John R. Hastings ~ Washington
John Hastings: "For my artist book projects, the most interesting part of the creative process is often deciding how the found object or idea will influence the content of the book. For me, finding the object and then creating the book is much easier than the reverse....
"Many of my books are based upon words, playing with words, or plays on words, and utilize my own writing as the primary content. This is because I am approaching artist books as a writer first and as an artist second. I have been very fortunate in life and have arrived at sixty years of age with very little angst. This often lets me view the world from the lighter side and hopefully lets me share a laugh or a smile with readers."
Bookworks about family by Hastings
Poetry and prose by Hastings
Bones 2.0 for Millennials
By John Hastings
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings, 2016. Edition of 10.
6 x 6"; 26 pages. Printed on Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Comic Sans font. Bound in lightweight card covers with spiral wire spine. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John R. Hastings, colophon: "The idea for this book has been rattling around in my skull for a long time, but I finally plunked my old bones down in front of the computer and got it done."
John Hastings, introduction: "There sure are a lot of different bones and bone-related terms in the English language, but ever since Dr. Isaac Foley's Wee Compendium of Bones went out of print in the early 1950s, there hasn't been a good reference book on the topic."
The artist marries comic illustrations with bone terms. At long last, here is the truth about bone spurs, funny bones (different from the humerus), bones of contention, and much more.
$30 (Last Copy)
Imbroglio Portfolio
5.5 8.5"; 20 pages. Printed on HP Premium Presentation Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Pamphlet bound with yellow paper covers. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John Hastings: "I came up with the idea of am imbroglio portfolio many years ago, but it took me a long time to decide the best way to portray artistically the idea of a confused state of affairs, a confused heap or tangle. In the end I decided to spatter paint on paper and see if I could discover the art within the confusion."
Box of Slides
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings, 2013. Second edition of 5.
4.1 x 2.1" flip-top box; 26 cards. Images printed on Epson Premium Presentation Matte paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Text printed on HP LaserJet paper with the same printer. Mounted on archival museum board. Comic Sans MS font. Numbered on the colophon.
John R. Hastings: "The first edition of this book was only two copies. Each was housed in a somewhat larger wooden box used for holding glass scientific or medical slides. When I was unable to find additional boxes, I created this second edition in a smaller format. I made the box enclosure from a template I created from an actual old slide box."
Each "slide" is double-sided with photographic image of a real slide on one side then the text on the opposite relating an associated memory.
Slide 1: Everett, WA: "I still remember my first time climbing up the ladder-like steps of the big metal slide at the Edmonds city park when I was about four years old. I didn't like heights, and this felt like I was high as the sky."
Thoughts from the Throne
By John R. Hastings
2.75 x 3"; 12 pages. Printed on Epson double-sided, Matte Presentation Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Font: Comic Sans MS. Handsewn pamphlet stitch binding. Numbered.
John Hastings: "When my twin sister and I were young, our parents tried everything to get us to use the toilet. They bought a special kid-sized toilet seat in the shape of a duck. Besides enticing us with sitting on the duck, we were often handed a book to read. It must have worked because as an adult I can spend forever in the bathroom, especially if I have something good to read."
In many households the bathroom is referred to the reading room. Hastings has paired a picture of a young boy sitting on the 'throne' with book in hand. A text bubble on each of the nine images has some challenging phrase coming from the young guy as he addresses the person outside our view that has interrupted his reading time.
"What do you mean, poop or get off the pot?"
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings, 2011. One-of-a-Kind.
5.25 x 8.25 x 1.25"; 4 pages. Altered book. All pages after the original title page have been glued to form one block. 1 x 2" shadow box with armless doll at bottom right of block. Poem by Hastings printed on page with shadow box opening. Colophon tipped on back pastedown of original book, a reprint of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. With original dust jacket.
John Hastings, colophon: "My sister and her husband are in the process of cleaning out their family home in preparation to sell it. One day she came across one of her old ceramic dolls. Unfortunately, its arms had long since disappeared. The next time we visited, she handed me the doll and said, with a devilish grin, 'Here, I bet you can't use this in one of your artist books.' As it turned out, she was partly right because the doll was too large to fit into the altered book I had in mind. However, after observing the doll sitting on my desk for several weeks, I was struck with the thought that my book idea might still work if I could locate a smaller, armless doll. And I did. So, once again I need to thank my sister for being my muse.
