Role

Design and Typography

Art Direction & Additional Design

Paul Kepple

Client

Harper Collins
(client of Headcase Design)

Recognition

Communication Arts Typography Annual, 
Print Magazine Regional Design Annual,
HOW Magazine International Design Awards Annual: Outstanding Achievement Award,
Judy Garland News, The Baum Bugle

The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion is a deluxe book commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the classic film The Wizard of Oz. Officially licensed with Warner Bros., this collectible book features never-before-seen images and ephemera, thoughtful and expertly-researched text, and special removable features.

As a huge fan of the film, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work on such an amazing project. The design solution shows off and accentuates the beautiful art deco style of the film, draws from the incredibly iconic motifs within it, and also reproduces some of them in various patterns and decorative elements used throughout the package. The typefaces are all deco inspired, except used with a modern sensibility.

The book holds a removable silver envelope in the back containing the nine special features, including a reproduction of the Wicked Witch of the East’s death certificate (which no longer exists, so I redrew the iconic typography and even filled out the certificate as the coroner), a fictional but in-depth custom newspaper page for The Oz Herald (which I contributed copy for headlines and advertisements), an intricate die-cut picture frame that houses different character portraits, and certificates from the Wizard himself for Courage, Brains, Heart, and Home (referencing the typography on the side of Professor Marvel’s wagon to recall the Wizard’s Kansas character). Also included are re-printings of actual vintage posters, a bookmark (designed using vintage elements), lobby cards, etc.