publisher: McSweeney’s / The Believer
type: Magazine cover
spec notes: 10-issues a year; 8 issues in the traditional Believer grid with 4 portraits by Charles Burns, plus 2 special issues with one full-cover illustration with diecut showing a CD or DVD behind it. Usually printed in CMYK on uncoated stock, with some stamped foil, spot colors, or metallics for special issues
Around February 2014, the 100th issue of The Believer with my work on the cover came out. If the Beatles had the Cavern to learn the ins and outs of the perfect pop song, Bookish Design had The Believer to hone its typographic sensibilities, and—especially—color, color combination, and definition of space through color. Not that it’s exactly appropriate praise, but all this chromatic exploration did lead Andrew Leland, first and longest-tenured managing editor of The Believer, to proclaim: “Alvaro owns the f*cking rainbow.”
Above are some of my favorites over the past 10 years and one of the schemas that I typeset in collaboration with Ian Huebert‘s artwork.