"By the way, once I had written the poem for this book, I placed the doll and the poem in a nice wooden box and returned them to my sister. She seemed pleased, and now the old doll will be moving to the new house after all."
Hastings' books are often about family.
A Caregiver's Garden
4 x 3.25"; 12 pages. Accordion structure. Six panels sewn in the middle fold to the wrappers forming two three-panel fold outs. Printed on HP Presentation Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Cover printed on acid-free Moab Entrada paper. Lucida Calligraphy font. Numbered. Signed and dated by the artist.
John Hastings, colophon: "In 2013 my partner, Charlotte Murray, was diagnosed with a rare brain disease called Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD). As yet, there is no treatment and no cure. The disease causes behavioral, speech, and physical challenges, as well as dementia. I struggle with the ramifications of her illness as I care for her at home, and am always looking for ways to find some respite. Creating artist books is one way I do this."
John Hastings, A Caregiver's Garden: "In the fall of 2001, Charlotte and I were asked if we would consider being on the 2002 Everett Garden Tour. We fancied ourselves as quite the gardeners; and being the kind of people who have always loved 'show and tell', we told the organizers we would be glad to do it. ... So, beginning on January 1, 2002, we worked nearly every day in the garden until the end of June trying to improve on things... by the time we were done we had just over 600 varieties of plants in our garden ....
"That 6 month period was the pinnacle of our gardening frenzy, but Charlotte and I continued to enjoy working in the garden for another ten years or so. As her interest waned, I began to look for ways to simplify the workload. High maintenance plants fell by the wayside to be replaced by shrubs and evergreens. In recent years, I have gone back to planting perennials and annuals, but mostly in areas that can easily be seen from inside the house. A few years ago Charlotte was still looking out the windows and commenting on the flowers and colors. Now she no longer does, but I will keep planting them. Now it's as much for me as it is for her."
Vignettes from Rosemoor
5.5 x 4.25"; 36 pages. Printed on HP premium presentation paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Arial font. Wire binding with black card covers. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John Hastings, introduction: "For over thirty-five years Charlotte and I were able to travel. We enjoyed some wonderful and interesting adventures, and these were often the inspiration for our artistic collaborations and for my writing. The, in 2013, Charlotte was diagnosed with a rare degenerative brain disease called Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD). Unfortunately, this disease is progressive and there is no treatment nor cure. As her health declined we were forced to stop traveling, and now we are essentially housebound. My initial reaction to this was almost claustrophobic panic because I love to get out and see new places. FTD has robbed me of not only my best friend but also my muse.
"The answer, I discovered, was to look more closely at my immediate surroundings. I began to see that within our house and out in the garden there was a wealth of images I could use to rekindle my creative spirit. This book then is the product of that closer inspection of what has been right before my eyes all of the time."
Rosemoor is the home of Charlotte Murray and John Hastings. The name was composited from the roses in their English cottage garden and from the moors they traveled through in earlier years.
Remembering my Zoo
5.5 x 4.5"; 16 pages. Printed on Epson double-sided Premium Presentation matte paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment-based inks. The font is EraserDust. Brown paper wraps with googly eyes on the front wrapper. Sewn pamphlet style binding. Signed, dated, and numbered by the artist on the colophon.
John Hastings, colophon: "The poem upon which this book is based was inspired by the menagerie our family had when I was growing up in Edmonds, Washington. We had no big game animals, of course, but we did have chickens, ducks, rabbits, white rats, fish, a goose, a turtle, a chameleon, a parakeet, a dog, and a cat. Alas, my accompany artwork lacks similar inspiration, and I am forced to admit that I continue to explore my early primitive period of drawing."
I guess my zoo was rather small.
It's all I could afford
For animals make big demands
In terms of room and board ...
Low Man on the Totem Pole
6 x 5.5"; 10 unnumbered pages, two of which are foldouts. Cover and pages printed on Canson Mi-Teintes paper. Images and colophon printed on Epson Matte Heavyweight paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Comic Sans font. Sewn pamphlet style binding.
John Hastings, colophon: "My father was a kind man with a great sense of humor, but he also taught me some important life lessons, such as what it means to be the low man on the totem pole. It seems as though I've spent a lot of time in that position."
When You Were a Girl
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings, 2009. Edition of 100.
2.5 x 3.75" closed; 14 pages. Single sheet book. Sepia images. Printed on Epson Premium Presentation Matte paper. Printed on an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Love Letter Typewriter font.
