Veer's own Joe Newton is one talented dude. Not only did he curate our new Cherry illustration collection, for the past eight years Joe has illustrated the widely syndicated Savage Love sex advice column. See Joe's portfolio of innocent-looking illustrations on Veer Ideas, then read Dan Savage's columns (text NSFW) at The Stranger.

A fond farewell to Bettie Page. The 1950s pinup queen - and her visionary photographers - set the standard for a generation. This gallery might have looked very different without her.

Our smart designer friends at UnderConsideration, Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit, have written an impressive new book entitled Women of Design. Though it celebrates and acknowledges these women's work – thoughtfully divided into non-ageist categories, Groundbreakers, Pathfinders, and Trailblazers – the designers' femaleness is not the focus of this book. Perusing the work, you'll feel the same gasps of delight, pangs of envy, and sparks of recognition ("Oh, so she created that one!") that you feel seeing any compendium of world-class creative work, male, female, or undetermined.

I brought the book home to my designer wife, who started flipping curiously, then sat at the table reading it late into the night. It's that kind of book - in no small part because of the intelligent questioning and insightful observations that Bryony and Armin have cultivated through their experience publishing Speak Up and Brand New. Highly recommended, and a swell gift. (I'll be buying another to replace ours, that my wife eagerly gave to her colleague the next day.)

Preview and read more at the official site, or buy from Amazon.

Speaking of cinema-related design, Joe Newton points us to Andrew Lindstrom's Ode to Criterion Box Art. Films for serious film buffs on DVD, each with its own new, original cover design. As Andrew says, they must have some of the best in-house designers working today.

"The holiday season is a time for storytelling, and whether you are hearing the story of a candelabra staying lit for more than a week, or a baby born in a barn without proper medical supervision, these stories often feature miracles." Thus begins The Lump of Coal, a new book by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist.

"The story begins with a lump of coal, who for the sake of argument could think, talk, and move itself around. Like many people who dress in black, the lump of coal was interested in becoming an artist."

Above illustration © Brett Helquist

A revolutionary innovation in penmanship, free when you buy the Helvetica film on DVD. Nice one, Gary.

Want to know more about design? Read some design books. On his new site The Designers Review of Books, designer Andy Polaine reviews only design-related books.

As Andy suggests, The Little Know-It-All could be a good place to start, and a good Christmas gift for the bathroom-reading designer in your life.

(Shout-out for the nice use of Ale Paul's Buffet Script in the masthead, too.)

It seems nothing is more magnetic (at least to us humans) than another face. A weird, distorted one? Even better. The endlessly amusing Unusual Suspects face builder app proves it (witness a few amazing contributions), as does Chris Ro's Efface book project, which achieves a similar effect on the printed page. Says Ro:

“Fourteen faces were constructed, de-constructed and fused in the hopes of assembling experiences that are simultaneously simple and yet very complex. The objective was to encounter the human face as one previously may not have encountered before.”

Via QBN

Next Thursday, November 13, Under Consideration's Opposites Attract series concludes at the Art Directors Club in NYC, and it promises to be a good one:

"The final event brings together Gail Anderson (of famed Broadway designers SpotNYC) and Robynne Raye (of famed agency Modern Dog), two designers with a range of work that, in spirit, is endlessly adventurous, entertainingly boisterous, and disarmingly witty — all with decidedly opposite results."

If you'll be in NYC, don't delay, as these events are very well attended. Tickets range from $15 to $30 at the ADC site.

But, since the series is sponsored by Veer, I happen to have a few free tickets. To win, be the first to answer this skill-testing question:

Who designed the typeface that Gail Anderson used in the Chris Rock poster spread (above)?

E-mail your answer to Jon at Veer dot com.

Finding magic in the everyday is such an art. I get the same feeling from looking at Matt Stuart’s photographs that I get from reading David Foster Wallace’s essays: I just want to go out on the street and really see things.

Says Matt:

I can’t hide behind lights and technology, I am reliant on a small Leica camera, patience and lots of optimism. But what I get in return is the chance to make an honest picture which people know immediately is a genuine moment and which hopefully burrows deep into their memories.

Thanks Joe!

Above: © Matt Stuart