“The Story of Belle and Wissell: How It All Began”
Story Kit and Window Display Unveiling Party, Saturday, 12/13 at 6pm
You’re invited to a special event on Saturday, December 13th at 6pm: the first public exhibition of The Story of Belle and Wissell, featuring original illustrated characters, “Belle” and “Mr. Wissell,” and the beginning of their time travel adventures.
Working closely with collaborating artists, the studio designed a one-of-a-kind, limited-edition Story Kit, which includes original Belle and Wissell artwork and artifacts, and a Window Display exhibit (in collaboration with artist Sven Sundbaum).
Contributing artists, Steven & Carmela D’Amico (creators of the “Ella” books), and live characters (Belle and Mr. Wissell) will be in attendance to greet you.
Signed limited-edition Story Kits will be available for purchase at the event.
Belle & Wissell, Co.
6014 Twelfth Ave South, Seattle, WA 98108 (in Georgetown)
206 322 7908 or visit us at: www.bwco.info
Postcard image:
Shorpy (“The 100-year-old photo blog”) is a great blog featuring selected historical photographs in large format:
These are two views of 6014 12th Ave South. One was taken in early 2006 before we took over our current studios. The other was taken last week.
It’s always fun to look back at what was here before us. The Belle & Wissell studio of today occupies the same space as Manzo the Tailor (first photo below) in the Julius Horton Building. You can also see a small bit of the Julius Horton House next door. Julius’ brother Dexter Horton’s bank is around the corner (now Georgetown Records and Fantagraphics Books).
The Horton House, and many other buildings in these photos were removed when Interstate 5 and entrance-ramps were added to the neighborhood in the 50s. Bummer.
These photos were taken as part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration), attributed to the New Deal in the mid to late 1930s. Learn more about Georgetown history at historylink.org
I just bumped into this new project reading about canadian experimental graphic designer and over the top type creator Marian Bantjes’ magic toothbrush!
Objectified is a feature-length independent documentary about industrial design. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. It’s about our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.
Through vérité footage and in-depth conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?
Read director Gary Hustwit’s post about the film.
Objectified is currently in production and will have its world premiere in early 2009
There’s a simple pleasure in life that some people use as a substitute for coffee, cigarettes, chocolate and other small things like these. And it’s throwing your nose in a brand new fresh out of printshop magazine and/or newspaper. To fulfill your thirst for knowledge about the magic world of press, i’m gonna share with you this juicy blog i just bumped into.
magCulture
magCulture is a site about magazine and (occasionally) newspaper design written by Jeremy Leslie, author of the books ‘magCulture’ and ‘Issues’.
It grew from a previous website which is no longer maintained but is still accessible here. Jeremy is Executive Creative Director at London-based customer publisher John Brown. He regularly contributes to the design press and speaks at conferences, and is co-curator (with Andrew Losowsky and Mike Koedinger) of the Colophon independent magazine symposium.
Buona lettura.