The deluxe edition of Fahrenheit-182 is a thing of beauty. Featuring two volumes with unique cover designs in a very cool slipcase, a photographic print signed by Mark Hoppus, and a custom guitar pick, this is the ultimate collector's item for blink-182 fans.
We spoke with designer Ben Prior at Little, Brown to learn how this very special edition came together.
What ideas did you start with, when you first planned the design?
Ben Prior: When we first started exploring ideas, we wanted to create something that felt special, personal and true to Mark. From the outset, we knew we wanted the book to be split into two volumes: The Words and The Photos, brought together in a slipcase.
I started designing and experimenting with concepts for the two individual covers – paying attention to how they visually complement each other as a pair and come together in a slipcase as a whole. My influence for this was based around Mark’s own visual language and that of blink-182 – and I suppose my own perspective as a fan of the band!
How did this diverge from the standard edition?
BP: The awesome trade hardback cover was designed by Jo O’Neill, an Art Director in the US. We used Jo’s US cover art for our standard hardback edition in the UK. We saw this special edition as a chance to do something different.
Jo O’Neill not only designed the hardback cover but also an incredible selection of blink-182 posters and kindly offered up her time to chat through some ideas for this special edition.
Before the trade hardback was published, I remember being very excited to see Mark’s book in our schedule and asking Tig if I could get involved with the design in any way, so when this special edition came round I was so keen!
How did you collaborate with Mark Hoppus?
BP: I got going with about four different cover route pairings to start off, which I presented to Mark and his team when they were in the UK for his book tour. These had a positive reaction, but when Mark had a bit more time to think them over, he wanted to look at some alternative routes.
Mark pulled together a mood board of visuals looking at a direction that felt less clean and more punk. Mark’s references included artwork for Sonic Youth, Black Flag, the Adolescents – among some early blink-182 flyers that all felt quite DIY, punk and zine-like.
With this in mind I went on creating visuals that felt more raw, textured and stylised to a punk aesthetic – overlaying photos, actively taking risks with cropping, cutting, scanning, and hand-drawing typography. Once back in Photoshop, I needed to find the balance between a mess and an organised composition that visually fits into what Mark was looking for.
What was something new and unique that you tried out with this edition?
BP: I think the most unique component to the special edition is the custom printed pick featuring an illustration of Mark with ‘F-182’ on the reverse. Neither me nor the Production Manager, Abby, had ever worked on a pick before, so going round a few companies to get samples to ensure the quality was good was a new challenge to us. Matching the thickness to the 0.60mm picks that Mark uses was a nice touch.
What part of the design are you most proud of?
BP: I’ve always loved working on special editions that have a slipcase, and this one is a stand-out for me. The choice to go with black, glossy foil for the grungy handwritten typography, set against the sleek matt black of the slipcase, is the perfect finish in my eyes.
Lastly, what do you hope fans will enjoy most about this edition?
BP: For me, it’s got to be the photo book. I hope it’s something fans will keep coming back to flick through and to look at when reading the book, listening to the audiobook or their favourite blink album. It doesn’t follow the grid-like rules of more traditional photo books, so I hope it’s a visually exciting experience to look through. As for the whole edition, I hope it has pride of place on people’s bookshelves.
The deluxe edition of Fahrenheit-182 is due for publication this November. You can pre-order it now via Special Edition Books.