is more free and varied than ever, and it is ubiquitous in all kinds of media from paper to screen, books, packages, clothing, cars, and restaurants. This book celebrates the sheer quality, diversity, intensity, comedy, vivacity, and exceptionality of the work being created by illustrators right now. From veteran artists like Brad Holland, whose oblique and metaphorical paintings for the New York Times’ op-ed section revolutionized illustrative content in the 1970s, to up-and-coming stars like Robin Eisenberg, her pastel-skinned alien belles cruising in spaceships on indie-rock album covers, the 100 artists in this collection are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but they represent a compelling snapshot of the styles, techniques, and use of color by artists across the world. We dare you to pick your favorites. Includes: an introduction and foreword by editors Julius Wiedemann and Steven Heller 600 pagesof brilliantly reproduced works a biography for each artistdetailing their background, philosophy, motivations, and contact details an index of illustration agencies The editors Steven Helleris the co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author Program. For 33 years he was an art director for The New York Times, and currently writes the “Visuals” column for The New York Times Book Review. He is the author of 120 books on graphic design, illustration, and satiric art. Julius Wiedemannstudied graphic design and marketing and was an art editor for newspapers and design magazines in Tokyo before joining TASCHEN in 2001. His titles include the Illustration Now!and Record Coversseries, as well as the infographics collection and books about advertising and visual culture.

This accessible book demonstrates how ideas influenced and defined graphic design. Lavishly illustrated, it is both a great source of inspiration and a provocative record of some of the best examples of graphic design from the last hundred years. The entries, arranged broadly in chronological order, range from technical (overprinting, rub-on designs, split fountain); to stylistic (swashes on caps, loud typography, and white space); to objects (dust jackets, design handbooks); and methods (paper cut-outs, pixelation).

Until restaurants became commonplace in the late 1800s, printed menus for meals were rare commodities reserved for special occasions. As restaurants proliferated, the menu became more than just a culinary listing: it was an integral part of eating out, a clever marketing tool, and a popular keepsake.Menu Design is an omnibus showcasing the best examples of this graphic art. Illustrated in vibrant color, this compact volume not only gathers an extraordinary collection of paper ephemera but serves as a history of restaurants and dining out in America. Featuring both covers and interiors, the menus offer an epicurean tour and insight to more than a hundred years of dining out.An introduction on the history of menu design by graphic design writer Steven Heller and extended captions by culinary historian John Mariani accompany each piece throughout the book. Various photographs of restaurants round out this compendium that will appeal to anyone who enjoys dining out and its graphic and gastronomic history.

This book serves as an introduction to the key elements of good illustration. The Illustration Idea Book presents 50 of the most inspiring approaches used by masters of the field from across the world. Themes covered include creating characters, symbol and metaphor, illustrated lettering, inventing worlds, and caricature. The result is an instantly accessible, inspiring, and easy to understand guide to illustration using professional techniques.

This visual survey of graphic design styles through the ages is an essential resource for designers, art and design students, and art lovers. With more than 700 illustrations, it is the only wide-ranging history of graphic design to be completely visual, and many readers treasure it for its amazing trove of images. This new edition has been brought up to date with a new section that encompasses trends from the last decade. Graphic Style, said Studio magazine of the first edition, "should be on the shelf of every serious designer/illustrator." This fourth edition is still indispensable.

Fine lines 100 illustrators to remember Drawn from TASCHEN's Illustration Now! series, this go-to catalog brings together 100 of the most successful and important illustrators around the globe. With featured artists including Istvan Banyai, Gary Baseman, Seymour Chwast, Paul Davis, Brad HollandMirko IliÄ, Anita Kunz, and Christoph Niemann, the international overview provides an invigorating record of the dynamism and diversity of the illustration scene. Each illustrator is featured with a self-portrait, samples from their portfolio, and a succinct description by Steven Heller, with a supplementary list of selected exhibitions and publications. In his introduction, Steven Heller describes the dynamic realm of illustration today and the challenging process of selection within this highly competitive and ever-moving genre. About the series: Bibliotheca Universalis-- Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, the name TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together nearly 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.Bookworm's delight -- never bore, always excite!

Alex Steinweiss invented the album cover as we know it. In 1940, as Columbia Records' young new art director, he pitched an idea: Why not replace the standard plain brown wrapper with an eye-catching illustration? The company took a chance, and within months its record sales increased by over 800 per cent. Over the next three decades, Steinweiss made thousands of original artworks for classical, jazz, and popular record covers for Columbia, Decca, London, and Everest; as well as logos, labels, advertising material, even his own typeface, the Steinweiss Scrawl. His daring designs, gathered here in all their bright combinations of bold typography with modern, elegant illustration, revolutionized the way music was sold. Less well known, but also included in this collection, are Steinweiss' posters for the US. Navy; packaging and label design for liquor companies; film title sequences; as well as his fine art. The book includes Steiweiss' personal recollections and ephemera from an epic career, as well as insightful essays by three-time Grammy Award-winning art director/designer Kevin Reagan and graphic design historian Steven Heller.