Week#7 Graphic Artist Chipp KIdd

Chipp Kidd a New York graphic designer, is best known for his book cover designs. He is one of the countries most famous book cover designers. Kidd grew up in Pennsylvania and in1986 he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Growing up Kidd was inspired by Batman and Superman comic books, as were many kids of that era. Kidd took his love for superheroes to the next level it was his inspiration for him getting his degree in graphic arts. Throughout his career, Kidd has been a Graphic Designer, Lecturer, Book Designer, and a Musician.

Throughout the graphic design world, it is noted that Kidd is not known for a signature design. Kidd says “That a signature design is crippling” he further states that…{Because} the simplest and effective solutions aren’t dictated by the style.”  Kidd is currently the associate art director at Knopf, an imprint of Random House. He has freelanced for Amazon, Doubleday, Farrar Straus & Giroux and others. In 2003 he collaborated with Art Spiegelman on a biography of cartoonist Jack Cole and Plastic Man. Kidd has worked on a plethora of books covers including books by Mark Beyer, Bret Easton Ellis, Haruki Murakami and many others.

Publisher Weekly describes Kidd's book jackets as “creepy, striking, sly, smart unpredictable covers that the readers appreciate books as objects of art as well as literature”. USA notes “he is the closest thing to a rock star”. Author James Elroy says Kidd is “the world’s greatest book – jacket designer.” Kidd has often downplayed the importance of his artwork,  in terms of aiding towards the selling of books. He is been quoted as saying”  "I'm very much against the idea that the cover will sell the book. Marketing departments of publishing houses tend to latch onto this concept and they can't let go. But it's about whether the book itself really connects with the public, and the cover is only a small part of that." He is also known to be humorously self - deprecating about his work with statements such as "I piggyback my career on the backs of authors, not the other way. around. The latest example of that is The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. I'm lucky to be attached to that. Cormac McCarthy is not lucky to have me doing his cover. “There is something beautiful in modesty.”