Remembrances of the artist's mother accompanied with images of her as a child and the Oklahoma home site where she grew up.
Bookworks with poetry and prose by Hastings
Across and Down
Found Poems from the Crosswords
5.5 x 8.5"; 12 pages. Printed on HP Premium Presentation Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Pamphlet bound in covers printed on Canson Mi-Teintes paper. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John Hastings: "We are constantly surrounded by words. They are in the books we read, on signs, beamed over the airwaves, spilling out in conversations all around us. They can be a source of inspiration, help us sift through difficult matters, and are quite often a source of amusement. And for a writer they are often all of these things.
"I am always looking at words for creative ideas. When I'm not writing, I enjoy playing word games like crossword puzzles. After having worked many hundreds of them, I began to see within them rhymes and stories, and these began to grow into found poems. Within these pages you will find ten of my favorites."
The Artist Book Poems
8.75 x 11"; 36 pages. Printed on HP Premium Presentation using an Epson stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Font is Arial. Spiral bound with black covers of archival museum board. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John R. Hastings, Introduction: "For over twenty years my partner, Charlotte Murray, and I have been creating artist books. Charlotte's speciality is photography while I approach artist books more from the standpoint of a writer. Although we have each created many books individually, it's not surprising that some of our best projects have resulted from our collaborative efforts.
"The biggest drawback to creating one-of-a-kind and limited edition artist books is that very few people have the opportunity to see your work. What I envisioned with this book is the chance to collect some of my favorite poems and pair them with an image or two from their respective artist book. I hope that what appears on these pages will offer a glimpse into our creative processes as well as inspire you to create some books of your own."
By John R. Hastings and Charlotte Murray
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings / Charlotte Murray, 2011. Edition of 25.
5 x 4"; 24 pages. Created in Adobe InDesign CS4. Printed on an Epson Stylus Photo 2880 printer. Printed with ultrachrome pigment inks on Epson Premium Presentation paper matte double sided. Coptic bound. Photography by Hastings and Murray.
The poem is by John; the book design by Charlotte; the images by both.
Shadow images of the couple on their travels accompanied by verses of the poem.
We stand, hand in hand
We dance upon the sand
Often, we're not sure
Just where we'll land. ...
The Ink Spots
2.5 x 4" closed; 8 unnumbered pages. One sheet book. Black-and white photographs of crows.
Poem with an extended analogy of ink spots and crows. The inkspots arrived like a murder of crows. Littered my pages in columns and rows. Settled upon my poems and prose ...
Whatever happened?
(Second Edition)
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings, 2009. Numbered Second Edition.
4.1 x 2.5"; 9 pages. Accordion fold structure extending from front pastedown. Printed digitally. Paper title and illustration tipped on cover. Housed in a found hinged cigarette tin (5.6 x 4.5"). The tins vary within the edition.
John Hastings' poem (below) illustrated with cigarette advertisements:
... Did he choose to elope with Virginia Slim,
Or -- heaven forbid -- did she kidnap him?
Are he and Prince Albert playing pall-mall?
That would be kool if he plays very well. ...
Hastings loves to play with words and loves games. The two come together in several of his books.
AEIOU Vowel Change Service
5.5 x 4.25"; 16 pages plus covers. Printed on HP Premium Presentation paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Over printed on Moab Entrada Fine Art Bright paper. Comic Sans font. Pamphlet sewn binding. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John R. Hastings, Colophon: "I've been at it again -- having fun with words. It's amazing how changing one vowel can so change the meaning of a word. I hope you have as much fun looking at this book as I did making it."
A Book of Ants
4 x 3"; 73 leaves, printed on recto side in Comic Sans MS font. Printed on Epson Bright White Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Spiral bound with covers printed on Epson Velvet Fine Art paper. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John R. Hastings: "This is just my usual Hastings wordplay humor as voiced by a pair of my cartoonish ants."
Blank Book
3.75 x 5"; 20 pages. Pamphlet. HP Premium Presentation paper. Printed on Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Comic Sans MS font. Bound in Canson Mi-Teintes paper.
John Hastings, colophon: "Towards the end of 2010 I received several documents in the mail where one or more pages were labeled 'This page intentionally left blank'. That got me to thinking...which is always a dangerous thing."
Includes Hastings' original pen-and-ink drawings.
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings, 2010. Edition of 4.
5 x 3.25"; 6 pages. Printed on acid free paper and cover stock using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Laid in tin box.
