The Graphic Design Reader
—Steven Heller

Author of one of my favorite books, Paul Rand, Steven Heller recently releases The Graphic Design Reader, a compilation of essays that have appeared in various publications over the past few years. I’ve read a few of the essays before, back when they were originally published, but it was still great to read them again. My only compliant is the lack of an index to let the reader know in what publication the original article appeared—but this may be a case of anal-retentiveness on my part.

The Graphic Design Reader contains over 50 essays on design and pop-culture that cover numerous eras, from post-World War I up to the present. From smut to Eros magazine; punk flyer aesthetic to underground comics; Nazism to racism; activist designers to teen magazines — it’s all there. There’s a

lot of history, some of which would be hard to read about elsewhere in this collection. It’s also a part of Heller’s personal history. It extensively covers the people, designers, authors, writers, and music that have influenced his life and work in its pages.

Heller shows his knack for tying essays and history together, to make the whole greater than the parts. This is evidenced in his essay on Gentry magazine, which goes right into an essay on its so-called modern counterpart, Nest magazine, and subsequently ties in with Eros and Playboy magazines—coming full circle to his own brushes with the obscene and obscure. His knowledge of underground comics (comix), as evidenced in the essays on Gary Panter, creator of Jimbo, and the art of comic book lettering, are also impressive considering he is one of the few authors to write on the subjects.

Heller takes aim at the rich kids too. His essay, “The Underground Mainstream” brings up valid points on how quickly the underground is co-opted by corporations. How long does it take an art director to use one of your favorite songs, one that may move you personally, to sell a car in a commercial? This isn’t brought up, but Steven’s essay reminded me of the power designers have to homogenize. Heller asserts that it is a historical fact that the avant-garde will be mainstream, sooner or later. Do we have to like it? Should it matter to designers? There’s always a lot to think about from one of Heller’s books. Go buy it.

Allworth Press

review by: Jarrett Kertesz