Blacklands
Author: Belinda Bauer
Designer: Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Typefaces: Handlettered
Images: spade (Corbis), sky (Fotolia), moors (Millennium Images).
Special treatments: Printed on uncoated stock.

When I first saw Blacklands I was at the bookstore looking at all the new fiction covers and it was the first one that I had to pick up. I looked on the back flap and, of course Roberto. I love Roberto's work. It's always beautifully designed and very smart. Blacklands is another example of his great talent. Thanks Roberto for taking the time to share.
—Charles Brock

How did you become a book cover designer?
I was thinking about moving to Paris, so to brush up my french, I went to Alliance Française. One of my classmates was Marjorie Anderson, then Art Director for Pantheon Books. She was going on maternity leave and looking for someone to fill in for her. That was my first experience in designing books.

What do you enjoy about your job?
The variety of voices, the speed and the (relative) easy process of approval, the (relative) level of taste sophistication and also the social relevance of book publishing.

What is the genre/audience for Blacklands?
It is a thriller/ coming of age story for a sophisticated general audience.

What is the book about?
It’s an unsettling novel. The hero, 12 year old, Steven Lamb wants nothing more than to find the body of his uncle. Taken as young boy (and presumably murdered) by pedophile Arnold Avery, who is now in prison. It’s Steven’s desperate wish that in finding the body, he’ll heal his dysfunctional family and repair his grandmother’s broken heart. Digging holes in the nearby moor (the blacklands), where many of Avery’s victims were found, has revealed nothing, leaving the pedophile himself as Steven’s only hope for ending his family’s pain.

Were there any constraints from the client?
No.

Were there any steps taken before you started designing?
No.

Was there a clear working process that led to the final?
Yes. The book starts with the hero, the 12 year old boy, digging in the frozen moors for the body of his murdered uncle. It is such a haunting image that I wanted the cover to use this element.

Did you collaborate with anyone? How was that process?
Jackie Seow, Creative Director at S&S was a perfect partner, guiding me to the process of approval.

Were there any known influences that led to your solution?
Stephen Doyle work comes to mind, the way he loves to work with unique meterials to create unique & elegant type.

Did the project have any unique struggles?
To create type out of dirt.

What was your favorite of the unused directions?
These were four of the sketches that I like most from The 15 that were sent. I love the first sketch. The image of the dirt with its little imperfections juxtaposed with the image of the stars. It’s such poetic combination.



As I said I love number 1, but for the market, it was too modest. The other three are more whatyou’d expect to see in booktores, big type. I also like number three because the type was hand drawn. The editor liked number 4 but was not keen on the type. This was the revision.




The editor asked to add some imagery to convey the moors, since the ambience was so unique to the book. It reminded me of Hamlet when he is in the graveyard surrounded by the fog talking with the undertaker.




The editor was still not happy with the type and suggested if it was made of dirt. I love the idea but was not sure how to do it. I photoshoped the dirt into the type but it ended looking like turds.




The only alternative was to photograph the type.




This is with all the elments together. This was the final, printed jacket.

4.21.10 // Nate said:

Wow, that type turned out so brilliantly. Excellent attention to the
typography.

4.21.10 // Ian said:

never underestimate the power of dirt. real dirt.

4.22.10 // Dean said:

Wow! I couldn't agree with you more, Charles. This is a fabulous cover that stands out among the crowd. What's also fun to see is how it didn't start out as strong as it finished. It was only through working back and forth with the client and through Roberto's pushing himself that the final result ends up as good as it is. Sadly, a designer's tendency is to see the client as the enemy or at least as the one whose changes take away from the beauty of his or her original designs, but this is a great example of how working with a client can make a product better.

4.23.10 // Steve Cooley said:

F-ing brilliant Roberto!

4.26.10 // Hollis said:

My vote: type only (white background) The type is so well done it speaks volumes on its own; I don't think you need the shovel or the background image. You absolutely nailed the type Roberto, beautiful job.

4.27.10 // Silvia Escorel said:

Roberto's cover for Blacklands is a real eye catcher and mind bender --- I will surely buy the book a.s.a.p.