With Photography Like This…

• Johnny Cash, San Quentin Prison, 1969
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…how could you go wrong with an album cover?

Jim Marshall
February 3, 1936—March 24, 2010

As someone who's designed album covers utilizing classic, editorial photography – I know how much of a difference it makes to have something iconic to work with. Jim Marshall, and his photography, made life easy for many designers and inspired the legend of many classic rock musicians in music history.

I had the pleasure of viewing much of Jim's work in person at the Morrison Hotel Gallery on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood during my second stint living in the City of Angels. Awe-inspiring and legacy-worthy, to say the least. His work will live on forever. For more, go here.


• John Coltrane, Queens, NY, 1963


• Miles Davis, New York City


• Grace Slick & Janis Joplin, San Francisco, 1967


• Rolling Stones, Los Angeles, 1972 "Exile…" sessions


• Jimi Hendrix, Monterey Pop, 1967

Nerd Out On Design, Online!

While I like to design utilizing my own creativity, every artist desires some immediate visual stimulation now and again – especially between projects or on an uninspired day. You're probably saying to yourself; "Tom, that's so true – but where, oh where do I find such stimulation?" Fear not, friends, here's four of my favorites to nerd out on…

• The Book Cover Archive
Is there a more creative outlet than book design?

• Design Observer
An ultra high-end design site covering a world of possibilities.

• We Love Typography
This site inspires all things typography, both past and present.

• I Love Typography
A fantastic blog that spotlights the world of typography.

Something big is in the works…

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A series of projects I'm designing will (literally and figuratively) unfold throughout the summer, culminating in a box set for the 2010 holiday season. A killer project, great music and an even better client. Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it, to say the least. More soon…

When Worlds Collide

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Throughout the year, typically on a bi-weekly basis, I explore and photograph abandoned architecture throughout the Northeast. I've amassed quite the archive of images including, but not limited to, former mental hospitals, schools, factories, homes, hotels and power plants.

The one thing missing in my design portfolio, however, is a package design utilizing this photography as its visual concept. With that said, out of curiosity – while between projects, I employed a photo from Pilgrim State Hospital that I shot this past January as the subject for a design. In the end, I enjoy its clean, editorial feel and lack of computer effects.

With that said, I'm feeling more confident than ever that I can take this design, or any other, featuring my photography and create something viable for a client. It's all simply a matter of finding the right circumstance for it, of course.

24 Hour Designathon

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The 24 hour Designathon takes place once a year at PCA&D and is organized by the college's AIGA student chapter. The event offers non-profit organizations the ability to receive professional-quality design services, free of charge. Beginning at 6PM on Friday night, the design teams meet with their non-profit to discuss their project needs. After that, it's 24 hours of non-stop design mayhem in order to conceptualize, design and evolve the best ideas into a piece that's pitched to the client at 6PM on Saturday night.

Acting as a faculty team leader, I worked with three fantastic students – Vanessa Leddy, Adam Delmarcelle & Josh Spence – to design a playbill, DVD cover, and 15 second bumper for Michael Hoober & the Rumschpringe Short Film Festival. Many other great students who I taught last year took part, including: Sarah Solak, Nicole Weaver, Sara Warfel, Jason Getz, Amanda Wolfe & Paul Sullivan. Andrew Herzog, a current (and most excellent) student of mine, is the lone sophomore participant this year.

For more, check out the Podcast for the event that I was part of here, along with photos from said Podcast here.