In the Spotlight

The Voodoo Kit

Voodoo Lou

Running Press

www.runningpress.com

Using props to enhance text, Running Press has developed a collection of non-traditional books that are designed outside of the box—literally. Produced in two formats, a full-sized book with doll, as well as a miniature version of the original, The Voodoo Kit demonstrates the publisher's dedication to providing multi-dimensional projects to court alternative book consumers. By pairing unusual items with traditional content, Running Press has cornered a market that makes books into extensions of gadgets. In the past, the publisher has utilized a wide range of materials to achieve this goal, including rubber and sand.

Wonderland

Rochelle Steiner

Saint Louis Art Museum

www.slam.org

This companion book to an exhibition at the St. Louis Museum of Art is as impressive in form as it is in content. Wonderland is designed with a special insert containing photographs of installations reproduced in full-color poster format. The design is a perfect complement to the art it represents. The 10 artists featured—Janet Cardiff, Olafur Eliasson, Teresita Fernandez, Stephen Hendee, Bill Klaila, Joep van Lieshout, Ernesto Neto, Pipilotti Rist, Gregor Schneider, and Jennifer Steinkamp—provide works constructed into alternate realities that engage physical involvement, creating a three-dimensional experience for the viewer, as well as the reader. The book was recently honored by the 2001 Independent Publishers Book Awards.

Wonder Woman Masterpiece Edition

The Golden Age of the Amazon Princess

Les Daniels

Chronicle Books

www.chroniclebooks.com

This publication and its collector's figure pay tribute to the femme fatal of superheroines in two formats—a compact, inexpensive trade edition and another larger, more deluxe collector's volume. Both contain an 8.5" action figure designed in 1940s style, as well as a lavishly illustrated hardcover book chronicling the origins and early history of the amazon princess.

Writers' Block

Jason Rekulak

Running Press

www.runningpress.com

The intangible concept of writer's block takes on a literal form with this whimsical book, which is in the shape of an actual block. The 3x3x3" book was constructed using more than 600 pages. According to Bill Jones, creative designer at Running Press, a follow-up to Writers' Block is due out this season. Road Block, he says, features a wider color gamut using the same design plan. On both counts, the books represent an innovative way of cleverly using production methods to deliver special themes.