Change Is Not Enough
Client: MaCab Films/Smolhaus Design
Category: Identity, Print, Packaging
The documentary feature “BETTER THINGS: The Life and Choices of Jeffrey Catherine Jones” examines the life and work of influential painter and illustrator, Jeffrey Catherine Jones. Jones is best known for the genre and comic book work she produced from the mid-1960s to the 1990s.
The film centers on the last years of Jones’s life, and her struggles during that period. It also features interviews with luminaries of the comic book industry, who discuss Jones’s place in comics history.
Challenge
Design supporting collateral and identity for a documentary film. The design should be consistent with the artistic style and milieu of Jones. Much of the collateral will feature fine art and illustration by Jones and other artists. Therefore, the design also needed to work in conjunction with a variety of visual styles. The logo was used across most supporting media, including posters, packaging, advertising, and presentations.
Themes
Sci-fi, fantasy, comics, Art Nouveau, art and commerce, creative struggle, identity, 1970s.
Logo
The main identity graphic for the film is a wordmark for Better Things. The typography was inspired by shapes, curves, and proportions seen in Art Nouveau lettering. Art Nouveau was an influence on the art and design of the 1960s and ’70s, including on Jones and her colleagues at The Studio — Michael Kaluta, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Bernie Wrightson. The era of The Studio and her relationships with the artists who formed it is a defining chapter of Jones’s life.
Collateral
Posters
Two designs for theatrical one-sheet posters. One poster heavily features artwork by Jones. The other poster focuses on the hands of the artist. The image of Jones’s weathered hands is both a literal depiction of her “tools” as an artist and a symbol of her struggle.
DVD Package
The DVD packaging uses Jones’s painting “Mermaidia” as the main graphic. The artwork was chosen for its iconic and dramatic composition. The female form, particularly mermaids, is a recurring subject matter in Jone’s work.
Art Catalog
Friends, colleagues, and admirers of Jones donated nearly seventy art pieces, much of which was inspired by Jones herself, to be sold to help fund the production of the documentary. The artworks were compiled into a printed catalog.
Design by Maria Cabardo and John Pinsky. Hand-made belly band by Christina Graf.