HERBERT CROWLEY: THE TEMPLE of SILENCE
His Forgotten Works and Worlds
Patient
- Beehive Books
Treatment
- Design
- Production direction
- Curated the art organization with the author and publisher
Diagnosis
Herbert Crowley: The Temple of Silence by Justin Duerr is an oversized monograph of artist Herbert Crowley, an innovator at the dawn of comics and a defining figure of the early twentieth-century American avant-garde, who has since been erased from history. The book features over 300 of Crowley’s images.
• 11 x 17 • 3-piece case cover with black and gold foil stamping • 2-tiered slipcase with die-cut and foil stamping • black edge staining • 114 pages, 4-color hardcover book
Product photos by Oskar Kalinowski
Accolades
- Art Director’s Club Awards 2019, Bronze Cube
- Communication Arts Design Annual 59, 2018
- Eisner Award 2019 nominee, Best Publication Design
- Print’s Regional Design Annual, Best of Region, 2018
We created elaborate mandalas that incorporate some of Crowley’s characters and motifs, reflecting the complex and intricate nature of his work. The slipcase is two-tiered, with a peek-a-boo die-cut window.
Gold and black foil are overlaid on the slipcase to create a customized layered effect. Crowley’s Wigglemuch character adorns the back of the slipcase.
Crowley’s stunning Temple of Dreams is the book’s cover art, with an inverted version on the back. Black and gold foil and black edge staining continues the color scheme of the slipcase.
Crowley’s Wigglemuch character makes his first appearance on the bookplate, which is printed in metallic gold.
The book begins with a lengthy essay detailing Crowley’s ascent and decline, peppered throughout with vintage photos and sketches from his estate.
Because he had many distinct styles, there was some debate as to the best way to organize his work—chronologically, by style, or randomly? We decided that grouping his different styles together would provide the best experience and take the reader on a journey from one world to the next. We start with Crowley’s colorful children’s illustrations.
Crowley’s signature creation—the Wigglemuch—is a bizarre and intriguing creature indeed. Included is a complete collection of his darkly surreal Wigglemuch comic strips, which are presented at actual size.
The caption directionals are set vertically, to reflect the vertical theme created by the trim size and the treatment of Crowley’s name on the slipcase, book cover, and title page; it’s the small details that make all the difference.
Crowley’s fine art pieces come next, including sculptures, paintings, pastel drawings, and set design.
The last world we visit is architecturally themed and deco-styled. These incredibly detailed and elaborate pieces are some of Crowley’s most ambitious, distinctive, and accomplished works.