John Hastings, colophon: "I was moved to create this book when I took a photo of some white wicker chairs heavily overgrown with end-of-summer weeds."
John Hastings Out of Print Title:
A Lifetime of Cars
11.5 x 8.5"; 26 pages. Printed on Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Printed onto Epson double-sided Premium Presentation Matte paper. Spiral bound in covers of Westminster 2-ply, museum quality 100% rag board. Arial font.
This spiral bound book of photographs and writing provides a brief history of the author told through stories about the cars that have been a part of his life. Includes several pockets tipped to pages in which are postcards, images of the artist through various stages of his life, and other tidbits of information about life on the roads.
John Hastings, colophon: "There are many threads that one might follow when unraveling the fabric that is a person's life. For this book I decided to write a story based on the cars that have been important to me. It begins from my earliest recollections and ends with me pondering an uncertain future. I do, however, remain optimistic and look forward to traveling many more roads and highways."
Hastings begins his love affair with cards with this: "If I had been raised in the urban core of a major U. S. City, I doubt I would have spent nearly as much time riding in cars. I would have had access to public transportation. I would have walked. But I was raised in the West in smaller towns and city suburbs, where hardly anything a person needed was within walking distance. "
The Adventures of Smalldog and The Red Kite
5.125 x 3.5"; 20 pages. Printed on Champion Ink Jet paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Cover pages printed on Canson Mi-Teintes paper. Comic Sans MS font. Images reproduced from Hastings' original watercolors.
John Hastings, colophon: "I recently saw a story on TV about a woman who claims she can communicate with dogs. She just sits quietly next to a dog with a laptop computer in front of her and types out what the dog is thinking. That's all well and good, but she wasn't around to help me. I could only imagine this story of Smalldog's adventures."
Alphabetical Order & Some Chaos
4 x 3.5"; 28 unnumbered pages. Printed on Epson Premium Presentation Matte Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 with pigment inks. Goudy Old Style font. Spiral bound.
John Hastings, colophon: "Making an alphabet book is great fun. For this book I used an old, pop-up, metal Spell Right spelling aid to select an assortment of words for each letter of the alphabet. Then I just let my crazy brain take over."
About last night -
Whoever wrote "Annihilate
Alliteration" and "Abolish All
Atrocious Authors" on my adobe
Abode, I just want you to know
That I am most aggrieved.
Everett, Washington: John Hastings, 2013. Edition of 3.
1.5 x 1"; 8 pages including pastedowns. Miniature. Accordion fold. In black wraps. Slipped in open white sleeve. Housed in a Bit the Bullet metal flip-top box (1.5 x 1.5 x .9"). Signed, dated, and numbered by the artist.
A rhyme by John Hastings about a mother or grandmother waiting in line at the water slide with a child. The conversation is one sided as the parent figure coaxes, berates, gives up, gives in to the anxious child.
It's time to bite the bullet.
It's time to toe the line.
It's time to sit your bottom down,
And I don't want to hear you whine....
3.5 x 6.875 x 2.25"; 25 slides. Images printed on Epson Premium Presentation Matte paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Text printed on HP LaserJet paper. Font is Comic Sans MS. Housed in a slotted lidded wooden box with paper title label on top. Signed, dated and numbered by Hastings.
Each 'slide' is a photograph image on one side with an associated memory on the reverse.
Click image for moreClick image for more
2 x 2"; 9 pages. Miniature. Double-sided accordion. Printed on Epson double-sided Premium Presentation matte paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment-based inks. Comic Sans MS font. Red paper wraps with slit and slot closure. Signed, dated, numbered on the colophon by the artist.
John Hastings: "This is one of the favorite short poems that I have written. I often thought it would be perfect for a tiny, illustrated artist's book. The first edition consisted of only two copies in small leather folders."
Etch-A-Sketch Collaborations
11 x 8.75"; 21 leaves. Printed on recto side only using Comic Sans MS font. Printed on Epson Premium Presentation Matte Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. Spiral bound in covers. Signed and numbers by the artist.
John R. Hastings, Colophon: "In August 2013 my partner, Charlotte Murray, was diagnosed with a rare brain disease called Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD). ... this disease has gradually robbed her of her ability to read, write, and speak as well as move around the house without assistance. It has also taken away her interest in and ability to tap dance, play the piano, take photographs, and create artist books. Often this disease affects younger people, so if it is possible to have FTD and say that one is fortunate it is because Charlotte retired early, lived the life she wanted, and was not diagnosed until she was 72 years old. As yet there is no treatment and no cure for this disease. If you would like to learn more, I encourage you to visit the website of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (www.theaftd.org)."
