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Stanley & Marvin: another tale in type

Books, Type / Typography

Posted by Mark Sinclair, 19 May 2009, 9:36    Permalink    Comments (3)

Brighten the Corners' second venture into making books illustrated entirely from type has just been published. In it, Stanley returns home after some time away to find that his sister has had a baby, his brother-in-law has a moustache and his dog, Marvin, doesn't get walked anymore...

Written and illustrated by BTC's Billy Kiosoglou, with typography from the studio's Frank Philippin, Stanley & Marvin uses type in the same way as their previous effort, Victor & Susie (that we wrote about here).

“We like to reduce things to their most basic elements when we design and we have kept to this principle with our story,” explains Kiosoglou. “We like every mark to ‘do a job’ on the page rather than just decorate it.”

Stanley & Marvin deals with the inevitability of change – parents grow old, brother-in-laws can sprout silly facial hair – but reassures younger readers of the importance of friendships which last, as shown in Stanley's love for his typographic pooch Marvin. Aaaah.

The 80-page pocket book (8x13cm) costs £5 plus p&p and is available from the Brighten the Corners shop.

3 Comments

Lots of grown up designers who just happen to have children will love these. Come on son, look at the slab-serif on this.

That said and done I am one of those said grown up designers, who would love a copy to make sure my 2 year old is in tune with his design sensibilities and composition. Lets start them young.
Julian Harriman-Dickinson
2009-05-19 16:00:40


comments still stand as before:
http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2008/december/victor-susie-a-snail-tale-made-of-type
action man
2009-05-19 20:10:50


Have seen only three pages and I envy Stanley his Martin. I like the way these wee books get at the heart of our feelings. . . Good show!
Laurie Poseidon
2009-05-23 18:47:06


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