ERIK: REASONS BEHIND FINAL CREATIVE COVER
Why are you a fire blanket?
So talking you through the creative cover…
I first thought through ideas and wondered what ERIK could have been, even thinking about having ashes collected and have on the front cover, being able to move. Instead I decided that I wanted to book to be the size of a fire blanket and be able to fit into the slipcover of the fire blanket.
Then I thought about it more – I could use the blanket to print on – unfortunately you cannot print on your own material. So therefore I chose the material closest to the fire blanket material. I used my real fire blanket as a template and created my own one with a story on it! I wanted it to reveal more about Erik as you opened the blanket – this is what my blanket does if it is folded down.
As you open it takes you through a short quick/fast story of what happens when there is a fire (quick and fast – the way firemen have to react). This was the easy part. Sewing the bloody red plastic was a frigging nightmare – If kept catching – as you can see in my development. I had to sew the slipcover and the blanket edges. I even went as far as doing the label on the back of the blanket.
I then create the vinyl to go onto the front cover – It took me so many attempts to get this right, as my typeface was too thin. With changing the typeface this worked better, but still fiddly. Then the last touch was the metal circle eyelet at the top that I hammered in.
I wanted this narrative to be subtle but once noticed to grab people’s attention, just like the sound of the siren of the truck, faint unaware then suddenly comes with a loud noise.
I also think that it reflects Erik’s job as a fireman. He is not firstly known / thought of as a fireman at home in Orkney, and I like that you don’t firstly look at this narrative and think ‘that is a book’.