Monday, April 2, 2007

And, speaking of cover matters...

Has anyone noticed that, around the time of The Secret War, the Macmillan New Writing logo changed? (I'm not suggesting there is a connection with The Secret War, though there might be. Check the Vatican catacombs.)

The logo has always been a representation of an open book, viewed from an oblique angle. (This seems to be my week for the word 'oblique'.) But it started as black on white. It is now white-on-black, and has little outlines to make it more obvious that it is a book.

It's an improvement if you like literal. The previous incarnation had better Rohrshach ink-blot uses. I tended to see it as a large bat in flight--though I could also manage a male Boat-Tailed Grackle facing to the right, with its tail spread in threat posture.

I can't do anything with the new one. Even if I squint, it still says 'book' to me. Which I suppose is a good thing.

2 comments:

mattfwcurran.com Web Admin said...

Hi David

It’s a conspiracy I tell you! If you use a super-strength magnifying glass, or the bottom of a beer glass, you can see a micro-dot on the right hand page of the logo. When blown-up it shows a Latin text written in reverse, which could either contain the entire secret history of mankind, or the recipe for onion and lentil soup.

Both of which - I think you’d agree - are quite important.

David Isaak said...

Okay, I can see it now...what's the Latin for "onion"? Allium, like the plant species? No, a check of Google suggests the Latin for "onion" was "onion".

What's the Latin for "lentil"? Oh, wait, I don't need to check that one--"lenticula", like "lenticular clouds"...where's that beer glass...?

Nope. I can't translate it all, but it doesn't seem the receipe. Must be that history thing.

Damn. I could use a good soup receipe.