Described as “a cheeky magazine” by the Winnipeg Free Press and “your story of experiments with truth,” by the publisher, ‘Geez’ is a new magazine with the mandate to “untangle the narrative of faith from the fundamentalists, pious self-helpers and religio-profiteers.” It aims to “explore the point at which word, action and image intersect and then ignite” and to become “a camp set up in the outback of the spiritual commons, a bustling spot for the over-churched, out-churched, un-churched and maybe even the un-churchable, a location just beyond boring bitterness, a place for wannabe contemplatives, front-line world-changers and restless cranks, (and) a place where the moon shines quiet, instinct runs mythic and belief rides a bike (or at least sits on the couch entertaining the possibility).”

Robert L. Peters, who is serving the non-profit and ad-free Geez in an advisory role, has been pleased with the courage and vision shown by founder/publisher Aiden Enns (formerly managing editor of Adbusters) and editor Will Braun: “Geez defines itself as ‘holy mischief in an age of fast faith,’ and I firmly believe that its time is ripe.”

Geez has been garnering positive reviews in a variety of media. Maclean’s magazine’s 9 January 2006 issue features a spread from Geez’ inaugural issue (including a poster by Peters from the “Lest We Forget: Hiroshima & Nagasaki” series) and notes that “Geez may be an indication that Christianity, or at least some form of it, is becoming cool again.”

For more information, visit geezmagazine.org

Four of my small charges…

This past summer I had the opportunity (duty?) of “raising” five orphaned baby raccoons out at my place in the forest. The ritual of evening feeding sessions provided many hours of observation and enjoyment, as well as the up-close chance to observe mammalian developmental processes and juvenile interactions. The five kits had been brought to me by a professor in the city who had observed their mother being killed… he knew I loved animals and offered to supply the food (primarily dry puppy kibble) if I would mete it out and allow them to inhabit the woods around my home.

Judging by the impressive weight gain (from under .5 kg to around 9 kg in five months) and lustrous coats they had developed by the fall, the raising was a success. Particularly gratifying for me (by now feeling like a surrogate parent) was when on one of the last evenings they showed up (before hibernation, triggered by frost) there were suddenly nine raccoons on the deck… it seems they had found themselves den-mates to snuggle with for the long winter.

Rockport, Massachusetts

As stated in Rockport Publishers’ news release, ”Worldwide Identity offers inspiration from 40 countries and showcases more than 300 identities from around the globe from branding the City of Sydney in Australia, to private-label Hong Kong tea, to Brazilian supermarkets, to Levi’s in Singapore, to Danish crown corporation heraldry, and wine in South Africa. Worldwide Identity, compiled in collaboration with Icograda, explains the process of identity design by defining both the ‘Brief’ and the ‘Solution.’ This clear and concise manner assists us in seeing how innovative, distinctive, and appropriate identities arise from designers thorough understanding of mandate and cultural context.”

The book’s author Robert L. Peters states: ”Designers have given shape to the identities of corporations, organizations, locations, events, products, and services that surround us. Information, ideas, and communication are the new currency in today’s virtual world and in this age of ideas, graphic designers play an increasingly vital role in creating economic success, shaping communities, and forming culture. Identity lies at the very core of society, and is the key to our understanding of self. Understanding culture is imperative in avoiding identity crisis and rootlessness, and is a prerequisite for the effective shaping of identities and communication. Everywhere in our shrinking world, we can witness increased homogenization, erosion of indigenous culture, the emergence of serial monotony, and the loss of both individual and collective identity. However, at the same time, the Internet has allowed the world to literally be ”brought to the doorstep” of designers, along with the opportunities this presents.”

Worldwide Identity showcases identity projects from around the world, compiled in association with the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda). The book includes a contextual essay about each of the 40 countries from which works are drawn, along with information including maps, flags, and comparative metrics such as national population, area, languages, and GDP per capita. It also includes directories of Icograda member associations around the globe, and all contributors.

Robert L. Peters is the founding principal of Circle, an international visual communications consultancy based in Winnipeg, Canada. He was president of Icograda from 2001-2003, and is active internationally as a consultant and design strategist, writer, policy advisor, juror, and guest lecturer.