To rekindle the creative spirit in his partner Charlotte Murray, Hastings purchased an Etch-A-Sketch. In the introduction Hastings says "You took to it immediately, and it has continued to entertain you for several months now. Mostly you just doodle, but it makes me happy to see you creating again. The real surprise, however, has been that in looking at your drawings I have been inspired to create too. Some of your drawings have inspired me to recall and write about fond memories. Others have triggered nostalgic reflection. And often I have 'completed' your drawings by adding my own sketches and doodles to yours. It is these collaborations that led me to create this book."
Fear of Water Colors
8.5 x 2.25"; 26 unnumbered pages. Printed on Epson Premium Presentation Matte paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks.Kidtyperpaint font. Spiral bound. Laid in hinged tin watercolor box.
John Hastings, colophon: "The images in this book appear in the order in which I painted them. I can see a definite improvement, can't you? "
An illustrated riff of personal water phobia: white-, salt-, bottles-, troubled-, glacier-, geyser-, well-, and toilet water.
Half a Foot
9 x 6"; 12 leaves. Printed on Epson Matte Paper Heavyweight. Printed using an Epson Stylus Photo 900. Color wraps. Two screw hole binding through a wooden ruler at each spine edge. Numbered. Signed on the colophon by the artist.
Short doggerel verses all playing with the concept of half.
How Decadent
4 x 5.5"; 12 pages. Text printed on Avery Ink Jet Labels. Images printed on Epson Matte Paper Heavyweight. Printed using an Epson Stylus Photo 900. Loveletter Typewriter font. Spiral binding with front and back covers in the same material as pages. Paper title label on front cover.
John Hastings, colophon: "Just how much fun can a person have with paint samples? Well, as Oscar Wilde wrote, 'The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.'"
John Hastings, text: "When I discovered these Decadent paint samples with their perfect little square holes, I saw the pages of a book with each as a frame for images of gooey chocolate desserts, lavish hotels with valet parking, a landscape service to do my garden chores, and the endless food buffet on a cruise ship."
Lurk
4.5 x 5.5'"; 11 pages. Printed on Epson Matte Paper Heavyweight using an Epson Stylus Photo. Comic Sans font. Spiral binding with stiff paper covers. Signed, numbered, and dated by artist on colophon.
John Hastings: "Many of my books are based upon words, playing with words, or plays on words, and utilize my own writing as the primary content. This is because I am approaching artists' books as a writer first and as an artist second. I have been very fortunate in life and have arrived at sixty years of age with very little angst. This often lets me view the world from the lighter side and hopefully lets me share a laugh or a smile with readers."
This little book is about a cat, perhaps the artist's cat. We are introduced to the cats ears first - a line drawing of cat's ears with a single line of text "Lurk is a weird-eared cat." As the image fills out the story continues with a mouse caught and dropped at the pet owner's feet "Lurk is a leave-a-fit-at-my-feet-and-retreat cat."
Everett, Washington: John R. Hastings, 2005.
Numbered second printing.
2.4 x 7"; 30 pages. Digital prints. Spiral bound. Housed in a plastic pencil box with snap closure.
Beginning with pencils from his dad's business and ending with computers and graphic tablets, we follow Hastings' career with quips and pictures of the changing tools of the trade.
John Hastings: "The author's 'art history' as told through his writing and digitally-reproduced illustrations."
Pick 10
5.5 x 8.5"; 24 pages. Printed on Hewlett-Packard Premium Presentation, Double-Sided, Matte Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment ink. Pamphlet stitch binding in stiff wraps. Signed and numbered by the artist.
John Hastings, Colophon: "After several months of creative inactivity I was looking for a way to jump start myself. The idea which occurred to me revealed on these pages. I thought it was a fun exercise that might be of interest to others, so I decided to make a book; however, in my own inimitable fashion, I faltered when it came time to produce a large edition. Therefore, if you aren't able to purchase one of the five copies, you'll just have to come read it at my house."
Hastings' method for book artists to irrigate dry spells: choose ten words at random; use them to write a poem, short-short story, or paragraph; illustrate what you've written. Repeat several times – and make a book.
