Headcase design, founded in 1998is a two-person design/illustration studio located in Philadelphia. Specializing in publishing, Headcase clients have included Chronicle Books, Esquire, GQ, HarperCollins, Melcher Media, The New York Times, Nickelodeon, Time, and Wired. They have designed and illustrated elaborate tie-in books for HBO’s Game of Thrones and The Sopranos, the hit Broadway shows Hamilton, Wicked, and Dear Evan Hansen, as well as the popular “Lifecycle Library” series, which includes The Baby Owner’s Manual and The Dog Instruction Manual. Their work has been recognized by AIGA’s 365 and 50 Books/50 Covers, American Illustration, Communication Arts, Graphis, How, and Print.
Our capabilities Though we specialize in publishing, that’s not all we do. Books. Packaging. Branding. Advertising. Illustration. Art Direction. Magazine layout. Copywriting. You name it. We’ve never encounted a patient too delusional or deranged to be treatable.
Select Patients Include:
- Abrams Books
- Artisan Books
- Beehive Books
- Black Dog & Leventhal
- The Blair Partnership / J.K. Rowling
- The Boston Globe
- Chronicle Books
- Cincinnati Magazine
- Complex Media
- Entertainment Weekly
- Esquire
- Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
- Fast Company
- Feiwel and Friends
- Flatiron Books
- Fortune
- Future of StoryTelling
- The George Eastman Museum
- GQ
- Grand Central Publishing
- Hachette Book Group
- HarperCollins
- HBO
- Melcher Media
- Men’s / Women’s Health
- The New York Times
- Newsweek
- Nickelodeon
- Penguin Books
- Philadelphia Magazine
- Popular Mechanics
- Quirk Books
- RealSimple
- Rizzoli / Universe
- Rodale
- Running Presss
- Scholastic
- Simon & Schuster
- Sports Illustrated
- St. Martins
- Ten Speed Press
- Time
- The Washington Post
- Wired
“The madman is a dreamer awake.”
Paul Kepple
FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DJPaul Kepple founded Headcase Design in 1998, establishing a studio dedicated to probing the psyche of design — where artistry, craft, and purpose converge. A music enthusiast and aficionado of B-movies and vintage television, Paul draws on his eclectic influences to create work that is both visually striking and enduringly memorable. For over twenty years, he has taught at Tyler School of Art, helping students unlock their creative potential while continuing to expand the practice and philosophy of Headcase.
“Every neurotic is at war with themself.”
Cameron Specht
DESIGNER, CRAFTSPERSONCameron is Headcase's newest addition — a Baltimore native, Philadelphia transplant, and avid traveller who thinks that the best way to explore a city is to eat your way through it. She theorizes our communities are our greatest teachers and that critiquing typography in public is perfectly acceptable behavior. Cameron loves hunting for vintage prints and knickknacks, cherishes the permanence of physical media, and finds refuge in the pages of a good book.
Speaking:
- Advertising Association of Cincinnati
- AIGA Minnesota “Design Camp” 2023
- AIGA Oklahoma
- AIGA Philadelphia
- DSVC
- Moore College of Art (lecture and artist in residence)
- Tyler School of Art “Specimens”
- Villa Julie College (lecture and artist in residence)
- West Chester University (lecture in conjunction with “Headcase Examined” retrospective exhibition)
Exhibitions:
- American Illustration winners gallery 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013
- “The Bride and the Wolf” exhibition inspired by the film Moonstruck
- “Dialogue: The Fine Art of Conversation” illustration exhibit
- Ebola Exhibit
- “Headcase Examined” retrospective exhibition at West Chester University
- “Heaven / Hell” illustration exhibit
- Hurricane Katrina Exhibit
- Retrospective of our work at Tyler School of Art
- “Those That Can, Teach” curated exhibition
Competition Juror:
- Advertising Association of Baltimore ADDY’s
- Advertising Association of Cincinnatti ADDY’s
- AIGA’s 50 Books/50 Covers
- CMYK magazine
- Communication Arts Design Annual 50
- Creative Quarterly
- DSVC
- University of the Arts juried Senior Illustration show
Publications / Blogs (click to read):
- Art of the Grimoire by Owen Davies, published by Yale University Press
- Best of Cover Design by Altitude Associates, published by Rockport Publishers
- BlogTalkRadio.com interview about Zombie Tarot
- CMYK magazine interview
- Creative Quarterly “What Inspires You?”
- Fully Booked: Cover Art & Design for Books, published by Gestalten
- Hi-Res Podcast: Design Conversations from Philadelphia, season 3 episode 8
- How magazine article on Philadelphia design firms
- Infographic Designer’s Sketchbooks by Steven Heller & Rick Landers, published by Princeton Architectural Press
- New Big Book of Color by David E. Carter, published by Collins Design
- Novum magazine interview
- Paperspecs.com article on the production of S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
THANK YOU PREVIOUS HEADCASES:
Alex Bruce, Max Vandenberg, Ralph Geroni, Scotty Reifsnyder, Jessica Hische, Jude Buffum, Tim CrawfordMarissa Raybuck (intern), Caleb Heisey (intern and freelance)
