Revisions

Here are some revised Lastminute images with added signage. 

Do these work?

Pages.

Here is one of the pages from my Bollocks? bible and the cover.

What do you think?

I was looking into binding my book and as bibles are printed on INCREDIBLY thin paper, it seems there are three options that would enable me to get that traditional bible feel and they are as follows.

1. As the paper is so thin, I could use slightly thicker paper to give the book more weight, although it would still be very thin.

2. Early on in this brief GTS brought in a book which LOOKED thick but was actually as small book made out of thick card/board to give it a hefty look. I can't remember who made it, so if anyone remembers, get in touch!

3. The other idea i had was to print it on regular paper but have like 1000 extra blank pages in the book so that it was the right weight and thickness. Although I'm not sure about having so many blank pages, I think this solution would produce the best, most substansial feeling book.

Seems like its gonna cost about 200 to bind.

Please tell me what you think of the 3 solutions above.

ALSO. 

MY MAGENTA TAPE FINALLY ARRIVED!!!

I was thinking about the lastminute brief and what was said about road sign to go WITH my tape line, and have been working on that idea. I thnk the tape line needs to sort of follw where the road signs point you to, I also need to think about what is ON the road signs.

The workings of a madman.

Here are some first drafts of both projects.

The Lastminute project will EVENTUALLY be done in real tape, when it finally arrives, which I will be risking life and limb to stick down.

The Illuminated T and the Bollocks? bible are rough ideas of what some of the pages in my book and what the book will look like. It isn't great at the moment, but i t was a first try and I will be working onthem and developing the images and lettering, as well as doing some other illustrations to accompany the text.

Ideas of an insomniac

Developments of my illustrated book idea have led me to bibles and religious books and i'm having a good time looking at different types of bibles and prayer books.

But the brainwave i am blogging is Illuminated manuscripts. 

I was thinking of a way to incorporate text within my book and this gives me a way to use text and imagery. In regard to layout, i think the illuminated letters can go on a page between each double page image spread, to suggest chapter breaks. They will have a block of text explaining/describing the following senario/image. The addition of page breaks between each double page spread will also increase the weight and thickness of the book, giving it more of a "bible" feel

Ideas.

Ideas for how to split up ll this source material into 8 chapters/double pages, as well as some ideas for visuals that have come from reading the text.

Not sure how much text to actually include within the book, but i've come to the decision that i want SOME text.

I keep looking at books like "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak and other similar books as inspiration. I am quite into the idea of the book have a fairy tale/children's book feel to it.

ON A SIDE NOTE...

My parents flipping love SuDoku, (my mum especially) and I am currently in possession of something like 50 SuDoku books that have been completed and I am trying to think of something to do with them... There must be something like at least 10,000 SuDoku puzzles here, and there HAS to be something i can do with them... I'd feel bad throwing them out, they seem so useful... in a completely useless way.

Any suggestions?

Please comment.

Hmmm...

It occurs to me, through looking at other people's blogs who are doing the same project as me, is that compared to others, my "person" as it were, isn't so important. It's the visuals and images that are created from these connections he has with these spirits. Which means that the primary research and source materials are limited. Any visuals will be totally imaginary. Which makes this fun... but difficult.

Bollocks?

So in class the other day, GTS (tutor) asked me what I actually thought of the concept of being able to converse with spirits within another realm of existence, and I said I thought it was bollocks. Now, I AM quite pessimistic about this sort of thing, but GTS suggested that this may be a good title for the book. (Not sure if it was a joke or not, but I LIKE it.) I thought about it and i think Bollocks? (with a "?") is possibly better as it leaves room for doubt.

Need to get some opinions on that name...

I also found the transcript of one of the "conversations" Ricky had with Norman Mailer... Good stuff.

It also turns out that he contacts these spirits by mentally entering names into a "Spirit Computer Keyboard." How cool is that!!?

Illustrated book ideas.

I have now read vol.3 of Ricky's transcript cover to cover and have discovered a good few extracts on which to base imagery on. I also have been thinking about what i actually want this book to look like and one book keeps coming to mind. It is called 'The Wolves In The Walls' and it is written by Neil Gaiman, who is a comic/book author and it is illustrated by Dave McKean who has illustrated a number of Gaiman's works. I love McKean's style and i think it would fit the imagery evoked from Ricky's writing. 

One thing i am conscious of is that (for the moment, anyway) there is not REALLY a narrative as such. Just a selection of interesting visuals. I think this can be worked on, so i'm not SO worried about it. Ricky is away on holiday for the moment, but i am in contact via email and i've asked him for a copy of vol.1 and vol.2 of his transcripts. 

I am also aware that i could ask Ricky to try to search for a specific spirit to talk to and am quite amused by the thought of trying to contact someone... Not that i want to make light of the dead or anything, but it would be kinda cool to talk to Hendrix...

Fucking tape...

I didn't actually think it was possible to be truly disappointed with tape, but there you go. The tape arrived and it's the wrong flippin' colour... but no fear, the nice ebay man who sold it to me gave me a refund and i have ordered some different PROPER coloured tape and it should be here soon.

Illustrated book ideas

The flipping magenta tape still hasn't arrived, but i had some thoughts on the illustrated book brief. Been looking at some images from the "Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji" for ideas for imagery/styles for my book. Ricky, (the spirit talker) is interested in and practices Chinese calligraphy. (i know Mt. Fuji is in Japan, but i like the style.)

Here are 3 examples

Great Waves Off Kanagawa

Surugadai in Edo

Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo 

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

Just got hold of "Conversations with Spirits: My connections with Bechus & Chea" Vol. 3 from Ricky.

Get a load of THIS for a dialogue choc-full of imagery.

"A couple of weeks ago Ricky's body had expressed a preference for no more Marmite and Ricky is now reluctantly considering to dispose of his jar of Marmite.

Bechus & Chea: Yes we are here for your question about this food which you call Marmite.

Ricky: Yes i was just having a struggle with putting this Marmite in the waste bin following the body's rejection of it. Can you ask the body whether that was a temporary situation in that moment and that it is possible that Marmite may be acceptable to the body together with cheese when we have entered a clean air situation by the coast and matters have settled in the digestion?

Bechus & Chea: We can say that the body confirms that Marmite would normally be acceptable but that you should delay any for this until a time later.

Ricky: Ok good thank you.

I think that's brilliant.

FIRST POST

Some mock ups/practices done for the Lastminute ad and some photos of London, i've been trying to look for good locations to shoot and i reckon around St. Pauls/Millennium Bridge area is best. I also forked out for some 4" wide magenta duct tape to play around with.


First attempt and turning the dreary world a slightly pinker colour

Some possible different situations

NPG


Tube

My illustrated book on Mr Ricky Fairs: Spirit Talker, (as i've come to refer to him) is also in the back of my mind... i have been searching transcripts of some of his communications for inspiration.

visuals and excerpts to follow.