Every Friday, I share other great content (with some added context) to dive into over the weekend.

Revision Path: Episode 370: Ray Billingsley

Here’s a fun fact: I used to read the Sunday comics to study for the SATs. One of my favorite comics from that time period was Curtis written by Ray Billingsley.

He sat down on the Revision Path podcast to discuss his work, life, and hopefully inspire the next generation to follow in his shoes.

From the episode description:

Ray gave an introduction to the Curtis comic universe, and talked about growing up in North Carolina and New York as a youth, attending SVA and working for Disney, and how he got his first national comic before beginning work on Curtis. Ray also shared his thoughts on new Black comic artists, discussed the value of peer mentorship, and spoke about what’s in the future for him and the strip. Ray’s diligence and steadfast commitment to his body of work is something every creative should take to heart, and I hope his story inspires you to pick up the baton and keep running that race!

Listen here. [1 hr 12 mins]

This is a Permanent Book - The History Dover Publications

I have a small collection of Dover books (see above). If you’re looking for something obscure or old, you can guarantee that it’s probably published by Dover. They published over 10,000 titles in their 80 year history, so how did they get so big?

Many of the titles Dover published—both new and old—were risky for the same reason they were potentially-profitable: they were often on niche topics, but that meant they were highly-desirable to people interested in those niche topics. For artists, crafters, and scholars, the Dover catalog was the only place that they could purchase vital texts at an accessible price point. To reach these niche markets, some in far-off corners of the rural United States and beyond, Dover sold books by mail order using an array of targeted catalogs. The inside covers of the books themselves contained lists of other books in a similar genre, and the final pages following the index were also a fully-annotated catalog, marketing to the present customer, the one with book in hand. In combination with traditional bookstore sales, these methods of direct marketing were successful.

This is a really interesting chronicle of the publishing house started by Heyward and Blanche Cirker.

Read the full history here. [20 mins]

The origin of the '80s aesthetic

Memphis design (no connection to Tennessee) is responsible for the 80’s aesthetic. But what is it?

Dive into this short history of a movement that shook up the design world. From the video description:

Memphis Design movement dominated the '80s with their crazy patterns and vibrant colors. Many designers and architects from all around the world contributed to the movement in order to escape from the strict rules of modernism. Although their designs didn't end up in people's homes, they inspired many designers working in different mediums. After their first show in Milan in 1981, everything from fashion to music videos became influenced by their visual vocabulary.

Watch here. [6 mins]

Leave today better than yesterday ✌️.

An oldie but goodie listen for the weekend.