Published by Rockport in partnership with Icograda, Worldwide Identity is available in bookshops worldwide, and can be purchased online. Contact Liz Polay-Wettengel at Rockport Publishers for excerpt material, images, author interviews, or any other information: Tel. +1 978 282 3511, liz@rockpub.com, www.QuaysidePublishingGroup.com

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Worldwide Identity:
Inspired Design from Forty Countries
Author: Robert L. Peters

ISBN: 1-59253-187-3, Rockport Publishers, Inc.
Hardcover, 256 pages, 400 color images.
Size: 228 x 280 mm (9 x 11 inches)
$45.00 US / 29.99 / $63.00 CAN

Read book reviews at Amazon. Read the ‘Identity Matters’ editorial (as a PDF, 792 K) from the Opinion/Commentary article originally published in the July 2005 issue of Communication Arts magazine [CA #337, Illustration Annual 46]).

Edmonton, Alberta

“War has long been a subject of the arts and within this genre posters have been important vehicles for communication. Posters are used to arouse public opinion. They reflect changes in attitudes, political trends and social issues. They are advertisements and sources of information. In short, posters are a record of the time.

Designers have used their talents to rally both for and against war, and to create powerful graphic statements. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—yet we live in a world which is still witness to armed conflict. Lest We Forget: Canadian Designers on War features the responses of 24 prominent Canadian graphic designers to the subjects of war, anti-war and peace. This show challenges viewers to think differently and perhaps act differently.”

—Curator, Alison Miyauchi

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Robert L. Peters was one of 24 designers invited to contribute posters for Lest We Forget: Canadian Designers on War, an exhibit which opened at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta today under the auspices of The Works Art and Design Festival.

Shown here are two of four posters designed by Peters. The first is self-explanatory; regarding the poster entitled “I am become Death,” Peters explains: “After witnessing the first nuclear explosion (code-named Trinity ) in the New Mexico desert on 16 July 1945, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer murmured this famous aphorism, quoting a Hindu text by the Bhagavad-Gita. As Trinity director Kenneth Bainbridge watched the explosion, he exclaimed, ‘Now we are all sons of bitches.’ Technological advances can make us more powerful, faster, and more prolific, but they do not make us smarter. The background image is of the atomic plume over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945.”

For more information about the exhibit, please contact the curator, Alison Miyauchi, at: miyauchi@telusplanet.net

Exhibit Catalogue (PDF download, 9.6 MB)

Photos from the exhibition opening…

Winnipeg, Canada

February 13th’s ‘Entertainment’ section of the Winnipeg Free Press featured a cover article about Circle Design Incorporated, Robert L. Peters, and the design of stamps for Canada Post. The in-depth piece by Morley Walker is accompanied by images of the recently released Fishing Fly stamps and photos of designers Susan McWatt FitzGerald, Celina Blandford, and Robert L. Peters.

Free Press article (PDF download, 800KB)

Winnipeg, Canada

At the request of our local GDC chapter I prepared a presentation on the importance of preparing and using written agreements. This was driven home by some unscrupulous clients I encountered early in my practice, resulting in my being obliged to learn more than I had ever thought possible regarding the ins and outs of contractual law. Suffice it to say, those painful early lessons have proved invaluable over time…

Winnipeg, Canada

Buy Nothing Christmas is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites who offer a prophetic “no” to the patterns of over-consumption of middle-class North Americans. They are inviting others to join a movement to de-commercialize Christmas and re-design a lifestyle that is richer in meaning, smaller in impact upon the earth, and greater in giving to people less-privileged. Visit www.buynothingchristmas.org for more information and to access alternative resources.

I met Aiden Enns (former managing editor of Adbusters and the key driver behind Buy Nothing Christmas) a few months ago and was impressed by his alternative vision as well as his personal integrity and the efforts he invests in shaping a better world. I’ve always been troubled by the obscene commercialism of Christmas, and when Aiden asked if I would put some creative effort into supporting the Buy Nothing Christmas initiative, I didn’t hesitate. This is one of the posters I designed… (less is more).