Interview with Jacob Covey

Jacob Covey is a designer and Art Director for Fantagraphic Books. Dan Wagstaff of The Casual Optimist interviews Covey about his background in book design and his role at Fatagraphics.

Wagstaff: Briefly, could you tell me about working at Fantagraphics?

Covey: If the publishing industry is a zoo, then Fantagraphics is the monkey house. It’s not a conventional workplace and you could get tetanus from walking barefoot but it’s a place where everyone is laboring out of love and there’s a lot of receptivity to trying new things and having your ideas heard. Much more so than I think is possible at most publishers. I have immense respect for the history of the company as an archivist of great work and I have the opportunity to deal with our publishing decisions on a regular basis. It’s satisfying in that way–but the office itself is a neglected three story house with 30 years of dusty artwork, ancient paste-ups, and discarded razor blades strewn about. So it’s not for everyone.

Relatedly:

• I’m going to buy a copy of Abstract Comics (pictured above) simply for it’s layout. There is an extensive preview of the book on Fantagraphics website.
• Covey’s book of cryptozoological creatures looks great.