As a visual person, I love graphic novels – and I’m always so impressed with the creative stories told through this format. My mind was almost completely blown when Todd from Angel Bomb Design sent over his letterpress printed graphic novel, called The Airship. As you’ll see below, The Airship was inspired by the mixture of digital and analog technology and is just the first installment in a planned 3-book series. So cool!

From Todd: In the fall of 2011, I was selected as a Book Arts Fellow by the Jerome Foundation and provided support to create an enhanced, letterpress graphic novel. The writing, illustration, design, and letterpress printing on an 80 year old Vandercook press are all done by me. The Airship came about in an effort to create a book that bridges the gap between digital media and good ol’ analog books. By creating a story that utilizes a communication gap created by technology, I hope to entice readers into seeing new possibilities for tying two disparate mediums together for a more interactive and unique experience.

The Airship is first in a trilogy of letterpress graphic novels where one of the characters is transported to another time and space by a newly developed machine. He tries to send messages back home, but his communication is garbled in the aether and it’s only with a smartphone that the reader is able to scan QR codes and decipher the messages.

This idea stemmed from the different technologies used by me for my daily work: I design on a high tech Mac and print on low tech analog equipment varying in age from 60 to 123 years old. I strove to create a book that created an analogy to the production process that would include the reader and give them a more unique reading experience.

 

Thanks so much Todd! You can find more information on The Airship here.

Illustration, Design and Letterpress Printing: Angel Bomb Design

Photo Credits: Angel Bomb Design