Independently Animated

An interview with legendary illustrator Bill Plympton on his forthcoming book, friendship with Terry Gilliam and the future of adult animation in America

At 13-years-old Bill Plympton wrote to Walt Disney asking for a job in the animation department. The young illustrator was initially rejected, but an Oscar nomination six years later for his animated short called “Your Face” led to Disney knocking on his door—where Plympton finally got his turn to say no. These were the early days of Plympton’s prolific career, which can be seen in …

The Tote Bag Book

An extended collection of brilliantly designed tote bags compiled by artist Jitesh Patel

UK based designer Jitesh Patel started a blog based on his interest in tote bag artwork that has become a forum for the showcased artists. From there he turned the site into paperback form—his book “The Tote Bag” highlights striking and inventive designs including his own illustrations on the cover and the free canvas tote that accompanies the book. In recent years the tote bag …

Players

Tina Barney's new photo book beautifully blurs the line between art and reality

At 98 pages, Tina Barney’s newly-published collection of photographs is comparably miniscule to the increasingly mammoth tomes featuring artist’s work—but it’s no less powerful for it. “Players,” with its diversity of images, far from lacking in range, is a surprising compendium of mostly-never-before-seen photographs of Barney’s subjects. The New York-born photographer is best-known for casting her lens on both the intimacy and distance coexisting within …