Books Covered by Tobias

David Drummond Interview

POP Monster, Greg Pope

Several years ago I did an interview on this site with Greg Pope, creative director at B&H Publishing Group in Nashville, about his music career. Greg has just released a great new solo album: Pop Monster. Read more about the project (as well as listen to the tunes) on Greg's Pope Monster blog.

BTW, I really dig the cover art, too.

Take Notice 2—updated

The interview I did with with Peter Mendesund continues to be noticed...

• notcot

• studio smith

• galley cat

UPDATE:
• Book Covers

• Kottke

• Design Observer (observed section)

Take Notice

Media Bistro's Unbeige has taken notice of my Mendelsund interview.

...We were pointed over to this Design Related interview with Peter Mendelsund, one of Kidd's co-workers who is part of the "all-star lineup of designers at Random House." Now you're thinking, "Oh, yeah, I've heard of him. What's his story?" Well, we answer by telling you that it's a great read and features not only a ton of information, but also includes a whole smattering of fantastic covers Mendelsund has designed.

New Mendelsund Interview

My interview with book designer Peter Mendelsund is now up at Design Related.
I would love to hear what you think about it.

Interview with Peter Mendelsund, Knopf

CHRIS TOBIAS: Peter, let's get this out of the way, so we can talk about you. What's it like working with Chip Kidd? Are you green with envy of his god-like status in the book cover design world?
PETER MENDELSUND: Chip who?

CT: Good, that's out of the way. That question was simply a way to drive all those Googling "Chip Kidd" to my site. Sorry I had to use you that way, Peter.

Now, tell me anything you want about your background, your training, and your first design job.

PM:The short answer is: I don't have any design training, and the job I'm currently working in at Knopf is the first paying gig I ever had as a designer.

The longer story is: The arts always played a large role in my family- my father was an architect turned sculptor, and my sister was a painter. I always thought I was the blind one in the family- We'd go to museums together (incidentally, my mother now leads tours at the Metropolitan Museum) and I'd wonder what all the fuss was about. I think my dad considered me a lost-cause in the visual-department as well, cause he shackled me to the piano when I was five and I've been playing ever since. I went to Columbia U. and was a Philosophy major, though I spent most of my time playing the piano. After College, I got my graduate degrees in classical music, then performed, taught, and wrote music for a spell. When my first daughter was born, it became clear that a certain someone needed more income....and after some soul-searching about what it was I enjoyed doing other than music (reading, making stuff), I taught myself Quark etc., volunteered to design some CD covers for a NY record label where I'd made some recordings, and six months after that, I showed up with "a book" at John Gall's door, met Carol and Chip (ok, I had no idea who any of these people were, which helped A TON). Following week, I was working here; first at Vintage, eight months after that, Knopf hardcovers. Improbably, the entire process from Music to Design took less than a year. I count my lucky stars that John and Carol were up for a gamble.

CT:What was it specifically that made them hire you?
PM:I still have no idea. Someone must have been pumping narcotics into the water fountains at Randomhouse the day I came in.

CT:Did you ever come to the point where you said to yourself, "Hey, I'm working with some of the most celebrated legends in publishing—pinch me."?

Greg Pope: Art Director by Day, Rocker by Night

Greg Pope has worked as an art director for two publishing houses in Nashville. But, his real love is writing and performing with his three-member band, Edmund's Crown. They have just released a new CD, Regrets of a Company Man. He sat down at his computer for a short interview with me.

Greg, you are an art director by day for a major publisher and a rock legend by night. What is that like? Do your coworkers know about your music career?
We're using terms like "legend" and "career" loosely here, but hey I'm easy. Like anyone who has a great passion outside of work, my life gets pretty crazy. Sometimes I'm not sure I can hold it all together. But actually, playing in a rock band is a great release for all the tension.

Some of the people I work with know our music well and come out to shows and stuff. I used to try to keep those lives very separate, but people sort of started to find out.

Do you consider yourself a designer who rocks or a rocker who designs?

Most definitely the latter.

You have had some television shows pick up some of your songs. That is pretty cool. How did that come about?