new jayvik book yaaay! this is with soft hands: Viktor takes care of Jayce (and other stories): a collection of works by @sulkybender!
as usual, process + design chatter under the cut <3
This book was such a special one to make! I don't make many anthologies these days, but sulky's fics just hit that perfect note of tender + heartbreaking + loving that make you want to hold a loved one, so it was well worth the effort. And especially given the nature/tone of the collection, gathering all the different fics, arranging them, and binding them felt extra special :]
Two things I wanted to convey with this bind were: simplicity and movement. Sulky has a way of writing about points of time that stand all on their own, but also fit into this larger art-moment-movement for the boys. The moments are simple in action (a kiss, a fruit falling, a word shared), but layered and complex in what's moving under the surface. In every piece there are a number of small tragedies and triumphs that Jayce and Viktor go through together, and each of these moments flows organically from one to the other, each snippet like a lighted way station in the dark, sometimes layering up and winding around and doubling back, until you reach the end and oh, look at that, you're crying aha. I'm always reading these stories all cozy in bed--they always feel like the last thought you have before you fall asleep (and they often are, for me! LOVE reading a sulky fic right before I pass out sjdflksj).
In keeping with this idea of movement and fluidity, one of my favorite elements to design was the order of the fics + table of contents! I've used these hand-drawn ribbons in other binds and love how they add a little movement to a spread. I also really love how all of the titles are little poems in their own right, so I tried my hand a contrapuntal poem with their ordering. On the left are works from sulky's collection on ao3, "with soft hands: Viktor takes care of Jayce." On the right are other of sulky's works that I thought were similar thematically or were parts of other series (some of which include collection fics). On the whole, I'm quite pleased with the effect!
(For funsies, have a go at reading it both vertically and horizontally heh :3)
I also found some really neat one-line illustrations from Adobe Images of hands reaching for each other. I used these as the decorative elements between the two larger sections, and between each of the fics:
For materials, I found this gorgeous natural Japanese linen while on a recent trip and knew from the moment I saw it that I was going to use it for this bind! Endpapers are this pretty white paper I had in stash--it has gold and silver flecks + some really pretty wispy, thread-like inclusions.
Leaning more into the idea of movement + simplicity, I used some neutral-colored Gutermann silk threads for my first true gradient endband! This was my first go at a gradient, and while I'm still working out how to manage my tension (a constant battle with every bind, lol), I'm quite pleased with the colors :3
This was also my first time trying a set-in bookplate! I didn't get photos of the process lol, but I basically cut the first few layers of the bookboard into a square + sanded it down so that when I glued in the paper, it would lay flush with the rest of the cover. The image is from Aquarian Odyssey: A Photographic Trip into the Sixties by Don Snyder, and I thought it was really lovely and fitting:
Aaand that's all for today! Thank you so much again to sulky for their permission to bind. Sulky, I love reading your work, and I loved making this! I'm so happy to have your words on my shelf :D
And once more, for the road: you can read sulky's work on ao3, here <3