Pursed Lips
2.75 x 2" closed; 2.75 x 20" extended; 10 pages. Accordion-fold. Printed on Epson's Matte Heavyweight and Photo Quality Glossy papers using an Epson Stylus Photo 900 printer. Housed in a 3.2 x 5.5" black cloth snap closure coin purse.
John Hastings, colophon: "I was inspired to make this book when I found a coin purse in an antique mall, and later, while walking around, also saw an old doll with red painted lips."
Pure visual pun and fun: lips pursed and unpursed in a purse.
r & j
the txt msg edition
By Elizabeth Pendergrass & John Hastings
Numbered Edition.
5 x 1.8"; 18 pages. Accordion-fold. Printed on an HP Laser Jet 2100. Font: Antigoni. Housed in a plastic cell phone cover secured with magnetic clasps that slips into a sequined purse. Because the phone covers and holders are found objects, each book varies slightly in appearance..
John Hastings, introduction: "The language in Shakespeare's plays has stood the test of time, but could it survive a translation into text messages by a modern teenager? I asked my 16-year-old granddaughter to rewrite the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet as if it had all happened between two teens text messaging on their cell phones."
J: y do y have 2 b romeo? if u change ur name & promise u luv me ill change mine
Sailing Past Panama
1.5 x 1.75" closed; 21 unnumbered pages. Accordion structure. Miniature. Housed in circular (2.6" diameter) lidded tin. Colophon tipped in bottom of the tin.
John Hastings, colophon: "During 1928-29, when my father was a young man, he lived and worked in Chile. To secure passage back to the US he got a job as a work -away on the freighter Cuzco. The text for this book is based on excerpts from the journal he kept during the 35-day voyage from Antofagasta, Chile, to San Pedro, California."
Type Bar
2 x 1.25" closed; 14 unnumbered pages. Accordion structure. Miniature. Text printed on acid free Wausau Hyper White paper using an HP LaserJet 2700 printer. Franklin Gothic Book font. Housed in 2.5" round metal typewriter ribbon box.
A whimsical story with line drawings assembled from type characters of different fonts.
When my friend suggested I go to the Type Bar, I wondered just how far I was willing to go to obtain material for a book. This bar can be a scary place. You know the type. ...
Type Bar II,
2 x 1.25" closed; 14 unnumbered pages. Accordion structure. Miniature. Printed on HP Premium Presentation Paper using an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment ink. Franklin Gothic Book, Alleycat, and Giddyup fonts. Laid in 2.5" round metal typewriter ribbon box.
This is the second in a series of books inspired by a round, metal typewriter ribbon box.
John R. Hastings: "Commentary on the popularity of texting as a replacement for actual conversation. Recent reviews term the book 'font-astic!'"
What's the Word?
6.5 x 5.5"; 6 pages (introduction, four pocket pages, colophon). 36 (4.5 x 4.5") cards. Printed on an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer with pigment inks. The images and text are printed on Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte. Pocket pages are Canson Mi-Teintes paper. Covers are made from archival museum board. Font is Comic Sans MS. Spiral bound in black paper covers with title on front.
John Hastings, introduction: "I love word games. I enjoy playing them and, even more, inventing them. ...
"Here's how the game works: there are 36 drawing cards divided into four categories – Easy, Medium, Hard, and Obscure. In each drawing I have attempted to suggest a word found commonly in the English Language. A player looks at the image and then guesses what the word is. The answer is found on the reverse side of each drawing.
"If, after you have made your initial guesses, you don't agree with my solutions or difficulty rankings, please feel free to rearrange the cards and personalize your book."
John Hastings, Colophon: "Words from the English language often appear to me as comic images. Even now that I have finished the book, additional words and images occur to me daily. I could easily create many new volumes and likely you will feel the same way too."
4.1 x 2.5"; 9 pages. Fold-out cross structure, digitally printed with sewn pamphlet-style binding. Front wrap cut out to reveal image of a Marlboro ad. Book slips into a green paper card case and the entire production is housed in a found metal tobacco tin (4.2 x 3"). The tobacco tins vary within the edition.
Whatever happened to the Marlboro Man --
Did he smoke his last butt and die in the car?
Did he hop on his horse and gallop away.
Or burn himself up with careless match play? ...
The Marlboro Man's a mysterious bloke.
Poof! He has vanished like a faint wisp of smoke.
But though he is gone, his memory lingers
Like a nicotine stain browning your fingers.