ILLUSTRATION + DESIGN
This book was super fun to design and illustrate to say the least. The Big Gay Ice Cream boys did not want to do a traditional "cookbook." They wanted to create a yearbook that told the wacky tale of how they went from truck, to store, to internet and foodie sensations hobnobbing with Anthony Bourdain and other assorted foodie luminaries.
I began by researching mountains of wonderfully tacky yearbooks from the 80's and used that as my template to create a book that was at times purposefully ugly, yet still clean and modern.
In keeping with the yearbook theme, the authors had a bunch of their celebrity pals send in handwritten messages that I incorporated throughout the book.
They shot their fans school portrait style against an 80's flavored laser beam background which I assembled into yearbook-style grids and used them as chapter openers.
In keeping with the yearbook theme, I designed a bunch of faux ugly-on-purpose two color ads for the end papers at the back of the book. Ottavia is Anthony Bourdain's wife, Peter Jarema Funeral Home is actually next door to the East Village shop, and Eyebrows by Debi is honoring their pal Debi Mazar. (Not only does she possess exquisite eyebrows, but she is Madonna's dear friend which virtually makes me Madonna's dear friend, too. Six degrees.)
I think I managed to translate their irreverent, rainbow flavored brand into a memorable yearbook that references the past, yet is still clean and contemporary. Published by Random House.
ILLUSTRATION, BOOK DESIGN, ART DIRECTION, VISUAL IDENTITY