CRITERION'S ERIC SKILLMAN

The looming digital age has come to threaten all things classic and impermanent, and I am terrified for the future of books. What will we put on our shelves? They smell terrific, and they are so damn nice to look at.

I am always reassured by the Criterion Collection of DVDs not (only) because of their taste in films, but because of the way they present them. This is the way that films ought to be presented more often. If we are entering the digital age without looking back, we ought to do it gracefully and tastefully, giving future generations something they can put on their shelves and hold as "classics".

So I thought I would share the blog of one of Criterion's graphic designers, Eric Skillman, who keeps an ongoing discussion of his work and processes online. Notice the above compilation of his various approaches to the cover art for "Pigs, Pimps, and Prostitutes!", a film I had not heard of until tonight, but am intrigued by based on the cover design/artwork alone. Very interesting to read about in his own words. And inspiring for the age of the digital bookshelf too.