BOOK REVIEW

Modern Dog Commercial Playing Cards Number 2 Published by and available from Modern Dog, Seattle WA (US) (2001), featuring the works of Michael Strassburger, Robynne Raye, Vittorio Costarella and George Estrada; A set of 52 playing cards each with a color picture of a poster on it, 7 x 11 cm; in english; US$ 23 ( US$ 30 for international orders ) "This is our second deck of cards featuring 52 Modern Dog posters from 1995 through 2001. As with our first deck, which is now sold out, this is a limited edition"

Modern Dog is the name of a small west coast graphic design company founded in 1987 by Robynne Raye and Michael Strassburger. They work on advertising, logos, corporate identity, packaging, but above all have made hundreds of posters for theater, music, art events, and speaking engagements. See their long list of awards on their web site. They just sent me their poster self promotion in the form of a deck of cards, and while the pictures are small (about the same size as those on Rene Wanner's Poster Page), I enjoy having so many of them and find them absolutely delightful, they radiate the obvious fun of making them. Many are unabashedly, even proudly retro, like the "Tag Team" (the King of Hearts below), a poster for an event of the American Institute of Graphic Arts in Seattle in 1997, with Michael "The Rumbler" and and Sugar Raye "Watch your Catch". All play with typography. With such cards, how can you ever concentrate on the game ? 6 of the 52 playing cards

The Master and Margarita, by M. Bulgakov, Theater poster for Yale Repertory Theater, 2000 Envision 21 Conference poster for the Art Director and Artists Club, 1995