Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Look to the Skies

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

With the solar eclipse less than a week away, much of North America is looking to the skies.

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Shadowfest

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

For the first time in decades. folks in North America will have the opportunity to view a total solar eclipse on Monday August 21, 2017. Astronomer and artist Tyler Nordgren has created a series of colorful posters to celebrate the … Continue reading →

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Cover Art

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Two years ago I shared a story about German designer Henning M. Lederer’s clever animated book covers. Now he’s back with another set of intriguing 20th century abstract cover design animations.

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I needed color

Posted on August 13, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Okay, I admit that when I first ran across this short documentary video about the artwork from actor/comedian Jim Carrey I waited for the punchlines, but they never came. The film shows Carrey sketching, drawing, and painting large, colorful canvases … Continue reading →

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Is It Mold ?

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

One of the hazards in collecting and/or selling antiquarian and secondhand books is the frequent presence of mold. Active book mold is usually identifiable, as it is typically damp and fuzzy, but inactive mold can often be confused with dirt, … Continue reading →

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See NYC Like Superman

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Architect Candy Chan has created a mindblowing series of “x-ray” maps of New York City subway stations. Each of her elaborate drawings show the station lay-outs and orientation relating to the geography of the surrounding streets above. Check-out Chan’s website … Continue reading →

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Bookstore Tourism : Paris

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

When I’m in Paris, I sometimes find myself paralyzed by the bookstore choices. On my last visit, I counted twelve bookshops on a ten minute bus ride. And while I usually spend a day or two just browsing the fantastic … Continue reading →

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Mother Tongues

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The National Geographic’s senior graphics editor Alberto Lucas López created this wonderful pie chart to illustrate the proportional representation of the world’s twenty three most spoken languages. López based the graphic on native speakers, with each language marked by black … Continue reading →

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It was a dark and stormy night

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Each year, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest receives hundreds of entrants all competing to craft the worst opening sentence for an imaginary novel. The annual event celebrates English author and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who once penned the infamous line “It was … Continue reading →

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The New Yorker in Tokyo

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The Tōkyōiter is a brilliant project from Tokyo-based artists Andrew Joyce and David Roberts, along with a disparate group of Japanese and European illustrators. Riffing on the iconic format of The New Yorker magazine cover, they created an imaginary periodical for Tokyo incorporating … Continue reading →

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